All cells in the body receive nutrients and oxygen through the circulatory system (cardiovascular system). It is made up of the heart and the blood arteries that run throughout the body. The arteries convey blood out from the heart, while the veins return it.
In a nutshell, your circulatory system (cardiovascular system) is responsible for transporting oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the lungs and then pumping it throughout the body via arteries. Once the oxygen and nutrients have been delivered to your organs, veins carry the oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart, where it is recirculated.
As your organs consume the oxygen and nutrients provided by your diet, the blood becomes depleted and picks up waste products like carbon dioxide. This is why a healthy diet is so important!
Your circulatory system acts as a highway for nutrients and gases, continuously moving them throughout your body.
However, this same heart and circulatory system can become a major source of concern as you age, especially given the high rates of circulatory disorders such as stroke and heart disease.
In developed nations, one in four people will die from heart disease, with someone in the USA dying every 36 seconds from this condition.
The heart is the main organ that pumps blood throughout the body, tirelessly working day in and day out, beating thousands of times each day.
Imagine your heart as a muscular pump, about the size of your fist, delivering vital oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body. This cone-shaped, powerful muscle has four chambers, each connected by a series of one-way valves that ensure blood flows in one side and out the other.
Oxygen-poor blood, depleted of its oxygen, returns to the heart through the veins, collecting in the right atrium. From there, it moves into the right ventricle, which then pumps this deoxygenated blood to your lungs to be re-oxygenated.
Once oxygenated, the blood returns to the left atrium, passes through the mitral valve, and enters the left ventricle. The left ventricle then pumps the blood with great force into the body’s main artery, the aorta. The oxygen-rich blood travels through the aorta and branches off into other arteries to supply the body with the oxygen it needs.
Most importantly, this oxygenated blood also flows through two coronary arteries to supply the heart itself with the oxygen it needs. These delicate arteries are often implicated in heart attacks, as they can become clogged by atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in the arteries).
Did you know that your circulatory system is made up of an estimated six thousand miles (almost 9,700 kilometers) of blood vessels?
I like to think of this system as being similar to a tree with its trunk, branches, and fine twigs, or like a river with its many tributaries. The larger arteries branch into smaller arterioles, which then branch off into the tiniest blood vessels called capillaries.
These minuscule capillaries play a crucial role in feeding the cells of your body, supplying them with life-giving oxygen, and removing carbon dioxide and other waste products. The oxygen-depleted blood and waste products are then transported back to the heart through small veins called venules, which lead into larger veins. Eventually, this blood completes its journey back to the right atrium of the heart.
This elaborate network of vessels needs to be kept clear to handle the full force of the heart’s contractions, allowing for uninterrupted and strong blood flow. It’s essential to keep the walls of these blood vessels in top shape, free from any obstructions.
When it comes to your arteries, the main concern is high blood pressure. While veins can develop their own issues, especially with aging, it’s the arteries that are most critical when managing high blood pressure.
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You can read about the best blood tests to determine heart disease on this link, along with blood tests to evaluate heart health not commonly performed by mainstream medical doctors.