Health Articles:

The circulatory system

By Dr. Markian Babij, ND

The circulatory system is a closed system comprised of arteries, veins, and capillary beds. This system relies on an efficient pump that we know as the heart. If we take care of this organ the human heart will beat about three billion times during a lifetime. It takes about two minutes for the heart to pump a drop of blood throughout the body. The circulation of our blood is very important as one drop of contains five million red blood cells, ten thousand white blood cells and two hundred and fifty thousand platelets.

The human blood volume is five liters and the circulatory system has three delivery routes, pulmonary, cardiac, and systemic. Arteries and the veins are the major transport systems that help maintain optimal pressure for the heart to pump. Arteries deliver freshly oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart and body. Veins carry blood that has accumulated cellular waste products in the capillary beds. The heart pumps this waste to the lungs, liver and kidneys for disposal. Remember the saying “in with the good and out with the bad” well its true, so remember to breath deep full breaths.

Bill Nye the science guy has said that if we were to unravel the circulatory system it could be wrapped around earth twice! Surprisingly humans continue to clog this lengthy system with insults from the modern diet. Fortunately, there are unique properties within this system to allow for these insults'. The arteries have smooth muscle surrounding them, which allows for changes in blood volume. This is why often we feel slightly chilly after eating because these muscles open blood routes to allow for increased blood flow to the digestive tract. Warm blood from other regions in the body is shunted to the stomach and we feel a chill. Veins do not have a layer of muscle around them, however they have one-way valves that prevent backflow. The veins are deep in the body and surrounded by muscles that help promote blood flow back to the heart when tightened. This is why exercise is so important for our health. Please remember that exercise does not mean you have to go to the gym! Playing with the kids, dancing or any creative form of movement counts as exercise when prolonged for twenty to forty minutes at a time.

Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect arteries to veins. This is where nutrients, oxygen, CO2, and waste products are exchanged via the capillary walls. Circulation is very important, as it is the means by which our body exchanges the waste products of cellular metabolism for oxygen and other necessary components for cellular functioning. Our immune system and hormone functioning also uses this system as transportation within the body. Many health conditions are connected to the circulatory system. The bottom line is that we can take care of this system with a proper diet and exercise. If problems arise there are many treatments that can improve and repair circulatory functioning.

As a physician I have always felt that humans tend to place importance on the things that affect daily life. For instance patients that survive a heart attack often become motivated to work on their health. Many physiological changes occur before the actual heart attack, however this event is immediate to us. These changes are slow growing and therefore do not affect daily life. Taking care of your health by preventing problems before they occur is the best way to avoid problems. Most of us already know this one! See your Naturopathic physician for an overview of your health and get perspective regarding your particular concerns before your daily routine is affected.