John Arts Abundant Living www.johnarts.co.nz

Today we look at the basics of heart circulation and next week the steps to help prevent coronary heart disease. One of the interesting things about our heart is, even though it is the pump for our blood, the actual heart tissue does not get its oxygen and nutrients from the blood pumping within its chambers. The heart muscle and its layers of connective tissue are too thick to access this blood, so needs its own functional blood supply via a network of coronary arteries, veins and capillaries.

The coronary arteries take oxygen-rich blood from the aorta into the heart arteries, which then branch into smaller arteries and then into fine capillary beds in heart muscle, bringing oxygen and nutrients to each heart muscle cell. The heart veins then collect the oxygen depleted blood back into the right atrium where it rejoins the general blood supply.

Any tissue receiving insufficient oxygen and nutrients will show stress and eventually die. If coronary circulation is restricted by plaques it can lead to death of heart tissue causing a heart attack (myocardial infraction) and sometimes death. The actual process by which plaques form is much more complex than we are lead to believe. In an attempt to give a simple explanation we are told cholesterol in the blood clogs coronary arteries, much like a pipe getting blocked with grease. The reality is quite different. The process starts with an overactive inflammatory response by immune cells within the artery walls.

Excess cholesterol, especially the smallest cholesterol particles get trapped within the inner walls of arteries. The trapped (LDL) cholesterol then oxidizes and changes to a potentially dangerous form into what is an already inflammatory environment. White blood cells then gobble up the cholesterol and change to fatty foam cells and it is these cells which form fatty streaks in arteries, leading to the first step of atherosclerosis – the blocking of heart arteries.

The answer is an anti-inflammatory diet rich in antioxidants which prevent LDL oxidation and reduce inflammation, plus the nutrients which help optimise blood flow and blood vessel health. We go into detail next week, but feel free to contact me if you would like personalised advice.

John Arts is the founder of Abundant Health. If you have questions or would like a free
health plan email [email protected] or phone 07 578 9051 or 0800 423 559. For product information visit www.abundant.co.nz
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