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In our bodies we have a transportation system transversing every tissue and organ: the circulatory and lymphatic systems. The Life-Sustaining circulatory system The circulatory system is an incredible network of about 60,000 miles of blood vessels. The center of this vast pumbing system is an 11 once fist-sized organ which pumps more than 2,000 gallons of blood through its chambers each day. The heart is actually a two-pump organ. The right side sends blood to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is removed and oxyen is added. The blood is then pumped to the lift side of the heart and sent throughout the body. This process takes an incredible 20 seconds. The heart operates continually; a complete stop would mean death. The blood carries vital, life-giving oxygen and nutrients to every cell in the body, supplying the raw materials for energy that power man's every thought and action. The blood also carries to the kidneys many harmful by-porducts of metabolism The lymphatic System The other branch of the body's transportaton system is the lymphatic system, which is the secondary transport system The force of blood pressure as the blood moves through the arteries squeezes out some fat globules, tiny protein particles and other nutients. Because of their size, they are too big to squeeze back in. Cell debris also collects between the cells. This is where the lymphatic system comes into play. It picks up these particles and mixes them with plasma, forming lymph. The valuable contents of lymph are purified, recycled in the lymph nodes and added back to the blood. in addititon, the lymphatic system is vitally important to the success of the immune system.
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 Problems with the cardiovascular system are common - more than 64 million Americans have some type of cardiac problem. But cardiovascular problems don't just affect older people - many heart and circulatory system problems affect teens, too.
Factors in Heart Health Like the transportation system of a city, our body's transportation system must be properly cared for so it will not become clogged or restricted in its natural flow. In today's high-tech, high-stress world, there is a real concern about cardiovascular problems. In fact each year more than 1 million Americans suffer from heart attacks; about 350,000 survive. The three big factors contributing to circulatory problems are hypertension (high blood pressure), high levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the bloodstream, and smoking. Other factors include obesity, heredity and emotional stress. One risk factor may lead to another, and there is increased risk of circulatory problems when more than one risk factor is present. For example, when a person has three risk factors, the chances of disease are six times greater than if only one were present. Maintaining a healthy circulatory system requires pure water, regular physical exercise, stress management and of course, good nutrition. |
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