Teaching old blood cells new tricks
When you hear someone mention circulation you probably think of the heart and major arteries—and for good reason. Circulatory disorders such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) are major risk factors for heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. But there’s more to it than that. With all the attention on the heart and arteries, it’s easy to overlook serious health problems affecting the smallest components of the circulatory system—microscopic blood vessels called microcapillaries, where the critical exchange of oxygen and nutrients actually takes place. If blood isn’t flowing through this web properly, it can trigger all sorts of health problems, many of which may not seem related to circulation at all.
A number of factors contribute to poor circulation as we age. Arteries and veins become stiff and congested as cholesterol and calcium plaques accumulate and restrict blood flow. Spasms in the smooth muscles surrounding the circulatory arteries and veins can also choke off circulation. These same processes also occur in our microcapillaries, reducing microcirculation and impairing the critical exchange of nutrients and gases in tissues and major organs.
This problem only gets worse as we get older because of changes in the composition and structure of blood cells. As you reach middle age, the blood starts to thicken and congeal as platelets and blood proteins make cells sticky. Plus, the spleen—the organ that removes old, damaged blood cells from circulation—begins to slow down with age, which means new, healthy blood cells are replaced at a sharply reduced rate. And to make matters even worse, as blood cells age, they become stiff and no longer appear round and evenly shaped. This makes it harder for them to pass smoothly through the capillaries. In fact, the angular, jagged shape of the old cells can damage the fragile microcapillaries even further.
Eventually, these age-related changes take their toll on the microcapillaries, reducing circulation to the tissues and blocking the flow of nutrients and oxygen. Removal of carbon dioxide and other metabolic waste products is also hindered. This leads to a slow buildup of metabolic garbage that can gradually bury the cells in their own waste products. In time, the cells, poisoned by their own metabolic byproducts, begin to waste away and ultimately cease to function altogether.
The combined effect of poor circulation and old blood contributes to a host of symptoms, including deep fatigue, fuzzy thinking, frequent infections, and lowered sex drive—all conditions usually considered just “normal parts of aging.” If circulation doesn’t improve, it can lead to more serious conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis. But giving your body a fresh supply of healthy blood may target all of these problems and more.
The connection between blood and aging
As a professor and physician, Dr. Yan had received extensive training in both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). And in Chinese medicine “blood stagnation” is considered to be the primary underlying cause of many conditions characterized by pain. When blood stagnation occurs, the body's internal organs don't receive their normal nutrients, and waste products aren't carried away at a sufficient rate. This stops the organs from performing their functions, resulting in weakness, disease, and aging.
In diabetes, chronically elevated blood sugar levels damage the microcapillaries and impair blood flow to the retinas, kidneys, and peripheral nerves. Eventually that can lead to blindness, kidney damage, and potential amputation of limbs. Basically, diabetes can be thought of as a sped up form of the typical aging process in the way it relates to blood composition and circulatory disorders.
Noting the similar role circulation plays in both aging and in diseases like diabetes led Dr. Yan to theorize that many of the health problems he observed in his older patients might be caused by poor circulation and underlying blood disorders. He believed that these problems were damaging vital tissues and organs, just like the damage seen in advanced cases of diabetes.
Dr. Yan joined with other leading medical researchers at the Shanghai Medical Hospital to form a new research team called the Blood Stasis and Aging Research Group. The research group gathered blood samples from young and elderly volunteers for evaluation. They quickly noticed that blood samples from young adults were thinner and had a brighter red color than the samples from the older adults. Intrigued by this simple visual correlation between blood stagnation and aging, the researchers wanted to test the beneficial effects of a number of natural herbs on blood and microcapillary function.
After eight years of gathering clinical data on microcirculation and evaluating changes in blood flow, Dr. Yan’s team arrived at a formula made up of 10 powerful herbs that were shown to promote overall health, enhance energy, and restore healthy circulation.
By enhancing circulation, nourishing cells, and eliminating waste products, Cardiotonic Pill or Danshen Plus Capsules contributes to overall improvements in memory, energy, and health while preventing the onset of a wide range of age-related illnesses.
When you hear someone mention circulation you probably think of the heart and major arteries—and for good reason. Circulatory disorders such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) are major risk factors for heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. But there’s more to it than that. With all the attention on the heart and arteries, it’s easy to overlook serious health problems affecting the smallest components of the circulatory system—microscopic blood vessels called microcapillaries, where the critical exchange of oxygen and nutrients actually takes place. If blood isn’t flowing through this web properly, it can trigger all sorts of health problems, many of which may not seem related to circulation at all.
A number of factors contribute to poor circulation as we age. Arteries and veins become stiff and congested as cholesterol and calcium plaques accumulate and restrict blood flow. Spasms in the smooth muscles surrounding the circulatory arteries and veins can also choke off circulation. These same processes also occur in our microcapillaries, reducing microcirculation and impairing the critical exchange of nutrients and gases in tissues and major organs.
This problem only gets worse as we get older because of changes in the composition and structure of blood cells. As you reach middle age, the blood starts to thicken and congeal as platelets and blood proteins make cells sticky. Plus, the spleen—the organ that removes old, damaged blood cells from circulation—begins to slow down with age, which means new, healthy blood cells are replaced at a sharply reduced rate. And to make matters even worse, as blood cells age, they become stiff and no longer appear round and evenly shaped. This makes it harder for them to pass smoothly through the capillaries. In fact, the angular, jagged shape of the old cells can damage the fragile microcapillaries even further.
Eventually, these age-related changes take their toll on the microcapillaries, reducing circulation to the tissues and blocking the flow of nutrients and oxygen. Removal of carbon dioxide and other metabolic waste products is also hindered. This leads to a slow buildup of metabolic garbage that can gradually bury the cells in their own waste products. In time, the cells, poisoned by their own metabolic byproducts, begin to waste away and ultimately cease to function altogether.
The combined effect of poor circulation and old blood contributes to a host of symptoms, including deep fatigue, fuzzy thinking, frequent infections, and lowered sex drive—all conditions usually considered just “normal parts of aging.” If circulation doesn’t improve, it can lead to more serious conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis. But giving your body a fresh supply of healthy blood may target all of these problems and more.
The connection between blood and aging
As a professor and physician, Dr. Yan had received extensive training in both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). And in Chinese medicine “blood stagnation” is considered to be the primary underlying cause of many conditions characterized by pain. When blood stagnation occurs, the body's internal organs don't receive their normal nutrients, and waste products aren't carried away at a sufficient rate. This stops the organs from performing their functions, resulting in weakness, disease, and aging.
In diabetes, chronically elevated blood sugar levels damage the microcapillaries and impair blood flow to the retinas, kidneys, and peripheral nerves. Eventually that can lead to blindness, kidney damage, and potential amputation of limbs. Basically, diabetes can be thought of as a sped up form of the typical aging process in the way it relates to blood composition and circulatory disorders.
Noting the similar role circulation plays in both aging and in diseases like diabetes led Dr. Yan to theorize that many of the health problems he observed in his older patients might be caused by poor circulation and underlying blood disorders. He believed that these problems were damaging vital tissues and organs, just like the damage seen in advanced cases of diabetes.
Dr. Yan joined with other leading medical researchers at the Shanghai Medical Hospital to form a new research team called the Blood Stasis and Aging Research Group. The research group gathered blood samples from young and elderly volunteers for evaluation. They quickly noticed that blood samples from young adults were thinner and had a brighter red color than the samples from the older adults. Intrigued by this simple visual correlation between blood stagnation and aging, the researchers wanted to test the beneficial effects of a number of natural herbs on blood and microcapillary function.
After eight years of gathering clinical data on microcirculation and evaluating changes in blood flow, Dr. Yan’s team arrived at a formula made up of 10 powerful herbs that were shown to promote overall health, enhance energy, and restore healthy circulation.
By enhancing circulation, nourishing cells, and eliminating waste products, Cardiotonic Pill or Danshen Plus Capsules contributes to overall improvements in memory, energy, and health while preventing the onset of a wide range of age-related illnesses.