The Four-Chambered Engine of the Body! Let Us Introduce You To Your Heart.

Walls: Contract and relax to send blood throughout the body.
Chambers: Receive and direct blood throughout the body.
Valves: Gates that keep blood flowing in the right direction.
Vessels: Carry blood throughout the body.

The Heart
Good Information to Know

Did You Know?

The heart’s primary function is to drive nutrient-carrying blood and oxygen to your organs, allowing them to work properly. It controls the rhythm and speed of your heart rate and maintains healthy blood pressure.

Helps rid your body of waste—primarily carbon dioxide—restoring balance.
Your heart beats 100,000 times a day and pumps about 5 litres of blood each minute. Those 6814 litres a day equals to about 227 million litres in a lifetime.
Your blood takes only 20 seconds to circulate through your entire body through a series of vessels, arteries, veins, and capillaries.
The largest vessels are as wide as a garden hose, and the smallest capillaries are so thin that blood cells have to travel through them in single file.

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Problems related to heart health often don’t start or even reside in the heart. More often than not, they arise in your coronary arteries.

Heart problems typically manifest themselves in 3 major ways:

A blockage in blood vessels that shuts off blood to the heart
A blockage that stops blood flow to the brain
Heart failure and other conditions within vessels.

Key indicators that your heart isn’t being properly supported:

High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Smoking
Excess weight
Unhealthy diet and a lack of key nutrients
Alcohol intake
Physical inactivity and stress

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LDL Oxidation: Occurs as LDL cholesterol particles react with free radicals. The resulting particles can cause inflammation in the arteries, leading to plaque formation.

Platelet Function: Refers to the ease with which blood platelets slide past each other. When they can’t slide easily, unwanted clotting can result.

Endothelial Function: Refers to the endothelium—a thin layer of cells that covers the inner surface of blood vessels, which contract or relax to regulate blood pressure and the flow of blood.

Blood Pressure: The pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of veins and arteries. The greater the pressure, the harder the heart has to work–arteries can then become prone to injury.

Cholesterol: A waxy substance that can cause serious problems when oxidised by free radicals. Inflammation within the blood vessel wall causes cholesterol to accumulate in the bloodstream, which can lead to clotting.

Triglycerides: A type of fat stored for future energy needs. Elevated levels in the blood can be a serious risk and are one indicator of cardiovascular disease.

Inflammation: Inflammation is part of your body’s immune response. Build-up of cholesterol and other substances in your arteries can set off an inflammatory response. For short-term conditions, inflammation is helpful, but sustained inflammation can increase blood pressure, and promote the growth of plaque, and trigger blood clots.

Glycated Haemoglobin/AGEs (HbA1C): Recent studies have shown a significant relationship between increased HbA1c levels and cardiovascular disease. In fact, some studies show that those with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke.