Fortitude Circulatory System Support

Fortitude™ Circulatory System Support Quick Facts

Additional Information about Fortitude™ Circulatory System Support

We cannot live without blood, so taking care of the body’s circulatory system—which transports blood through the body to waiting cells—is of paramount importance to us all.  The body gives no one license to neglect proper care of the circulatory system—at least if that person desires good health.

The circulatory system of the human body is a complex network of arteries, veins, and which transports life-giving nutrients and elements throughout the body.  It is so vast, that were you to line all these veins, capillaries, and arteries end to end, they would stretch from Los Angeles, California to Moscow, Russia—about 10,000 miles.

Arteries & Capillaries

Arteries carry oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from the heart to the cells and tissues throughout the entire body, giving them the elements they need to continue life.  Arteries are a combination of elastic tissue, muscle fiber, and thick walls, all of which give them the strength to withstand significant pressure   as blood is pumped through them to the far reaches of the body.  Blood it channeled away from the arteries at the cellular level through capillaries, which are the smallest of the body’s blood vessels—only one cell in diameter.  It is via the capillaries that the blood finally reaches its delivery destination.  Capillaries also help to regulate the body’s temperature.

Veins

As blood travels through the circulatory network it not only delivers life-sustaining elements and nutrients, it also collects waste and toxins, carrying these back to the heart and lungs, where they will be expelled from the body.  The flow of oxygen-depleted and waste-carrying blood is done via the circulatory system’s veins.  But in order to return blood to the heart, veins below the heart (particularly those in the legs) must work against gravity.  Since vein walls are much thinner than those of arteries, and because they do not themselves contain any muscle fiber, many veins utilize various means to aid them in their arduous task.  First, veins have “flow-control” valves which permit blood to flow only one direction—toward the heart.  In addition, many veins are located within muscles which, when they contract, “squeeze” blood upward against the pull of gravity.  Once the blood reaches in the lungs, the toxins and waste are released from the blood, and the blood is re-oxygenated and sent back to the heart to repeat the entire process

Pulmonary Circulation vs. Systemic Circulation

The process by which oxygen-depleted blood is carried from the heart to the lungs is called pulmonary circulation, and this receive-and-return loop occurs only between the heart and the lungs. The process by which oxygen-rich blood is carried to cells and tissues in the body is called systemic circulation.  This deliver-and-resupply loop comprises the vast majority of the circulatory system, although it is interdependent of the pulmonary system, and vice versa.

The Importance of Blood

As mentioned before, none of us can live without blood.  As such, having a basing understanding of what comprises our blood can help us  understand how to keep our blood healthy and able to do its job well.  This, in turn, will contribute to good health in the entire body.  Following are the main components of our blood, with a brief explanation of what each component does:

• Platelets – small colorless bodies in the blood that combine and clot in order to stop blood loss through bleeding.  Platelets can detect when blood is exposed to air, and rush to the site to block the blood flow.  Calcium, vitamin K, and fibrinogen (a protein created in the liver to coagulate blood) are all necessary for platelets to most effectively perform their function.
• Plasma – the fluid that actually transports blood cells.  Think of plasma as the “river,” and blood cells as the “fish.”  Without plasma, blood cells go nowhere.
• Red blood cells – the most important component of blood.  Red blood cells are made red by the hemoglobin they contain.  Hemoglobin contains iron, and can easily bind to oxygen (for delivery to the cells) and carbon dioxide (for removal from the cells).  It is by virtue of hemoglobin that red blood cells are able to carry needed oxygen to the body’s cells.
• White blood cells (leukocytes, lymphocytes) – defend the body from harmful germs.  When germs enter the body, white blood cells respond to eliminate the threat posed by the germs.  They can produce protective antibodies which may overpower the germs, or they can devour the germs themselves as they surround and attack en masse.

Fortitude™ Circulatory System Support contains tannins, flavonoids, and sterols that are combined in a synergistic herbal formula to contribute to good overall health and well-being.  Flavonoids may play a particularly helpful role in circulatory wellness, as they are believed to contribute to good vascular permeability (the ability of blood vessel walls to allow cells and small molecules to pass through), which is vital to the transfer of oxygen and nutrients, and to the collection of toxins and waste. 

*This product has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

**Vein Works™ is a trademark of Highland Laboratories.  Vein Supreme™ is a trademark of NOW® Foods.