Blood viscosity. What is it? Why is it Important?

A customer came into my store yesterday and asked me if I had a certain product. She said one of her friends was using it and seemed to help her brain functions and memory. The name of the product escapes me, but I am asked this question several times a month. I asked her all of my standard questions including any medications she might be taking. She answered no to all of them except the last one, which was were her hands or feet cold. She told me her feet were cold. There are many reasons for feet being cold among them are blocked blood vessels, bypass surgery and diabetes. She stated she had no other medical problems. These facts suggested to me that her mostly likely problem has to do with poor circulation. Poor circulation is one of the causes behind cold extremities. It is also one of the causes of neurological problems that first manifests themselves as short term memory problems. Why is this? Your head is an extremity. Your head is also above your heart. This is important because in order for you brain to receive the nutrients it requires to keep you alive, the heart must be able to pump the blood at high enough pressures to overcome the effects of gravity to bring those nutrients to the brain. This is where blood viscosity becomes important.

I think the easiest example of how to understand blood viscosity is the car engine. A car engine is very analogous to the human body. A car has an oil pump and water pump(heart), two circulatory systems and an oil filter (liver). I would like focus on the oil as the blood of the engine. Engine oil is used to lubricate the engine to prevent damage to the moving metal parts. It also absorbs pollutants and combustion byproducts. The filter strains the oil removing damaging particles from the oil. I would like you to think of what new oil looks like. It is translucent and pores easily. It has a very smooth texture and a somewhat pleasant odor. Now think of what that same oil looks like after 3000 miles in your engine. It is jet black. It is thick, almost viscous, as it comes out of the crankcase drain. It is rough against the skin as you feel the dissolved pollutants and other impurities now in the oil.

When we are young our blood is like the new engine oil. This new blood moves easily around the body. As we age, whether through improper diet, lack of exercise or nutrient deficiencies the blood in the body becomes more viscous. The heart has to work harder to move the blood to the extremities. The extremities no longer receive all of the nutrients they had earlier in life. This is the point when you may become consciously aware that your feet are cold or your short-term memory is for lack of a better word, failing. So what can you do to prevent or treat these symptoms? There are many things, far too many to list here. Some of the suggested changes for your diet include reducing animal fat, removing transfats, eating more lean meats as well as eating more fruits and vegetables. Regular exercise is also very important. There are many supplements that are useful to regulate the viscosity of the blood. Vitamin C and Vitamin E are very important. Garlic, Cayenne and Butcher Broom also may help. Omega-3 fish oils are very important and may be a replacement for low dose aspirin therapy.

Here is link to an article on omega-3 fish oil and the effects of blood viscosity in the human body. http://www.drpasswater.com/nutrition_library/gordon.html

Thanks for spending a part of your day here with me,

James