The power of blood pressure pumps blood carrying air, food and water through the blood vessels to every part of the body. This process is achieved by the connection, coordination and interdependence of the blood pressure system (heart, blood and blood vessels) with all other body systems (see Fig.1 below)
Human Anatomy and Body Systems (Fig.1)
Blood Pressure and the Circulatory System (Fig. 2)
That means, once air, food and water are delivered to every part of the body, other body systems must have a way of extracting these essential ingredients of health from the blood and participate in the building of a strong natural immunity. Some of the main body systems that are connected to the blood pressure system include;
- The respiratory system – breathing, air, oxygen
- The circulatory system – blood pressure, power to pump, deliver and distribute blood to every part of the body
- The digestive system – food, nutrition and water
- The nervous system – thinking and emotional feelings
- The musculoskeletal system – structure, support, posture and protection
- The sensory systems (eyes and ears) – sensory (seeing and hearing)
- The “skin” system – protection
- The reproductive system – reproduction
The connectivity, coordination and interdependence of all these body systems with the power of blood pressure is required to ensure that all the body systems cooperate with each other to receive blood carrying fresh air, nutritious food and water needed to build a strong natural immune system.
Depictions of Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure (BP) Cycle (Fig. 3)
Blood Pressure, Heart and Blood Circulation (Fig. 4)
The diagram in Fig. 3 is depicting the generation, the standard measurements of BP numbers and descriptions of the diastolic BP and systolic BP.
Blood pressure – say 130/80 in this example – is generated by the spontaneous actions of the heartbeat.
Further, blood pressure follows a cyclical pattern of “A to B” as depicted in Fig 3 above. Blood is pumped and delivered to every part of the body by the action of systolic blood pressure. After releasing oxygen, food and water to every part of the body, the blood flows back to the heart by the action of diastolic blood pressure to collect fresh oxygen, food and water.
And the cycle starts over again. In a healthy individual, the blood pressure cycle (also known as the heartbeat) repeats itself seventy-two to a hundred (72 – 100) times every minute. The blood pressure cycles are also known as “beats per minute” (bpm). (see an animated diagram of the human beating heart in Fig 4 above).
The "Color" of Blood and The Circulation System - Fig. 2
The diagram in fig 2 is a depiction of a network of blood vessels. The power of blood pressure uses this network of blood vessels to deliver blood carrying oxygen, food and water to every part of our body.
Blood Flow Color Codes
Arteries – Red = oxygenated blood
Veins – Blue = deoxygenate blood
The network of blood vessels in Fig 2 is made up of two groups of blood vessels. The two groups are arteries (shown in red) and veins (shown in blue).
Arteries carry oxygenated blood (oxygen, nutrients and water) away from the heart to every part of the body.
Veins carry deoxygenated blood (carbon dioxide and waste) towards the heart to get rid of carbon dioxide and waste and, obtain fresh “supplies” of oxygen, nutrition and water.
The power of blood pressure determines the amount of blood that flows through the arteries to reach every part of the body. This is the systolic blood pressure.
Also, the power of blood pressure which determines the amount of blood that flows through the veins back towards the heart is equally important. This is the diastolic blood pressure (see Fig 3 above).
We have discussed how to measure the power of blood pressure using blood pressure (BP) numbers and the interconnectivity between BP and all the other parts of the body. Let us now move on to look at the various factors that determine different BP numbers in a healthy individual during the course of a normal 24-hour day.
These various factors determine the relationship between the power of blood pressure and all the other body systems in generating the appropriate power of blood pressure needed to support the body’s requirements for oxygen, nutrition and water for any given situation.
To learn more about the factors influencing the power of blood pressure, please tune into my next blog post.