Don’t Go Breaking Your Heart

The human cardiovascular system

The human body and its cardiovascular system are complex systems. There are myriad factors that impact the health of a complex system, and it is challenging to simplify them down to a few key ones. It is also salient to remember how much we do not know, even about the physical nature of health and disease. But we can discuss what we do know, chuck in a few hypotheses and theories, and explore some of the more non-material aspects associated with the heart. If we go beyond some of the more reductionist beliefs about how the cardiovascular system behaves, we may just find more effective ways to keep our hearts and blood vessels healthy.

Is the heart a pump?

“There’s something beating here inside my body, and it’s called a heart”, Depeche Mode.

It is a widely held notion that the heart is just a pump, propelling the blood through the arteries and capillaries into the tissues, back out, into the veins, around 60,000 miles, all the way back to the heart (and then lungs) again. The pressure required to do that is beyond the ability of the heart muscle contractions. If the heart was solely a pump, it would only be 15-30% efficient. Contractions of the myocardium (heart muscle) do pump blood through the heart and out, but how does the blood flow through the circulatory system so that cells and organs, can receive nutrients and oxygen, and eliminate waste and carbon dioxide, and what role does the heart play in the movement of blood?

What does the heart do?

“Nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart.” Bonnie Tyler.

Rudolph Steiner said that the heart is not a pump, it’s an organ of perception. That is an interesting perspective, and one not without merit. The heart is the strongest source of electromagnetic energy in the human body, about 60 times greater in amplitude than the electrical activity generated by the brain and around 5000 times greater in electromagnetic energy. The heart sends more biochemical messages to the brain than the brain does to the heart. The electromagnetic field around the heart has been shown to reach at least three feet beyond the body. Spiritual practice has talked about heart-centred communication and intuition for millennia, but it is only now that we have the scientific tools to begin to study it.

Neuroscientists have observed that when human beings are in heart-centred interactions, their brains release more neurotransmitters that promote feeling good. We already know that our thoughts influence our physiology, but can we transmit energies through our hearts to others? Scientists are beginning to show that we may very well be able to, by experimenting with heart-to-heart communication and the synchronising of brain patterns in pairs and then groups of people. Positive and loving thinking, and mind/heart connection (coherence), may not just support individual healing, but healing on a societal level. “A crowded head leaves no space for a peaceful heart”, Christine Evangelou.

To “lighten up” means to be light-hearted and carefree. To be “cold-hearted” means to be cut off from emotional connection and empathy. When our heart and brain are in coherence, a state of harmony and unity, we are supported to feel less stress and be less reactive, be more adaptable, have higher brain capacity, intuition, and mental clarity, and be far more resilient.

Physical heart function

“(Much better than a) Owner of a broken heart; Owner of a lonely heart”, Yes.

The Austrian philosopher, Rudolf Steiner, also described the hearts physical function as a sort of dam, interrupting the flow of blood, but not stopping it entirely. This could be important when maintaining relatively even pressure, not just within a system of high-pressure arteries vs low-pressure veins, but during periods of exertion when arterial and capillary pressure increases. By the same token, the heart is acting as a router, helping blood flow in the right direction and to the right place – the lungs or systemic circulation. The heart is also repressurising the blood to get to the lungs, so a much more effective CO2 and oxygen exchange can take place. If low-pressure venous blood went straight to the lungs, it would not get oxygenated fast enough. The lungs themselves also help to maintain pressure in the cardiovascular system, as does the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The valves in the veins help to stop blood from flowing backwards, but that does not explain how blood can flow against gravity back to the heart.

Scientists have been able to show that animal blood can continue to flow when the heart has stopped, by applying radiant energy in the form of infrared light to the blood vessels. Dr Gerald Pollack’s research into exclusion zone (EZ) water, or 4^th phase water, has looked at how this gel-like water allows for the flow of liquids via electrical charge, which gives rise to an interesting theory – the heart may have another way to help maintain blood flow.

Heart vortex

“Listen to your heart, when he’s calling for you”, Roxette.

Centuries ago, Leonardo Da Vinci observed and sketched the spiralling of blood as it moved through the heart. Heart muscle contracts in a spiralling motion, vortexing the blood leaving the right ventricle. The blood is then oxygenated by the lungs and sent back to the left side of the heart to be vortexed again before entering the systemic circulation. This energises the water in the blood, which Dr Pollack’s team showed helps to create EZ water against the hydrophilic lining of the aorta and throughout the cardiovascular system. The electrical charge that this creates may be helping to propel the blood around the body. EZ water has been shown to act like a barrier and stop anything but very small, ionic minerals getting through, and this may also help protect the glycocalyx that lines and protects the endothelium (vessel walls).

Daily exposure to radiant, infrared energy from the sun also helps to create this EZ water in blood vessels. This may explain one of the reasons why infrared sauna has been shown in research to strongly support blood flow, and arterial and venous flexibility and health. Infrared light constitutes about half of the sun’s light, is present in the light from dawn ‘til dusk, can penetrate thin clothing, and can bounce off plants and lawns and hit your skin even when you’re in the shade. With a host of other benefits to safe sun exposure, getting outside may be one of the most heart-healthy things you can do.

Spiritually, a vortex is considered as the place where all your desires are, waiting to be made manifest. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “What is uttered from the heart alone will win the heart of others to your own.” Goethe also asserted that, “A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.” So, your life can be heaven or hell, depending on what you feel in your heart or what you perceive to be the truth – basically, how you perceive the world is what is offered back to you. And, in turn, how you perceive what is or isn’t coming to you determines your level of stress, and stress is a major cause of heart problems. Additionally, EZ water supports the reduction of oxidative stress in the body and sunlight generates feel good chemicals. The body does not differentiate between different forms of stress: stress is stress. Perhaps, there we can start to see the convergence of science and spirituality…

Other heart helpful hints

“A good heart, these days, is hard to find”, Maria McKee

• Reduce or learn to manage emotional stress. Stay “in your heart” and do your best to perceive and accept things as they are rather than creating negative stories in your head. Meditative techniques, affirmations, gratitude, etc., can all help to change negative thought patterns.
• Keep your metabolism healthy. Heart health and a flexible metabolism are closely linked. Recent studies are showing that metabolic markers are much better predictors of heart disease risk than low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is now being looked at as a very poor predictor.
• Do not fear (sea) salt and sodium. Minerals are essential for heart function, chiefly calcium, magnesium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Whole salt supplementation has been shown to support healthy blood pressure.
• No need to fear animal fats. The diet-heart hypothesis, which points the finger at saturated fat and cholesterol, has never been proven and has, in fact, been disproven time and time again. Animal fats are the only place you will find bioavailable omega 3 and C15 fatty acids. See “Fats are either saturated or unsaturated; know the difference?” and check out Nina Teicholz’s book, “The Big Fat Surprise: why butter, meat, and cheese belong in a healthy diet”. Additionally, a healthy heart preferentially burns fatty acids (60-90%) and ketones for fuel.
• Drink coconut water – rich in electrolytic minerals and helps form EZ water.
• Avoid seed/vegetable oils. Far from being “heart healthy”, they are unstable and oxidise very easily, causing issues in the cardiovascular system. Evidence suggests there is no benefit in replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fatty acid and Linoleic acid-rich oil has steadily increased in our diet over the past 100 years and heart disease has climbed in step with this.
• Walk, lift weights, stretch, sprint. Your heart will love you for it. Oh, and don’t smoke!
• Keep your microbiome healthy, starting with your mouth. The health of your heart and oral microbial balance are closely linked.
• Put a heart meditation into your self-care routine. Develop a hot belly (belly fire = inspiration, passion, and motivation), warm heart (heart-centred communication and connection), and cool head (impersonal adult and laser-like thinking and problem solving).

Hearty herbs and supplements

“Put a hurtin’ on my heart”, The Herbs

CoQ10 – research shows Co enzyme Q10 supports heart health and energy production. Considered essential to support cardiovascular and brain function. CoQ10 is found in many foods, with the richest source being organ meats, such as kidney and heart.

Collagen – Supports healthy blood vessel walls. See “10 Reasons You Should Be Drinking Bone Broth”. Hydrolysed collagen supplements are an alternative to homemade collagen broths.

Amino acids: Taurine – Research has shown the amino acid taurine to be supportive when cardiovascular and heart function is compromised. Creatine – supplementation with this amino acid has been shown to support healthy heart contraction and energy metabolism. Carnitine – has been found to support heart function and decreases in manifestations during heart failure. Carnosine, anserine, and hydroxyproline – other amino acids essential to support heart health. None of these are found in any appreciable amount in plant foods, only animal foods.

Vitamin K2 – found in egg yolks, butter, animal fats, and some fermented foods. Supports arterial and heart muscle flexibility and calcium regulation. Often paired with vitamin D3 to support heart and bone health.

Garlic – an age-old remedy to support healthy blood pressure.

Turmeric, sage, ginkgo biloba, olive leaf, ginger, danshen, tulsi, and hawthorn berry – just some of the herbs that can support a healthy heart and cardiovascular function. Tulsi (Holy basil) and turmeric can also help build EZ water.

If you are at all concerned with your heart health, please see your GP, or connect with a natural health professional to personalise your diet, lifestyle, and herbal supplements.

TAPS Approval No: PP3036