The circulatory system is made up of the heart, blood, blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.  Its prime function is to transport blood throughout the body.  Imbalances in the circulatory system can affect all other systems of the body but most often affect the nervous, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems.  The names for the herbal combinations are chosen based on the properties of the key herbs in the formula.

∞      The circulatory system is an organ system that moves nutrients, gases, and wastes to and from cells, helps fight diseases and helps stabilize body temperature and pH to maintain homeostasis. This system may be seen strictly as a blood distribution network, but some consider the circulatory system as composed of the cardiovascular system, which distributes blood, and the lymphatic system, which distributes lymph. While humans, as well as other vertebrates, have a closed cardiovascular system (meaning that the blood never leaves the network of arteries, veins and capillaries), some invertebrate groups have an open cardiovascular system. The most primitive animal phyla lack circulatory systems. The lymphatic system, on the other hand, is an open system.

The main components of the human circulatory system are the heart, the blood, and the blood vessels. The circulatory system includes: the pulmonary circulation, a "loop" through the lungs where blood is oxygenated; and the systemic circulation, a "loop" through the rest of the body to provide oxygenated blood. An average adult contains five to six quarts (roughly 4.7 to 5.7 liters) of blood, which consists of plasma, red blood, white blood cells, and platelets. Also, the digestive system works with the circulatory system to provide the nutrients the system needs to keep the heart pumping.

Two types of fluids move through the circulatory system: blood and lymph. The blood, heart, and blood vessels form the cardiovascular system. The lymph, lymph nodes, and lymph vessels form the lymphatic system. The cardiovascular system and the lymphatic system collectively make up the circulatory system.

--- Pulmonary circulation--- Pulmonary circulation is the portion of the cardiovascular system which transports oxygen-depleted blood away from the heart, to the lungs, and returns oxygenated blood back to the heart.

De-oxygenated blood enters the right atrium of the heart and flows into the right ventricle where it is pumped through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs. Pulmonary veins return the now oxygen-rich blood to the heart, where it enters the left atrium before flowing into the left ventricle. Also, from the left ventricle the oxygen-rich blood is pumped out via the aorta, and on to the rest of the body.

---Coronary circulation--- The coronary circulatory system provides a blood supply to the heart. As it provides oxygenated blood to the heart, it is by definition a part of the systemic circulatory system.

---Heart--- The heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs. In the human heart there is one atrium and one ventricle for each circulation, and with both a systemic and a pulmonary circulation there are four chambers in total: left atrium, left ventricle, right atrium and right ventricle.

---Closed cardiovascular system--- The cardiovascular systems of humans are closed, meaning that the blood never leaves the network of blood vessels. In contrast, oxygen and nutrients diffuse across the blood vessel layers and enters interstitial fluid, which carries oxygen and nutrients to the target cells, and carbon dioxide and wastes in the opposite direction. The other component of the circulatory system, the lymphatic system, is not closed.

---Therapies for Relieving Excess--- “Hardening of the arteries” or atherosclerosis is typical of an excess condition in the circulatory system resulting from toxin buildup in the blood.  This condition is often associated with high blood pressure and herbalists use bitter and aromatic herbs to detoxify the blood and calm the nerves.

Excess conditions in the circulatory system are often marked by patterns of minor aches, pains and ailments including: anxiety, nervousness, excitability, insecurity, inflammatory skin conditions, rapid speech, red eyes, insomnia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, excessive perspiration, frequent urination, neurosis, fevers, stomatitis and painful urination.  If left unchecked, these ailments may develop into illnesses including: atherosclerosis, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac myopathy, cerebrovascular disease, vasculitis, stroke, thrombosis, embolism and heart murmur.

These lists of empirical properties of an herb are the key to understanding herbal combinations.  Herbalists have found that they can enhance a particular property of a single herb by adding herbs that complement and support a given property. Conversely, the herbalist is able to minimize the effects of an unwanted property by adding herbs that counteract and balance that property.

---Therapies for Supplementing Deficient Conditions--- Weakness in the circulatory system are characterized by a lack of integrity in either the heart of blood vessels.  This often results in capillary fragility, anemia and fluid accumulation.

Weakened conditions of the circulatory system are often associated with patterns of minor aches, pains and ailments including: iron deficiency, anemia, hemolytic anemia, vascular fragility, easy bruising, hypotension, edema, nervous exhaustion, forgetfulness, depression, leg pains, chest pains, insomnia, poor night vision, impotence, night sweats, frequent urination, amenorrhea and weak digestion.  If left unchecked, these ailments may develop into one or more of the following illnesses: congestive heart failure, mitral valve prolapse, varicose veins, hemophilia diabetes, atherosclerosis and impotence.

These lists of empirical properties of an herb are the key to understanding herbal combinations.  Herbalists have found that they can enhance a particular property of a single herb by adding herbs that complement and support a given property.  Conversely, the herbalist is able to minimize an unwanted property by adding herbs that counteract and balance that property.

  ---Reference-- Wikipedia.org

  ---References--- “Nutritional Herbology” A Reference Guide to Herbs By – Mark Pedersen ISBN: 1-885653-07-7 Copyright 2008

 ---References---