01 Introduction

Our blood vessels are remarkably elastic, perhaps the most flexible tissue in our bodies. Think of how a branch can bend and straighten – our blood vessels have a similar ability to expand and contract. This elasticity is crucial for maintaining healthy blood pressure and overall vascular health.

Blood pressure naturally fluctuates within a certain range. However, problems arise when blood pressure becomes consistently high, especially if blood vessels have lost their elasticity. This combination puts significant strain on the circulatory system.

Vascular elasticity tends to decline with age, often becoming a concern for those over fifty. Good elasticity ensures healthy blood flow, supporting the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems (heart and brain). When vessels lose their elasticity, they become stiffer and less flexible. This leads to several issues:

• Increased blood pressure: Stiff vessels offer more resistance to blood flow, driving blood pressure up.
• Reduced blood supply: The heart and brain may not receive adequate blood, potentially leading to hypoxia (lack of oxygen).
• Vessel damage: Over time, less elastic vessels can become brittle, thin, and hardened, increasing the risk of developing chronic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

02 Functions of Blood and Blood Vessels

What causes these changes in our blood vessels? The answer lies within our blood itself, which acts as the body’s essential transportation system.

In health science, blood is understood to carry vital nutrients like oxygen, proteins, and vitamins to every cell, providing the energy we need. Traditional herbal medicine echoes this, emphasizing blood’s role in circulating throughout the body and delivering qi (vital energy).

Blood is primarily composed of water and abundant red blood cells. Within these cells resides hemoglobin, a crucial substance that binds with oxygen. This oxygen originates in the lungs, where it passes through the alveoli and combines with hemoglobin. The blood then efficiently transports this oxygen to all parts of the body.

Beyond oxygen, blood also carries a multitude of other essential nutrients absorbed from the food we eat – proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients are digested in the stomach and further absorbed into the bloodstream via the intestinal villi. Once absorbed, these nutrients chemically interact with red blood cells, essentially “hitching a ride.”

Think of red blood cells as delivery trucks. They pick up their “cargo” (nutrients) at various “loading docks” like the alveoli (for oxygen) and the intestines (for other nutrients). These trucks have many “porters” with specialized roles. For example, hemoglobin is the “porter” specifically responsible for carrying oxygen.

Proteins, including hemoglobin, carry a negative charge. This negative charge is crucial because only negatively charged substances, like oxygen, can bind to them. It’s like having a delivery slip: the negative charge is the “slip” that allows the “porter” (hemoglobin) to pick up the “goods” (oxygen).

While we may not think about negative charges often, they’re actually quite common. Negative ions, which are found in the air, are a type of negative charge.

03 The Vital Role of Negative Ions in Health

Let’s explore how negative ions, or negative charges, contribute to our well-being, focusing on their role in oxygen transport.

Imagine oxygen ions in the air entering our lungs. In the alveoli, these oxygen ions are absorbed by hemoglobin within the capillaries. This “loading” process relies on the principle of opposite charges attracting. Hemoglobin carries a negative charge, while oxygen ions have a positive charge. This difference in charge allows them to bind together, much like a delivery note matching the cargo. Once bound, the hemoglobin, now carrying oxygen, becomes neutral (we’ll call this “X”). Simultaneously, it changes color from purple to red.

This “loading” in the alveoli is an oxidation reaction. “X” then travels through the pulmonary artery, propelled by the heart’s pumping action, towards its destination – for example, the brain. “X” navigates from the aorta to smaller arterioles and finally reaches the tiny capillaries supplying brain cells. It releases the oxygen to the brain cells, completing its mission.

Now, “X” reverts back to its original negatively charged state (hemoglobin), ready for another oxygen delivery. This release of oxygen is a reduction reaction, the reverse of the oxidation reaction. “X,” the empty “delivery truck,” returns to the heart to begin the cycle anew.

This process repeats continuously, with hemoglobin molecules working tirelessly for about 120 days before being naturally replaced by the body.

04 When Things Go Wrong

However, this efficient system can be disrupted. Imagine “X” being attacked by harmful substances like pesticide residue, formaldehyde, or metabolic waste from sleep deprivation. These attacks can lead to the formation of peroxides, which prevent “X” from releasing oxygen. Consequently, cells are starved of essential nutrients, leading to oxygen deprivation in vital organs like the brain and heart.

This damage reduces the overall “transport fleet” capacity, hindering the timely delivery of nutrients. If this occurs frequently and over a prolonged period, illness is inevitable. Brain cell damage can contribute to conditions like brain atrophy, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Heart cell damage can lead to myocardial fibrosis, reducing heart elasticity and potentially causing myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Therefore, damage to red blood cells and oxidation, resulting in reduced transport capacity, is a significant factor in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The root cause often lies in peroxides adhering to hemoglobin.

Healthy red blood cells carry a negative charge, preventing them from clumping together. However, if a red blood cell becomes positively charged, it attracts other red blood cells, forming clusters. These clusters, visible under a microscope, represent “blood garbage,” increasing blood viscosity, especially in older individuals.

To be continued in Part two.