Healthy human blood is a liquid with great fluidity. When the fluidity is poor, the heart must increase the strength of its contractions in order to force the blood around the whole body, resulting in a higher pressure.
Low blood fluidity arises from an increase in “blood viscosity”, with the primary factor being higher level of “blood lipid” or “blood fat”; the chief components being cholesterol and triglyceride.
Our liver produces most of the circulating cholesterols and triglycerides in order to allow essential biochemical activities, such as energy provision and cell metabolism.
Unfortunately, due to our diet (increased meat consumption) and lack of exercise, there is an excess amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in our body, resulting in the development of Hyperlipidemia.
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of our blood vessels. There is pressure when the heart pumps blood throughout the whole body. It is influenced mainly by:
1) your heart
2) your emotional stress
3) your blood viscosity
4) your elasticity of the blood vessels.
Lingzhi ganoderma triterpenoids could prevent the liver from producing an excess of cholesterol. Based on an analysis of ganoderma, these effective ganoderma triterpenoids are found to be rich in Yung Kien Ganoderma (belonging to a strain of G. tsugae).
Thrombosis: formation of blood clots
When there is a high level of fat in the blood, excess lipids will adhere to the surface of the arterial wall, accumulate and eventually result in arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). As the blood cannot run through these narrowed arteries smoothly, the heart will need to exert a higher pressure to push blood through, causing a rise in blood pressure.
If a piece of lipid sticks at a narrow point of the blood vessels, it will cause thromboembolism. Thrombosis at the heart is called Cardiovascular Thrombosis.
Thrombosis at the brain is called Cerebrovascular Thrombosis.
Another possible cause of arteriosclerosis is the aggregation of platelets. When injuries occur in the blood vessels, platelets gather at the site of injury and begin the repair process. The walls of the blood vessels then become thicker and narrower, thus blood flow become slower, causing high blood pressure.