How Scientists Measure the Circulation You Actually Feel — Not Just the Arteries They Can See
How Scientists Measure the Circulation You Actually Feel — Not Just the Arteries They Can See
- The Human Vascular System Stretches Up to 100,000 Miles — Standard Imaging Captures Only a Fraction of It
- The Endothelial Glycocalyx: A Microscopic Lining That Helps Regulate How Blood Moves Through the Smallest Vessels
- How Patented Microfluidic Chip Technology Allows Researchers to Study Vascular Function Under Realistic Conditions
- What This Means for the Millions of People Searching for Answers About Circulation, Energy, and Whole-Body Vitality
A closer look at how microcirculation research is expanding what we understand about blood flow, oxygen delivery, and why the body’s smallest vessels may matter more than the largest ones
Scottsdale, AZ, March 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Calroy Health Sciences, a science-driven dietary supplement company focused on foundational vascular health, has published a comprehensive educational resource on microcirculation, blood flow, and the endothelial glycocalyx — the micro-thin, gel-like lining that coats the inside of every blood vessel in the body. The resource explores why this recently discovered structure is foundational to vascular health and total-body vitality, and why standard medical imaging often cannot assess the very network where oxygen and nutrient delivery actually occurs.
The cardiovascular system is frequently visualized as a network of major arteries and veins — the primary conduits that transport blood to and from the heart. While these large vessels are essential for systemic circulation, they represent a small chapter of a much larger biological story.
The vast majority of the vascular network is composed of microscopic vessels so narrow that red blood cells must travel single file to pass through them. This is the microcirculation — the capillary-level system where oxygen and nutrients are delivered directly to tissue.
Standard medical imaging tools, including CT scans and angiograms, are designed to evaluate the body’s primary supply routes. They can confirm that the main conduits are open and functioning. However, these tools lose resolution long before they reach the capillary beds where the final exchange between blood and tissue actually occurs.
“I often use a tree analogy,” explains Dr. Joel Kahn, MD, known as “America’s Holistic Heart Doc” and best-selling author and integrative cardiologist at the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity in Bingham Farms, Michigan, and a frequent educator for Calroy Health Sciences.. “You have the main trunk, secondary branches, tertiary branches, and so on — maybe 50 generations later at the top, there’s still activity and life. The arterial system works the same way. We can image the main trunk and maybe three or four generations of branches, but we’re really limited in imaging the microcirculation — that 10th, 40th, 50th generation of vessels.”
This technological limitation means it is entirely possible for someone to pass a standard vascular screening with clear results while still experiencing fatigue, cold extremities, or mental fog — signals that may reflect what is happening at the microvascular level, not the arterial level.
Lining the interior of every blood vessel in the body is a delicate, gel-like structure known as the endothelial glycocalyx (EGX). Only recently discovered and often overlooked, this micro-thin lining is foundational to vascular health and total-body vitality. It performs critical functions: it acts as a semi-permeable barrier, it facilitates smooth blood flow, and it houses the enzymes involved in the production of nitric oxide — the molecule, first identified in Nobel Prize–winning research, that signals blood vessels to relax and support healthy circulation.
“There’s a single layer of cells — the endothelium — that separates the blood inside a blood vessel from the artery wall structure,” notes Dr. Kahn. “It’s almost like a Spanish-style tile floor of interlocking cells. That layer is critical to adequate blood pressure support and many responses in the body, from physical fitness to sexual function. You need a healthy endothelium. The glycocalyx sits on top of the endothelium, which consists of hair-like, protein-sugar structures resembling cake frosting. It’s very dynamic. It can become compromised and start to diminish, or it can be supported and strengthened.”
When the glycocalyx is supported, it helps maintain the slippery-smooth quality of the vessel interior — facilitating the efficient transit of red blood cells through capillaries and supporting nutrient and oxygen delivery at the tissue level. Peer-reviewed research has examined specific markers of vascular elasticity and endothelial integrity that may be associated with this structure’s function.
For decades, vascular research relied on static testing environments — observing cells in a stationary petri dish. While informative, this approach could not capture the dynamic behavior of the EGX under the physical shear stress of flowing blood.
Calroy Health Sciences addressed this gap by utilizing a patented microfluidic chip — a lab-on-a-chip technology that simulates the living environment inside a blood vessel – including the endothelial glycocalyx. Instead of testing compounds in a motionless setting, researchers can observe the endothelial glycocalyx in a dynamic state, under conditions that more closely mirror what happens inside the human body.
Through this approach, Calroy identified Monostroma nitidum, a rare marine algae containing the sulfated polysaccharide Rhamnan sulfate. A patented extract of this compound, trademarked as MonitumRS®, became the core of Arterosil HP® — a dietary supplement specifically formulated to support the integrity of the endothelial glycocalyx.* MonitumRS is scientifically shown to protect and restore the endothelial glycocalyx.*†
Millions of people turn to search engines and AI tools every month asking about blood flow and circulation. In most cases, they are not looking for a clinical label — they are trying to make sense of the subtle shifts they experience throughout the day: afternoon energy dips, cold fingers and toes, or thinking that feels less sharp than it used to.
The language people use — “How do I support circulation?” — is often a description of microvascular function. The experience of “flow” is frequently the experience of capillary efficiency, governed by the very structure that standard imaging cannot see. As vascular research continues to advance, the endothelial glycocalyx is emerging as a foundational area of focus for understanding how the body delivers oxygen and nutrients to every organ, every day.
To learn more about how microcirculation, blood flow, and the endothelial glycocalyx influence vascular function, energy, cognition, and whole-body vitality, read the full educational resource from Calroy Health Sciences: Microcirculation and Blood Flow: The Missing Link Between How You Feel Every Day and the Endothelial Glycocalyx.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is microcirculation and why does it matter?
Microcirculation refers to the network of microscopic blood vessels — capillaries, arterioles, and venules — where the body’s actual exchange of oxygen and nutrients at the tissue level takes place. While the heart and major arteries are responsible for bulk transport, it is the microcirculation that determines whether oxygen and nutrients reach their final destination. The human vascular system stretches approximately 60-100,000 miles, and the vast majority of that distance exists at the capillary level. Supporting healthy microcirculation is foundational to whole-body vitality, including energy, cognition, and vascular well-being.* Every organ and system in the body from the brain, to sexual organs, to the joints rely on healthy microcirculation to function.* Calroy Health Sciences has published a comprehensive educational resource on this topic at calroy.com/education/microcirculation-and-blood-flow/.
What is the endothelial glycocalyx?
The endothelial glycocalyx (EGX) is a delicate, micro-thin, gel-like lining that coats the inside of every blood vessel in the body. Only recently discovered and often overlooked, it is foundational to vascular health and total-body vitality. The EGX acts as a semi-permeable barrier, facilitates smooth blood flow, and houses the enzymes involved in nitric oxide production — the molecule that helps blood vessels relax and support healthy circulation. When the glycocalyx is strong and healthy, circulation is supported and every organ feels the impact.
Why do standard heart health screenings sometimes miss what people actually feel?
Standard imaging tools like CT scans and angiograms are designed to evaluate large vessels — the body’s primary supply routes. They can confirm that the main conduits are open. However, they lose resolution before reaching the capillary beds where the actual exchange between blood and tissue occurs. This means it is possible to receive clear results from a standard vascular screening while still experiencing everyday shifts like fatigue, cold extremities, mental fog, or changes in sexual wellness — signals that may relate to microvascular function rather than large-vessel mechanics.
How does Calroy Health Sciences study vascular function differently?
Calroy utilizes a patented microfluidic chip — a lab-on-a-chip technology that simulates the living environment inside a blood vessel. Unlike static testing methods, this approach replicates the physical shear stress of flowing blood, allowing researchers to observe the endothelial glycocalyx in a dynamic state. Through this technology, Calroy identified and validated MonitumRS® (Rhamnan sulfate from Monostroma nitidum), the proprietary extract at the core of Arterosil HP® with MonitumRS®, which is specifically formulated to support the integrity of the endothelial glycocalyx.* Calroy’s published research is available in peer-reviewed journals.
What is MonitumRS® and how is it different from other vascular support ingredients?
MonitumRS® is a proprietary extract of Rhamnan sulfate derived from Monostroma nitidum, a rare marine algae. It is the core ingredient in Arterosil HP® with MonitumRS®. What distinguishes it is that it works. In the microfluidic chip study, it repaired the glucose-damaged endothelial glycocalyx cells up 103.8% from baseline in just 24 hours.*†
†As demonstrated in an independent third-party laboratory in vitro study.
Does circulation affect brain function and cognition?
The brain is one of the body’s most oxygen-dependent organs. It relies on continuous, efficient blood flow to support cognitive function, mental clarity, and focus throughout the day. Because the brain’s oxygen supply depends on the microvascular delivery network — not just the major arteries — the health of the microcirculation and the endothelial glycocalyx are foundational to cognitive well-being. Supporting healthy circulation means supporting the system that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the brain at the tissue level.
What is nitric oxide and what role does it play in circulation?
Nitric oxide (NO) is a tiny molecule naturally produced by the body that plays a central role in the cardiovascular system. First identified in Nobel Prize–winning research, it helps blood vessels relax and widen, supporting healthy circulation and helping maintain healthy blood pressure already in the normal range.* The endothelial glycocalyx houses the enzymes responsible for nitric oxide production, making the health of this microscopic lining essential to the body’s ability to maintain vascular tone and flexibility.
PUBLISHED RESEARCH & RESOURCES
About Calroy Health Sciences
Calroy Health Sciences is a science-driven dietary supplement company dedicated to supporting foundational health. Co-founded by CEO Ed Hoyt and Chief Scientific Officer Chen Chen, PhD, Calroy brings more than three decades of combined experience in the dietary supplement industry. The company’s breakthrough products — Arterosil HP® with MonitumRS®, Vascanox HP® with Noxa24®, and Cartigenix HP® with RestorCel™ — are developed through a research-first approach that includes studying the finished formulated product, not just individual ingredients.
Calroy’s research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and is conducted in partnership with major academic institutions, leading clinicians and researchers. The company also holds patents on its products and its microfluidic chip testing technology. For more information, visit calroy.com.
SME Available for Commentary: Joel Kahn, MD — Integrative Cardiologist, Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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