Lymphatic System | Everything You Need to Know

The lymphatic system is an extremely important system for our health. Unfortunately, it is a body system that the average person knows very little about—or may not even know it exists at all!

 

Not only is the lymphatic system important for your total health, it plays an important role in skin health. If you have a clogged lymphatic system, it will likely create issues with your skins health and appearance.

 

What Is the Lymphatic System?

 

 

Your lymphatic system is a major part of your immune system and has many different functions, such as protecting your body from pathogens, maintaining body fluid levels, and removing cellular waste. Essentially, the lymphatic system is your body’s sewage system. It removes toxins, waste and pathogens from your body, protecting you from infections and diseases. 

 

The lymphatic system is made up of a network of tissues, vessels and organs that work together to move lymph—a colorless, watery fluid—back into your bloodstream.

 

According to Cleveland Clinic: “Some 20 liters of plasma flow through your body’s arteries and smaller arteriole blood vessels and capillaries every day. After delivering nutrients to the body’s cells and tissues and receiving their waste products, about 17 liters are returned to the circulation by way of veins. The remaining three liters seep through the capillaries and into your body’s tissues. The lymphatic system collects this excess fluid, now called lymph, from tissues in your body and moves it along until it's ultimately returned to your bloodstream.”

 

The lymphatic system has four main parts:

 

• Lymph, or lymphatic fluid, which is the colorless collection of fluid that drains from cells and tissues and carries with it many substances, such as nutrients, damaged cells, toxins and pathogens, as well as white blood cells that help fight off infections.

 

• Lymph nodes, which are glands that exist throughout your body (about 600 of them) and filter lymphatic fluid as it passes through them. Your armpits, groin, and neck are areas with lymph nodes you might be familiar with. Ever had your neck swell up when you were sick? That was due to an inflamed lymph node.

 

• Lymphatic vessels, which are the network of capillaries and tubes that transport lymphatic fluid away from tissues. They are very similar to the network of veins that pump blood through your circulatory system.

 

• Collecting ducts, which are ducts that the lymphatic vessels empty lymph fluid into to be returned to the bloodstream after they have been filtered.

 

The lymphatic system is essential to your body’s ability to remove toxins. Unlike the circulatory system, however, where the heart acts as the pump, the lymphatic system only moves in one direction—upward and away from gravity. As the lymph system tries to fight gravity, it can easily become clogged. In addition, poor diet, overexposure to toxins, lack of sleep, dehydration, stress, and a lack of movement can overload and block the lymphatic system. 

 

When the lymphatic system becomes clogged, toxins can’t be eliminated from the body efficiently, cells can’t function properly, and we become more susceptible to sickness and disease. This toxic build up leads to weakened immunity, inflammation of the body’s organs and tissues, and eventually, if it isn’t treated, leads to poor health and disease.

 

The Lymphatic System and Skin Connection

 

 

Lymph and skin health are intimately connected. Some of the most common skin issues that people suffer from are:

 

• Acne
• Psoriasis
• Eczema
• Rosacea
• Wrinkled skin

 

The lymphatic system plays a major role in all of these skin conditions.

 

A healthy lymphatic system is able to carry out its job efficiently. It circulates lymph, moves it away from the body’s tissues, filters it in the lymph nodes, and carries it via the lymph vessels into the collecting ducts to be returned back to the bloodstream.

 

An unhealthy lymphatic system, however, is clogged or backed up, and the lymph fluid does not circulate, but rather stagnates and collects. Rather than moving toxins away from the body tissues, they collect in the tissues instead. The lymph nodes become full, overburdened with toxins, and inflamed as a result. And unfiltered lymph returns back to the blood.

 

The bloodstream is responsible for delivering blood to every single one of our cells and tissues. If this blood contains unfiltered toxins, then these toxins will be distributed to our cells and tissues.

 

Since they are unable to move through the lymphatic system, the body finds other ways to remove these toxins—often through the skin. The skin is our largest organ, and it often reflects the state of our internal health.

 

This is why Zuma Nutrition co-founder Richard Helfrich often says that “the fountain of youth is not in what we do outwardly, but what we do internally.”

 

Of course, taking care of your skin with topical creams and moisturizers has its place in a good skin care routine, but it won’t make much of a difference if we have an internal imbalance in our health—whether that be an issue with our gut, our liver, our kidneys, or our lymphatic system.

 

When any one of these major detox systems of the body is impaired, toxins are not filtered or neutralized from the body effectively, they enter into the bloodstream, and are redirected through the skin. This can lead to skin rashes like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. It can lead to breakouts of acne. It can even lead to the dying of cells and speed up the aging process.

 

It is incredibly important to take care of your body and to make sure your detoxification pathways are functioning efficiently. As you can see, the lymph and skin connection ultimately comes down to the fact that if your lymphatic system is clogged, toxins accumulate, enter the bloodstream, and are distributed to all of your body’s tissues and organs—including the skin.

 

So, if you want to take care of your skin health, and your overall health, it’s important to ensure that your lymphatic system is functioning properly.

 

Symptoms of A Clogged Lymphatic System

 

When your lymphatic system is clogged, you may notice one or more of the following:

 

• Acne
• Dry or itchy skin
• Skin conditions and rashes
• Body odor
• Brain fog
• Chronic fatigue
• Excess weight gain
• Digestive issues
• Bloating
• Swelling in your fingers
• Muscle stiffness and soreness
• Cold hands and feet
• Food sensitivities
• Sinus infections
• Weakened immunity
• Frequent colds and flu
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Allergies
• Constipation

 

All of these can be caused by a clogged lymphatic system.

 

What Causes a Clogged Lymphatic System?

 

 

There are several things that can lead to a clogged lymphatic system. Some of the most common include:

 

• Removal or enlargement of lymph nodes (tonsils and adenoids are commonly removed lymph nodes)
• Infections with parasites (such as filariasis)
• Injury
• High exposure to toxins/toxic build up
• Poor diet & lifestyle

 

Though all of these may affect the lymphatic system, this last one (diet and lifestyle) is perhaps the most common cause of a clogged lymphatic system for the vast majority of people.

 

As mentioned, the lymphatic system does not have a pump to circulate lymph fluid like the heart pumps blood through the circulatory system. The lymphatic system relies mainly on movement and muscle contractions, as well as hydration and compounds in food and herbs for stimulating lymph flow.

 

Therefore, a lack of movement and exercise (sedentary lifestyle), stress, dehydration, and poor diet are major contributing factors to a clogged lymphatic system.

 

How Do You Unclog the Lymphatic System?

 

 

To unclog the lymphatic system and improve lymphatic and skin health, it is recommended to:

 

• Exercise daily for a minimum of 30 minutes. Even if the exercise is light walking, the body needs to move to circulate lymph.

 

• Drink a lot of water. Water is important for all body systems, including the lymphatic system.

 

• Dry brush. Dry brushing involves brushing your skin with a dry brush toward the direction of your heart. This removes dead skin cells and helps stimulate lymph flow.

 

• Rebound. Rebounding involves jumping up and down on a small trampoline, this jumping movement is great for improving lymph flow.

 

• Limit exposure to toxins. Toxins are everywhere in today’s world, and they are difficult to avoid. You need to take proactive steps to protect yourself and your family from toxins in certain foods, unfiltered water, polluted air, and certain household products and hygiene products that contain toxic chemicals. Toxins have a negative effect on our entire body, and can impair the function of our organs and tissues.

 

• Eat foods that are good for lymphatic system health (fruits, vegetables, spices, healthy fats).

 

• Use certain herbs to stimulate lymph flow.

 

Zuma Nutrition’s Lymphatic Detox Tonic

 

 

Through the extraction of key clinically-studied herbs, our Lymphatic Detox Tonic may help to promote lymphatic drainage, help clear blockages in the lymphatic system, and support the removal of waste and toxins from the body.† Our formula uses a therapeutic extraction process that is able to concentrate the active ingredients into a therapeutic liquid extract that is significantly more potent than other solutions like tea, powders or capsules.

 

The high quality active ingredient extracts in our Lymphatic Detox Tonic are completely water soluble, so they’re absorbed immediately in the bloodstream and not lost in the digestive tract, allowing them to instantly to immediately begin working to drain the lymphatic system.†

 

Along with promoting lymphatic drainage, this potent formula may improve the symptoms caused by a clogged lymphatic system, resulting in better gut and skin health, increased levels of energy and clarity, and a stronger immune system.†

 

The herbs included in this formula:

 

Cleavers – High in vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, coumarins and various alkaloids, this herb supports the movement of lymph fluids, enhances the ability of the lymphatic system to flush out toxins, and eases congestion of swollen glands.†

 

Figwort Root – Helps to cleanse the lymphatic system of built-up waste and restores proper lymphatic system function.†

 

Cayenne Pepper – Stimulates the circulatory and lymphatic systems, encouraging cells to work more efficiently and helping to remove excess waste in the blood and lymph.†

 

Together, these herbs make a unique formula for stimulating lymph flow and supporting overall lymphatic system health. Additionally, all of the herbs in this formula are only harvested when they are at their peak level of potency. This ensures that the active ingredients are as strong and effective as possible. Plus, they are 100% sustainable and wildcrafted. Which means, no pesticides, preservatives, chemical fillers, or genetically modified ingredients.

 

Summary

 

Your lymphatic system is a major part of your immune system and has many different functions, such as protecting your body from pathogens, maintaining body fluid levels, and removing cellular waste. Essentially, the lymphatic system is your body’s sewage system. It removes toxins, waste and pathogens from your body, protecting you from infections and diseases. 

 

When the lymphatic system becomes clogged, toxins can’t be eliminated from the body efficiently, cells can’t function properly, and we become more susceptible to sickness and disease. This toxic build up leads to weakened immunity, inflammation of the body’s organs and tissues, and eventually, if it isn’t treated, leads to poor health and disease.

 

Lymphatic system and skin health are intimately connected. If your lymphatic system is clogged, toxins accumulate, enter the bloodstream, and are distributed to all of your body’s tissues and organs—including the skin. This can lead to numerous skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.

 

So, if you want to take care of your skin health, and your overall health, it’s important to ensure that your lymphatic system is functioning properly. To do this, it is recommended to:

 

• Exercise daily for a minimum of 30 minutes
• Drink a lot of water
• Dry brush
• Rebound
• Limit exposure to toxins
• Eat foods that are good for lymphatic system health
• Use certain herbs to stimulate lymph flow, such as the herbs in our Lymphatic Detox tonic

 

Our formula also uses a therapeutic extraction process that is able to concentrate the active ingredients into a therapeutic liquid extract that is significantly more potent than other solutions like tea, powders or capsules.

 

To really take good care of your skin health you need to do more than just wash your face and apply moisturizers and creams. You need to optimize the health of your body, as your skin is a direct reflection of your internal state of health. If you take care of your body with a healthy diet, lifestyle, and attitude, it will be reflected in the healthy appearance of your skin.

 

 

References:

https://www.livescience.com/26983-lymphatic-system.html

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21199-lymphatic-system

https://www.britannica.com/science/lymphatic-system

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3572233/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829393/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15731928/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5895990/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3312397/