Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system has been very much neglected in most Western medicine for centuries. It wasn’t until the 1970s when the broad-based function of the lymph system got a renewed and in-depth exploration.
Perhaps this could be due to the fact that lymph and lymph vessels are generally translucent, therefore they drew little attention in early anatomical studies, compared to blood vessels, muscles, bones, and other organs. Hippocrates and Aristotle often referred to the lymph as "white blood" and "colourless fluid".
Like a faithful servant, the lymph labours quietly in the background, cleaning up the mess made by virtually all the other systems of the body. It collects interstitial fluid infused with the by-products, or waste of cellular activity, and transports it centrally, where it rejoins the blood system. Besides that, the lymphatic system also has a nutritional function wherein it assists in bringing nutritional elements to the tissues.
Most importantly, the lymphatic system is also a primary component of the immune system, helping to protect the body from a broad range of pathogenic factors. It carries fluids infused with bacteria, viruses, and funguses into the immuno-active lymph nodes where lymphocytes, reticular cells and macrophages kill or neutralize the toxic enemy cells or organisms.
The next time you have swelling in certain lymph nodes, it means your lymph system is doing its job. It’s a good sign that indicates an infection in a part of the body that is being drained by those nodes.
Understanding Your Lymphatic System
Your lymphatic system is a vast network that serves almost every cell in your body. The fluid, known as lymph, is responsible for collecting and removing waste products left behind in the tissues. Lymph flows in an open circuit from the tissues into lymphatic vessels. Once within these vessels, lymph flows in only one direction.
Unlike your blood circulatory system, which has the powerful heart muscle to propel or pump its fluid, your lymph has no distinct pump at all. It flows “passively” from the tissues into the lymph capillaries, aided by other body movements and the actions of nearby muscles and blood vessels.
Once your lymph reaches the lymph nodes, these nodes will start to remove some fluid and debris. They also kill pathogens and some cancer cells. Lymph nodes are round or kidney-shaped, and can be up to 1 inch in diameter. Most of the lymph nodes are found in clusters in the neck, armpit, and groin area. Nodes are also located along the lymphatic pathways in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, where they filter the blood.
The lymph tissues, which make up the lymph vessels and nodes, are also scattered throughout the body in different major organs and in and around the gastrointestinal tract. One crucial function of lymph tissue is generating and storing white blood cells, the blood cells that fight infection. Besides the lymph nodes, lymph tissues are present in the bone marrow (where white blood cells called B-lymphocytes are made), spleen, tonsils and the thymus gland (where T-lymphocytes are made). Lymphoma is a group of related cancers of the lymphocytes.
How the Lymph System Affects Your Health
The lymphatic system is the "garbage collector" sucking up metabolic garbage, and toxins from the extra cellular fluid of every organ. If this flow is impaired, the fluid becomes thick and toxic.
The cells which rely on the lymphatic system for elimination become less efficient and sluggish as they are filled with their own waste. The lymphatic system which in a healthy person is a life-sustaining system now becomes a breeding ground for infection. When the fluid enters the bloodstream, which is part of the normal process, infection can easily spread to any organ in the body. Stagnant lymph not only brings down your immune defence, it may also be stored within the nodes for a longer period of time than necessary and eventually becomes too toxic for the body to handle as well.
The end results: an INCREASE in the rate of AGING and DEGENERATIVE DISEASES.
Symptoms of chronic lymph blockage are very diverse but can include frequent bouts of cold and flu infections, menstrual cramps, arthritis, fibrocystic breasts, breast tenderness, sinusitis, headaches and migraines, gastrointestinal (Gl) problems and loss of appetite, muscle cramping, tissue swelling, mental fuzziness, depression, parasites, skin breakouts, acne, and even cellulitis.
Every lady dreads cellulites and the interesting point is that cellulites (generally around the buttocks, thighs and upper arms in women) are partially the result of impaired lymph flow to these areas, causing immobilized pockets of fat and trapping of toxins. Cellulites begin when numerous fat cells collect in one area, causing the skin to bulge. This dimpling effect occurs when the connective tissues in the skin pull down in areas where body fat is pushing up.
Ever heard of GALT or Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue? That’s your digestive tract’s immune system. Your intestine has the largest concentration of lymph tissues in the body and lymphatic tissue is where much of your immunity originates. That really makes sense because the digestive tract is a main path and the largest gateway of entry for offensive substances (bacteria, allergens, heavy metals, mould, fungi, chemicals, trans-fats) that are found in your food. The GALT itself is a kind of a testing lab for pathogens.
The ones that survive the initial clearance from digestion get sampled by receptors in the GALT, which coordinate an immune response when necessary!
Stagnant lymph not only brings down your immune defence, it may also be stored within the nodes for a longer period of time than necessary and eventually becomes too toxic for the body to handle as well. The end results: an INCREASE in the rate of AGING and DEGENERA TIVE DISEASES.
