Did you know your lymphatic system is your front-line healer and defense system? We often only hear of lymph nodes when someone has a cancer diagnosis—if it spreads to the lymph nodes, that is often bad news. The truth is our lymphatic system is enormous and beyond valuable. It is so much more than just “lymph nodes.” In fact, it’s an intricate system and a very important part of our body’s defense system that works to protect us from infections and diseases. It complements our circulatory system and guess who first mentioned it—Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine!
The lymphatic system is a giant complex network of drainage pipes in our body. It carries lymph fluid and our white blood cells that help attack bacteria in our blood and body tissues. It is made up of a network of organs, lymph nodes, ducts, glands, bone marrow, lymphatic vessels, and capillaries. This under-appreciated network helps our body remove toxins and other waste without us even knowing. It also plays a key role in fighting infections and disease by automatically producing and transporting white blood cells to areas in our body that need them. Think of it as your body’s private garbage disposal system! Just like throwing out the trash to keep your house clean (bucket analogy), your lymphatic system works to clean up harmful substances in your body to help keep you healthy and clean on the inside. And it does all of this for us automatically and free of charge.
Check out the picture to the left.[1] The thumb especially—did you know this intricate network of lymphatic capillaries exists in your body? Please promise me you paused and looked at the thumb—the lymphatic capillaries and precious liquid they carry are everywhere under our skin!
I am amazed at how important this system is, yet it gets very little to no love, support, focus, and admiration.
Our lymphatic system is 4x longer than our cardiovascular system. Our blood vessels and veins have a heart to help pump the blood around our body and keep it moving—our lymph fluid does not. Instead, it relies on our joints and muscles to move it through our body. The word “lymph” originates from the Latin word “lympha” or “water.” The word “lymphatic” originates from the Latin word “connected to water.” Your body produces 8–12 quarts of lymph daily. Your body is made of over 70% water. Now we know where most of this water is located and how important it is to our body’s overall health.
Without a functioning lymphatic system, your body would be unable to fight off infections and diseases, thus making you seriously ill. That’s why it’s important to take care of your lymph system by eating whole foods, regularly moving your body, dry brushing, and avoiding harmful toxins as much as possible.
Credits:
[1] SGUL lymres – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Anatomy_of_the_lymphatic_system.jpg, No changes. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99532989
Cover photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash