How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage With Diet, Supplements & More
dr.vanta
How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage- Key Principles.
How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage With Exercise and Massage.
How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage With Proper Hydration & Diet
How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage With Supplements (Supplements For Lymphatic System, Including Herbs For Lymphatic Drainage)
How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage — Other Therapies
The lymphatic system is a major circulatory system, just as important as the cardiovascular system [1]. Let’s treat it accordingly.
Conventional medicine recommends specific treatments targeting lymphatic system health only in cases of lymphedema (whether is primary or secondary to cancer treatments or other causes).
However, there is scientific evidence pointing out that many of us have issues have poor lymphatic drainage. Lymphatic system has dual function: it detoxifies the body, while bringing more nutrients to the tissues. It fuels the cells with energy between meals, and processes large molecules of fats and proteins that aren’t digested in the stomach and small intestine. I wrote in details about lymphatic system and symptoms associated with congested lymph flow in this article.
How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage- Key Principles
The lymphatic system does not have a pump system (like the heart for the cardiovascular system) to move the fluid. Lymphatic vessels have within their walls some tiny, smooth muscles that just by squeezing, will help the lymph move forward, . However, this is not enough to maintain a healthy lymphatic system.
The lymph will move better with the help of the :
muscle contractions — this is the most efficient way the lymph will move in the body; this means that exercise and massage are the best ways to improve lymphatic flow.
the lymph is also carried away using the contractions from the heart, breathing movements and contraction of the small muscles from the gut wall) [2].
a healthy skin may be a key ingredient to a healthy lymphatic system. Recent studies reveal that the underlying problem of lymph congestion is skin inflammation. To be more specific, researchers found that the buildup of lymph fluid is actually an inflammatory response within the skin tissue, not merely a “plumbing” problem within the lymphatic system, as previously thought [3].
This means that healthy heart, lungs, gut and skin will help improve the lymphatic system as well. It makes sense, right? In addition, diet and supplements can further promote a healthy lymph flow.
How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage With Exercise and Massage
Exercise is by far, the most effective way to maintain a healthy lymph flow. It will also improve the health of your heart, lungs and gut, so it is a win-win.
While simply moving will help your muscles contract, and push the lymph forward, some exercises may work better than others. If you have lymphedema, the best thing to do is to get a customized fitness program from a lymphedema specialist. For lymphedema treatment there are also specific compression garments and decongestive therapies. If you wish to improve the lymphatic drainage, here are some great options.
Rebounding (trampoline benefits lymphatic system). Rebounding involves jumping on a mini trampoline and seems to be one of the best exercise to improve the lymphatic flow. It had been researched for lymphedema as part of a more complex training [4]. It also helps increase the activity of the immune cells [5] . Is a great cardio exercise, improving lung function[6], [7] better than running or jogging [8]. Rebounding also improves balance [9], promotes healthy weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure in those who are overweight [10], as well as diabetes and depression [11].
The next two forms of exercise that showed benefits to improve the lymphatic health are resistance training and yoga [12], [13]. If you are not a big fan of trampoline, weights or yoga, find a form of exercise that you like. Any exercise is better than no exercise. The idea is to stay active and keep moving.
Massage
You can try a lymphatic drainage massage provides by a massage therapist specifically trained in this field.
3. How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage With Proper Hydration & Diet
-Get hydrated. Getting enough water is one thing, and drinking close to 3 liters or water (rather than the recommended 2 liters) may be a better for your lymphatic system. Try a 4-7 days intense hydration plan where you drink one cup of warm water with lemon every hours for 8 hours daily. To improve hydration at the cellular level (getting the water inside the cells) consider: adding lemon or apple cider vinegar to your water; include juicing (fruits and veggies), hot liquids (a soup and a couple of herbal teas every day) and increase the fiber intake (with ground flax seeds, psyllium husk, walnuts, etc) and add a multimineral supplements. Reducing EMF exposure is also important, not just for optimal hydration, but overall health
-Diet. Diet, along with exercise can help you lose excess weight. Weight management is very important because being overweight or obese is a well-known risk factor for congested lymphatic system. Even if you have ideal weight, you still need to pay attention to the diet. A good first step is to eliminate all processed foods. I know ketogenic diet is very trendy right now, and some are recommending it to improve lymphatic flow. However, I think keto diet doesn’t have enough proteins and carbs and too many fats.
My approach is to consume plenty of veggies (green leafy, cruciferous), some berries, red foods (beets, cranberries, cherries and pomegranates) and seaweed.
Proteins. You need to increase a little bit the protein intake (with some exceptions- ie history of cancer, kidney problems). Lymph contains large amounts of proteins in the form of albumin, Some protein stores are lost/trapped in the lymph fluid, and therefore you need some extra quality proteins: beans, chia seeds, some high protein grains (millet, quinoa) and small amounts of animal proteins: bone broth, fish, lean meats (chicken, turkey, eggs, kefir, yogurt). Collagen supplement is also a good source of easy to digest proteins (aminoacids).
Fats. One key function of the lymphatic system is to absorb fat. Too much fat means your lymphatic system has to do more work- with some exception of MCTs (which are good for you). MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) found in MCT oils, coconut oil and palm kernel oils. Some studies show that limiting calories from fat may improve symptoms of congested lymph flow [15], [14]
Healthy carbs are derived from beans, high protein grains (quinoa, millet), berries and root vegetables (all to be consumed in moderate amounts).
Add plenty of herbs and spices, they really help decongest the lymph flow, plus they reduce the need of salt (which can be detrimental in excess). Turmeric & pepper, ginger, cumin, fennel, coriander, cardamom are all great options.
Another important factor to consider: the size of your meal. It’s not just about quality- quantity matters too. Smaller meals means less food, so less work for your lymphatic system and a better digestion. Try to eat organic, in season.
Avoid eating when you are stressed- emotional stress impairs both the digestion and the lymphatic flow. Animal studies show that chronic stress can even remodel lymphatic vasculature and lead to the spread of cancer [16].
4. How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage With Supplements (Supplements For Lymphatic System, Including Herbs For Lymphatic Drainage)
Digestive enzymes with betaine HCl or apple cider vinegar (ACV). The main goal of using these supplements is to improve digestion and absorption of the nutrients from foods. Once you get maximum benefits (nutrients) from your diet, you can add other supplements. Ideally, digestive enzymes should be used short term, and later on replaced by foods, herbs and spices which naturally increase your body’s ability to make digestive enzymes.
Manjistha tea and guggul are the first two supplements I recommend specifically for improving lymphatic flow. We clearly need more scientific studied on them. They had been used to treat lymphatic congestion by ancient forms of medicine (ie Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine)- and I’ ve seen positive results with them, too. Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia) shows many therapeutic potentials [17],[18], [19]. I think it improves lymphatic flow because of is antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti inflammatory effects; because it also may improve cardiovascular system (has diuretic effects) and improves liver function (both liver and cardiovascular system having significant impact on the lymphatic health). Guggulsterone from guggul (Commiphora wightii) has multiple mechanisms of action, including the regulation of bile acids and cholesterol metabolism [19]. You can read more about the benefits of manjistha, guggul for lymphatic system here, where I reviewed “The Prime Diet” and Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary’s work.
Butcher broom (Ruscus aculeatus) The best-researched indications for butcher’s broom are venous insufficiency, edema/lymphatic congestion, PMS and hemorrhoids. There are a few randomized controlled trials supporting the benefits of this help to improve lymphatic drainage. A meta analysis concluded that butcher’s broom can improve venous system and increase lymph flow in subjects with edema [20] .Butcher broom can be used alone, or combined with other herbs (ie. horsechestnut — Aesculus hippocastanum).
Citrus pith contains many healthy nutrients, including modified citrus pectin (MCP) and the flavonoid diosmin. MCP shows a lot of potential to treat scar tissue -along the cardiovascular system [22] and possibly the lymphatic system too While diosmin is mostly known for its ability to improve the circulatory system, pharmacological and clinical studies also found that diosmin also promotes healthy lymphatic drainage [23].
Collagen peptides.A double-blind placebo controlled trial showing improvement in cellulite with collagen supplementation as well as skin health and body mass [24]. Cellulite is as typical sign of lymphatic congestion, so this study is telling me that collagen is improving lymphatic flow. It is also a good source of protein (amino acids) which are needed to improve lymphatic health. Other studies found collagen peptides beneficial to improve digestion and gut lining, improve immune system (including T cell actions) and joint health [25].
French oak wood (Quercus robur) also shows benefits in improving lymphatic drainage in clinical study with lymphedema patients [26]. It may also have anti-cancer and anti-depressant qualities [27], [28].
Other supplements/herbs to consider: magnolia, ginger and licorice are often used in herbal combinations recommended by Traditional Chinese Medicine for promoting lymphatic drainage [30].
Many may benefit from Lymphomyosot (homeopathic preparation, Heel brand), a formula designed specifically to improve lymphatic drainage.
5. How To Improve Lymphatic Drainage — Other Therapies
Saunas and/or Infrared technology. Sauna increases sweating and the elimination of the toxins Saunas help improve the immune system, burn calories, reduce inflammation and increase body flood (circulation) and more. Therapies based on infrared radiation were found beneficial for improving the lymphatic flow [31],[32], [33]. If you don’t tolerate infrared saunas, you can choose local applications of infrared light (many devices available, I like Bioptron).
Mindfulness meditation (MM) had been extensively studied, showing a lot of benefits- from modulating the immune system, to decreasing inflammation, slowing down the aging process, reducing stress and the risk of various diseases [34]. More details on MM benefits in another article.
