7 Natural Strategies for Lymph Support

Swollen ankles, constipation, and a congested head are a few signs that your lymphatic system—which plays a critical role in immune function and detoxification—needs support.

- By Lisa Turner

The immune system gets all the glory— especially these days. But when was the last time you thought about your lymphatic system? This little-talked-about (but super-important) network of tissues, vessels, and organs is responsible for maintaining proper fluid balance in the body, absorbing and transporting fats from the digestive tract, and clearing out old red blood cells to be replaced with new ones. Plus, the lymphatic system is a critical player in the body’s immune response and detox mechanisms, removing waste, bacteria, viruses, toxins, and byproducts of the body’s normal metabolic processes, and recognizing and attacking abnormal cells that can lead to cancer. So, yes—it’s important.

Lymph Basics

The lymphatic system is made up of tiny tubes called lymphatic vessels. Lymph fluid—a clear, watery liquid— moves through these vessels and the lymph nodes, small, soft clumps of cells clustered in the neck, groin, armpits, and elsewhere in the body. The lymph nodes contain white blood cells (lymphocytes) that attack bacteria, viruses, and damaged or cancerous cells. The lymph fluid then carries the waste products back into the bloodstream where they’re ultimately removed from the body, mostly through urine or feces.