What is lymph?
Like the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system is connected to nearly every cell in the body, including the fat cells. After these living cells feed off the nutrients delivered through the bloodstream, they produce metabolic debris that is then carried away by the lymphatic fluid, also known as lymph.
Lymph originates as plasma, the yellow liquid component of blood. Our bodies contain over twice as much lymph as they do blood –approximately six to ten liters! Translucent or milky white in color, lymph can be composed of a variety of substances, including lipids, proteins, enzymes, hormones, urea, dissolved gases, bacteria, viruses, and other debris.
Lymph flows through a network of ever-widening vessels similar to the network of capillaries and veins used to circulate blood. The initial lymph capillaries are fragile vessels just one cell thick. Approximately 70 percent are considered superficial capillaries, meaning they are located just underneath the skin. Often located in fatty tissues, lymph collectors are large vessels that carry the lymph through to the lymph nodes. A series of one-way valves along the lymph vessels gives the lymphatic system the characteristic appearance of a string of pearls, known in scientific circles as “monoliform” shape.
After the lymphatic fluid makes its way through the extensive network of lymph nodes and vessels, it eventually drains into one of two major ducts located in the chest area underneath the collarbone. The right lymphatic duct collects lymph from the right arm and the right portion of the head, neck, and chest while the thoracic duct (also known as the left lymphatic duct) collects lymph from the rest of the body. Your lymph then drains into your blood’s circulatory system and once again becomes plasma in the bloodstream, just prior to reaching the heart.
What is a lymph node?
Lymph nodes act as small filters that trap waste products in the lymphatic fluid and eliminate them from the body. Lymph nodes are usually shaped like a small kidney bean and range from a few millimeters to one or two centimeters in length.
The average person is born with six to seven hundred lymph nodes distributed throughout the body, with more than half located in the abdominal region. Large concentrations of lymph nodes can also be found in the neck, armpits, inner elbow, groin, and behind the knees. It is interesting to note that our lymph nodes are concentrated in the major folds of the body, allowing for the highest degree of protection when the body is in the fetal position. The major exception is the cluster of lymph nodes in the malleolar region (the back of the foot), which one lymphatic specialist is quick to point out as the mythical weak point of Achilles.
The lymphatic system is, in fact, integral to our resistance to disease. If the lymph fluid contains potentially harmful organisms, such as a virus, a lymph node can swell to several times its normal size as white blood cells (also known as lymphocytes) and other immunity agents are rushed to the site. When doctors check along the sides of a patient’s neck for “swollen glands”, they are actually feeling to see if the lymph nodes are enlarged and thereby fighting an infection. If a lymph node traps cancerous cells and cannot eliminate them from the body, the node can become a source of secondary growth (metastasis) for the cancer. That is why it is relatively common for certain forms of cancer, such as breast cancer, to spread to the surrounding lymph nodes.
In spite of the fact that your lymphatic system is of indispensable importance to virtually every cell in your body –especially when it comes to issues of infection and disease –practitioners of Western medicine tend to overlook it. Historically, it is likely that the medical community was slow to recognize the lymphatic system because of the transparency of the fluid and the difficulty in seeing lymphatic vessels even upon dissection. There are indications that the ancient societies of China, Samaria, Babylon, Egypt, and India were all aware of the presence of lymph circulating throughout the body, but it was not understood as a complete anatomical system until the seventeenth century.
The historical neglect of the lymphatic system is still evident in modern thinking. Dr. Oz refers to lymphatics as “the next frontier of discovery in human disease… long ignored because of their subtlety and complexity.” But even YOU: The Owner’s Manual
Many of us don’t even know we have a lymphatic system, much less understand how to care for it. We are bombarded with messages about the importance of caring for the cardiovascular system. We eat “heart-healthy” meals. We try to get in our thirty minutes of “cardio” a few times a week. But we rarely hear about the lymphatic system in any kind of discussion about wellness, especially when it comes to preventative health care.
If we are to make any progress in treating cellulite, it might help to start paying attention to the neglected lymphatic system.
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