Improve Your Lymphatic System for Overall Health & Appearance

Here I explain the lymphatic system, a crucial bodily network for overall health and appearance. I explain how the lymphatic system works to remove cellular waste and fluid from your organs and combat infections. I provide science-based tools that support your lymphatic system for the sake of health and appearance, including: how to reduce fluid retention in your limbs, trunk or face, how to eliminate 'bags' under your eyes and brain fog, and how to improve cardiac health and longevity. Because your lymphatic system lacks a central pump, it needs the mechanical forces generated by specific types of bodily movement, breathing and pressure to circulate your lymph properly, and I explain how you can activate these. I also explain how to support optimal functioning of your glymphatic system, a brain- and spinal cord waste-clearing system active during sleep that is crucial for brain functioning and longevity, including to prevent dementia.

Articles

• Exercise-Induced Cardiac Lymphatic Remodeling Mitigates Inflammation in the Aging Heart (Aging Cell)
• The cisterna chyli: a systematic review of definition, prevalence, and anatomy (American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology)
• Lymphangiogenesis contributes to exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth (Journal of Sport and Health Science)
• Lymphangiogenesis in development and human disease (Nature)
• The manual lymphatic drainage of physical therapy for care of the facial swelling and pain after oral and maxillofacial surgery (Journal of Dental Sciences)
• Lymphatic vessels in the age of cancer immunotherapy (Nature Reviews Cancer)
• Lymphatic System of the Head and Neck (Journal of Craniofacial Surgery)
• Lymphatic Vessel Network Structure and Physiology (Comprehensive Physiology)
• Meningeal Lymphatics in Central Nervous System Diseases (Annual Review of Neuroscience)
• Meningeal lymphatic drainage: novel insights into central nervous system disease (Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy)
• An overview of manual lymphatic drainage (British Journal of Community Nursing)
• Effect of various photobiomodulation regimens on breast cancer-related lymphedema: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Lasers in Medical Science)
• The Effect of Body Posture on Brain Glymphatic Transport (Journal of Neuroscience)
• Anatomy and physiology of the thoracic lymphatic system (Thoracic Surgery Clinics)
• Vitamin D accelerates the subdural hematoma clearance through improving the meningeal lymphatic vessel function (Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry)
• Effectiveness of manual therapy in patients with distal radius fracture: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy)
• Increased CSF drainage by non-invasive manipulation of cervical lymphatics (Nature)
• Nasopharyngeal lymphatic plexus is a hub for cerebrospinal fluid drainage (Nature)

Other Resources

• Extreme Performance Training
• Lymphatic boots
• Rebounder/mini-trampoline
• Red/near-infrared light devices
• Anastasia Beauty Fascia
• Beauty Fascia
• Jade roller/gua sha
• Finding a Drug for Human Lymphedema: From Bedside to Bench to Bedside (Stanford Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery)
• Dry Brushing for Lymphatic Drainage – Shown the Best Way by a Lymphedema Physical Therapist (Cancer Rehab PT)

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• How to Prevent & Treat Colds & Flu
• Using Your Nervous System to Enhance Your Immune System
• Sleep Hygiene
• Improve Your Sleep (newsletter)
• How to Optimize Your Water Quality & Intake for Health

People Mentioned

• Laird Hamilton: big wave surfer, entrepreneur
• Gabrielle Reece: volleyball player, entrepreneur
• Maiken Nedergaard: professor of neuroscience, University of Rochester
• Patricia Grady: neuroscientist, National Institute of Nursing Research director