The Lymph System and Your Health
An enlarged spleen, which can be a symptom of mononucleosis or the Epstein–Barr virus, is prone to injury and should be taken seriously. In our culture, the spleen is sometimes removed if its function declines or persistent swelling is a concern. A swollen spleen places a patient at a higher risk for hemorrhage (if it ruptures), so some doctors decide to remove a suboptimal spleen to avoid the risk.
In Eastern cultures, where the spleen and the lymph system are taken much more seriously, this is tantamount to clipping a bird’s wings. The bird will not die, but it will never fly very high again. In Chinese medicine the spleen governs the blood, the great nourisher of life. Without the guardianship of the spleen, the blood is weakened, can become either blocked or dilute, and has more difficulty supporting the rest of the organs.
I often hear my patients say, “You can live without your spleen.” My response is usually, “Yes, but how well?” Of course, if you must undergo spleen removal you should feel confident that your other organs can compensate for your lost immunity. But if you have a choice, you should make your decision knowing that the spleen exists for a reason. It does not operate in a void, and surgically removing it usually does have long-term immunological consequences. If you must do so, you must then support the rest of your immune system more carefully in response.
Most spleen concerns can be treated with an alternative protocol that includes a lot of rest, supplements, and supportive enzymes. As long as you are not endangering a swollen spleen with reckless activities, taking the time to heal it from the inside out is preferable to having it yanked. For a long time tonsils were treated with the same indifference (the lymph system just can’t get respect) — now it’s generally accepted that it’s healthier to keep them.
In fact, I don’t think any organ in the body should be treated as disposable. That kind of thinking is based on the fractured Western paradigm. But of course, all systems of the body are interconnected! Think of it this way – if you didn’t have a road map or welcome signs, would the landscape show any hint that you’d just crossed a state line? Nature respects few manmade boundaries, and when it comes to the map of your body, this is evident in the overreaching web that connects organ tissue to the lymph system and the lymph system to the immune, circulatory, endocrine, and digestive systems.
The lymphatic system, digestion and elimination
As you read above, so much of the lymph tissue is associated with the gut that it has its own acronym: GALT (gut-associated lymphoid tissue). Lymphatic tissue is where much of our immunity originates, and because the digestive tract is a main path of entry for offensive substances (bacteria, allergens, heavy metals, molds, fungi, chemicals, trans fats), many lines of defense permeate the gut.
The agents involved in digestion — enzymes, acids, and intestinal flora — do away with many of the pathogens that try to invade our systems. Those that make it through are taken up and acted upon by the GALT.
The GALT itself is a kind of tasting room for pathogens. The ones that survive the initial pass of digestion get sampled by receptors in the GALT, which coordinate an immune response (including mucus production). Anyone who lacks the enzymes to digest dairy is familiar with a GALT-dictated immune response.
So, the GALT receives information from the microenvironment of the intestines in the form of which pathogenic agents get through. It then decides which of these deserve an allergic response, calling upon the immune and endocrine systems to facilitate. In this way, the GALT tissue becomes its own command center, which is one reason many practitioners call the gut the “second brain.” For more on this topic, read The Second Brain, by Michael Gershon.
Healthy GALT function generally inhibits allergic responses and decreases food sensitivity — but this is complicated and often relies on the status of the intestinal flora and other factors. Suffice it to say that the healthier your gut-associated lymph tissue, the less sensitive you are likely to be to food-borne bacteria and chemicals.
The mucosal tissue of the intestines (the villi and lacteals) are also classified as GALT tissue, playing an important role in the transportation of digested dietary fats (or chyle) into the blood (those LDL’s and HDL’s we hear so much about) via the cisterna chyli and the thoracic duct.
Constipation, diarrhea, and other GI issues compromise the lymphatic system’s ability to do its job. If the digestive tract is suboptimal due to food sensitivities, parasites or stress, the flow of lymph and chyle will also be diminished. This can cause nausea and toxicity, exacerbating the original GI concerns. It may also play a part in the appearance of cellulite.
[banner id=”digestive-chronic-gi-system-1″]