Building Immunity: Unleashing the Power of Your Lymphatic System
- Kim Moynihan
- May 14
- 6 min read
One of the greatest gifts we can give our body is a strong immune system. How does that happen? The lymphatic system plays a major role!
Comprising lymph nodes, tonsils, adenoids, spleen, and the thymus, the lymphatic system carries out two primary functions - maintaining fluid balance and fighting infections. The only one-directional system in our body, when an infection strikes, it gets triggered to work harder, performing an essential role in our body's immune responses.
Herbs are potent allies in our journey towards health, but remember not every herb works for everyone. Each herb has its unique energetics - warm or cold, moistening or drying, sweet, or bitter - and matching these energetics effectively with an individual's profile is the key to successful herbal therapy.
Before we delve into the world of herbs, it's essential to mention that a strong immune system relies heavily on a balanced lifestyle. Consuming a whole foods diet rich in proteins, slow carbs, animal fats, limiting sugar intake, drinking ample water, daily exercise, and incorporating essential vitamins and minerals can work wonders for your immune system.
Our body has different needs when it comes to immunity and herbs can cater to these various needs. Let’s explore the world of herbs under three main categories based on their uses for immunity.
Immunity Strengthening Herbs
For individuals seeking to maintain a strong immune system, there are several factors to consider. Firstly, if you find yourself falling ill with cold or flu more than twice a year, it may be important to focus on immune support. Additionally, those who experience seasonal allergies or have sensitivities to environmental and food factors should also prioritize immune health. Lastly, individuals with autoimmune concerns should take extra care to support their immune system. Understanding that these factors serve as the building blocks for our immune system is crucial in maintaining overall well-being.
Cleavers, also known as Stickyweed, possesses cool, moist, astringent, and bitter energetics. This herb is particularly beneficial for conditions that require cooling and detoxifying effects. As a lymphatic herb, it aids in clearing congestion and inflammation. Its moisturizing properties are soothing to dry mucous membranes, making it helpful in cases of UTI or skin inflammation. Cleavers also offers immunity benefits by stimulating the lymphatic system, assisting in the elimination of toxins, and strengthening immune function. It reduces congestion and inflammation in the tissues.
Cleavers contains various phytochemicals, including iridoids that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties and play a significant role in immune support. Additionally, it contains tannins, which act as an astringent and can help tighten and tone the skin and mucous membranes, making it useful for conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Coumarins found in cleavers have potential anti-cancer and blood-thinning effects, while flavonoids contribute to cardiovascular health and provide antioxidant effects. In pharmaceuticals, cleavers is used in drugs that modulate the immune system, topical treatments for skin conditions, cancer drugs, blood thinners, and supplements aimed at promoting heart health and reducing inflammation.
Yellow Dock, on the other hand, has bitter and slightly sour energetics with a cooling effect on the body when consumed. It acts as a mild laxative, blood purifier (alterative), and cholagogue (promotes the discharge of bile from the system). It is traditionally used to support digestive health, liver function, and skin conditions, serving as a tonic for overall wellness. Yellow Dock stimulates clogged blood and lymph, extracting toxins from tissues and ensuring their departure from the body. The herb contains anthraquinone glycosides, which have laxative effects and are used in both traditional herbal medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. It also contains oxalates like oxalic acid and calcium oxalate, which possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, tannins found in Yellow Dock act as an astringent and are used in the pharmaceutical industry for gastrointestinal health and wound healing.
Nettles, with its mild, slightly bitter taste and cool and dry energetics, is used to address body heat and inflammation. It is known as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and nutritive herb, serving as a tonic for overall health. Nettles contain flavonoids, including quercetin, which contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. Sterols found in nettles also have anti-inflammatory effects. In terms of nutrition, nettles are rich in various vitamins such as vitamin A, several B vitamins (including B-1, B-2, B-3, and B-5), vitamin C, amino acids, fatty acids, calcium, folic acid, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and protein. Additionally, the vitamin K content in nettles assists with bone formation.
Immuno-Stimulating herbs (for when you are sick)
Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) is a medicinal plant known for its immune-stimulating and anti-inflammatory properties. It has a slightly sweet and bitter taste and provides a cooling effect, making it beneficial for fevers and infections. Echinacea works by increasing phagocytosis, which is the ingestion of bacteria and other materials by phagocytes. It also stimulates the production of white blood cells, T-cells, and interferon. Additionally, it disrupts viral replication and inhibits viral attachment to host cells. This powerful herb is commonly used to treat conditions like colds, flu, and skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis. It contains various phytochemicals, including alkamides for immune stimulation, polysaccharides for anti-inflammatory effects, flavonoids for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and echinacosides for antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects.
Elderberry, another beneficial plant, is known for its immune-stimulating, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and overall tonic properties. It has a sweet and slightly bitter taste and provides a cooling effect. Elderberry supports the immune system and overall wellness. It contains anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that neutralize harmful free radicals in the body, and flavonoids and phenolic acids, which also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Similar to Echinacea, elderberry disrupts viral replication.
Boneset is an herb with bitter, slightly astringent taste and cooling properties. It has immune-stimulating, diaphoretic (promotes sweating), and anti-inflammatory properties. Boneset is commonly used as a supportive herb for colds, flu, and respiratory infections. It contains flavonoids for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, alkaloids for immune stimulation, and sesquiterpene lactones for anti-inflammatory, antipyretic (fever-reducing), and antimicrobial effects.
These three medicinal plants, Echinacea, Elderberry, and Boneset, offer a range of health benefits and can be incorporated into natural remedies to support immune health, fight infections, and promote overall well-being.
Lymphatic Herbs
These herbs assist in the transfer of congested lymph and can be used to assist with shrinking swollen lymph glands and help dissolve benign cysts.
Recent studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between congestion in the lymph system and tumor development. Many believe that ensuring a healthy lymph system is a key part of cancer prevention. It is concerning that cancer diagnoses are skyrocketing, especially among young people. Since 2020, some types of cancer have seen an increase of more than 40% in diagnosis.
Calendula has sweet and bitter energetics, and it provides cooling effects for inflammation and skin irritations. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound healing agent, making it beneficial for burns, cuts, and scrapes. Calendula contains phytochemicals such as flavonoids that possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, triterpenoids that aid in wound healing, and saponins that exhibit antiviral and antimicrobial properties.
Violet leaf and flower have slightly sweet energetics and cooling properties, making them suitable for heat-related conditions. They have anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and lymphatic stimulating actions, which can be beneficial for respiratory conditions like coughs, colds, and sore throats. Violet leaf and flower contain flavonoids that act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, mucilage that soothes respiratory conditions, and salicylates that provide pain-relieving effects for sore throats and headaches associated with cold and flu.
Chickweed has slightly sweet and cooling energetics. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, demulcent (soothing and protective), and diuretic, making it useful for rashes, eczema, and psoriasis. Chickweed contains phytochemicals like saponins that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, mucilage that soothes skin conditions, and vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, C, and B complex, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
These botanicals offer various therapeutic properties and are rich in phytochemicals that contribute to their healing effects.
Exciting News - The Wellness Membership Club!
To aid you in your wellness journey, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new Wellness Membership Club. As a Founding VIP member, you can enjoy numerous benefits:
locked-in reduced membership cost
in-depth 90 minute webinars
Webinar summary sheet
monthly Live Q&A sessions
exclusive discounts on our Herbal of the Month
You can expect the webinars to cover wellness topics that matter to you most, such as thyroid health, arthritis, hormone imbalances, etc. Education will include recommendations on lifestyle, nutrition and herbs for each topic.
With love and herbs,
Kim
P.S. As a reminder, I am a Clinical Herbalist -- not a medical professional. All of the information I am providing is based on my own personal experiences and should only be used for educational purposes. Never try any herbs or herbal remedies without first consulting your doctor.
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