Lymphatic massage and weight loss

Does lymphatic massage genuinely contributes to weight loss? A number of my friends swear by it and the massage place I sometimes go say so. But how many times must one do before we see result and how does such a massage impact weight? I always think that weight loss depends substantially on intake and output - the calories we eat and the calories we use.

Dear, Retired


Lymphatic system is our body's cleanup system. Our blood circulation can leave behind excess fluid and thus can cause oedema (retention of fluids in the body). Lymphatic system absorbs this fluid and many other things including dead cells and by products of cell destruction. It's like another circulatory system but very difficult to see, very tiny. It has stations, all over the body and this is where it breaks down anything that it finds harmful or useless to the body including cancerous material. If there's a virus or some irritant, it will work overtime and get inflamed, that's why we have enlarged tonsils (one of the stations). Meaning something or other is causing these stations to work overtime and people adversely get them removed. Now we are learning that is not a good thing. Better try to find out why such inflammation was caused.


How would lymphatic system cause weight loss?

Well I have never read anything regarding lymphatic massage, but I can guess how it works, because normally our lymphatic system does not have a pump, unlike our blood circulation system (heart). So the fluid is massaged around by our muscles when we move, breathe. So exercise would be a one type of lymphatic massage. I will understand then that this is perhaps accomplished by hands in a lymphatic massage. Quite clever. It will strengthen your immune system too, because lymphatic system is your immune system.

Increasing the absorption of unwanted material will increase your body's metabolism and help it eliminate faster and sufficiently. As it may also help speed up your lipid (fat) utilisation. Proteins and Sugars are absorbed into the blood after digestion, but fats in a special vehicle called chylomicrons are absorbed into the lymphatic system first. If you have fast absorption you have less storage overall and less water retention, so perhaps evens less weight.


Hope that helps

Thks, Celerkines. Good to know that exercise is a form of lymphatic massage since I exercise everyday and it is so inexpensive compared to a massage.

Thks, Celerkines. Good to know that exercise is a form of lymphatic massage since I exercise everyday and it is so inexpensive compared to a massage.