Is It A Thyroid Problem, or a Lymphatic Problem?
Sluggish thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, is the most common thyroid condition, affecting almost 50 million Americans. A sluggish or underactive thyroid can lead to tiredness, dry skin, weight gain, swelling, sensitivity to cold, muscle weakness, thinning hair, brain fog, and moodiness.
In Ayurveda, these symptoms are all linked to a kapha imbalance. Specifically, the lymphatic system becomes congested, causing a feeling of body-wide sluggishness. When the cervical lymph nodes (rasa dhatu) in the neck that drain the thyroid become congested, kapha (congestion) can build up in the thyroid, resulting in sluggish function.
While Western medicine often aims to replace missing thyroid hormones, Ayurveda aims at addressing the cause of the underlying kapha imbalance or lymphatic congestion problems.
See also 6-Step Plan to Cleanse Your Lymphatic System
As far back as 1988, researchers knew that 90% of hypothyroid cases were due to an autoimmune concern that was originally described as a lymphatic congestive condition of the neck and thyroid. In 1912, the Japanese doctor Hakura Hashimoto was the first to describe the thyroid condition that we now call Hashimoto’s thyroiditis after him. However, he actually called this condition struma lymphomatosa. This is because of the congestion of the cervical lymph nodes that is present in this condition. Over the years, the related lymphatic congestion was the defining factor of the condition, leading to names like lymphocytic thyroiditis, lymphadenoid goiter and others. Eventually, the medical community finally settled on calling it Hashimoto’s—and, as a result, the underlying lymph congestion has been dismissed as just a symptom of sluggish thyroid function, instead of a potential cause.
According to Ayurveda, the swelling around the thyroid is called galaganda roga where the lymphatic vessels (rasa vaha srotas) in the neck become congested. To properly address the lymphatic congestion (kapha imbalance) surrounding the thyroid, Ayurveda looks to the source of the body’s lymphatic congestion.
The Digestion-Lymph-Thyroid Connection
There is an intricate connection between the digestive system, the lymphatic system, and the thyroid. Let’s break it down.
Digestion to Lymph
In Ayurveda, 85% of all health concerns start in the digestive system, which iswhere the lymphatic system also begins. The lymphatic system is the largest circulatory system of the body, tasked with carrying the immune system, taking out the ‘trash’ by removing metabolic waste, and delivering properly-digested fats and proteins to every cell of the body for baseline energy.
If the digestive system breaks down, it may result in indigestion, food intolerances, bloating, food comas, and more. When this happens, incompletely digested proteins and fats will be too large to enter the bloodstream as nutrition. Instead of being used as energy, they are absorbed into the collecting ducts of the lymphatic system inside the intestinal tract. This is why gluten has been pegged as an aggravator of thyroid health, when a gluten reaction is actually a canary in the coal mine warning us of an underlying imbalance in digestion and overwhelmed lymphatic detox pathways.
See also The Dangers of a Gluten-Free Diet
If the digestive imbalance does not improve, and there is exposure to an inordinate number of stressors (such as environmental pollutants, processed foods, and pesticides),, these undigested proteins, fats, and toxins will find their way into the lymphatic system.
Lymph to Thyroid
The first sign of lymphatic congestion is the building up of excess weight around the belly and hips, then pushing into other areas of concentrated lymph. This could cause muscle stiffness, fatigue, skin irritations, swelling, water retention or bloat, hypersensitivity reactions, weakened immunity, headaches, moodiness, brain fog, and much more— all of which are also symptoms of a thyroid imbalance.
