The lymphatic system is a network of vessels, nodes and organs that runs alongside your circulatory system.

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While the circulatory system moves blood through the body using the heart as a pump, the lymphatic system works differently. It collects excess fluid, proteins and waste from the tissues and returns them back into the bloodstream after they've been filtered.

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Every day, fluid leaks out of your capillaries into the surrounding tissues. This is normal and necessary, it allows nutrients and oxygen to reach your cells. But not all of that fluid returns directly back into the bloodstream.

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That's where the lymphatic system comes in.

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It picks up the excess fluid (now called lymph), along with cellular waste, bacteria and proteins and carries it through the lymph vessels to the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes act as filtration sites, helping the body process what can be reused and what needs to be eliminated.

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Once filtered, that fluid is returned to the circulatory system and eventually processed by the liver, kidneys and other detox pathways.

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So in a very real way, the lymphatic system is constantly:

Managing fluid balance

Supporting immune function

Clearing waste from tissues​​​