Diet and lymphoedema
There are four major objectives in a diet for lymphoedema.
The first objective for diet is to strengthen and improve lymphatic function.
The second objective is to improve the function, strength and health of blood vessels. Both the lymphatic system and blood circulatory system are implicated in lymphoedema control and swelling reduction.
Thirdly, a diet for lymphoedema should include foods that have potential to maintain high levels of macrophage (scavenger cell) activity. Macrophages dissolve or eat excess protein from body tissue fluids. Excess protein trapped in body tissue fluids are the cause of all lymphoedema.
The fourth objective is to make the diet appealing so people want to eat the food and obtain a real benefit by reducing their lymphoedema from eating the foods.
From clinic observations we have have found, it is not so much what you eat, but how you select, combine and prepare the ingredients of your meals. These three things influence the potential beneficial lymphatic function outcomes in your body.
A regular western diet high in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates in most cases is counter productive to the most effective lymphatic function, blood circulation and stimulated macrophage activity by these four things;
the combined ingredient selection,
the level of food processing
manufacturing modification, and
the cooking method
With a few small dietary changes the situation of eating a western style diet that is liable to reduce lymphatic function this situation has a potential to be easily be reversed. There is no need to stop eating all the foods you like. By eating foods more likely to improve lymphatic function there is no desire to spoil your meal experiences or stop you eating the foods you like. If you combine foods that stimulate lymphatic function in the right combination with the ‘moorish’ foods you normally eat, you can easily have recipes and meals that are good for helping lymphoedema reduction and still be similar to your regular tastes that you like to eat now.
More information about books for lymphoedema that introduce and outline a specific lymphatic diet are shown at www.lymph.com.au
