Brain washing
April 2025
When we hear the term "brainwashing," it often evokes negative associations with propaganda and manipulation. However, there is a healthy and essential type of brainwashing that happens every night as we sleep.
Recent scientific research confirms that our lymphatic system, particularly the glymphatic system, literally washes our brains!
The Lymphatic System is a network of vessels, nodes, and organs responsible for removing and filtering waste, delivering nutrients and moisture to cells and tissues, and playing a critical role in the immune system. Historically, this system has been undervalued by Western medicine, often receiving attention only when conditions like lymphoedema arise. Even then, the focus is typically on managing limb swelling, with insufficient consideration of how this congestion impacts tissues, immune function, and brain chemistry. Notably, lymphatic tissue exists throughout the body, including in the gut, indicating that lymphatic dysfunction can influence gut health and the production of mood-regulating substances like serotonin.
Recent findings have confirmed that the glymphatic system serves as a waste clearance pathway in the brain, draining waste from the central nervous system through meningeal lymphatic vessels. Research indicates that as we age, these vessels become less efficient, allowing toxic proteins and plaques to accumulate in the brain and nervous system. These accumulations are linked to memory, cognitive functions, and a range of neurological issues that may also be related to lymphatic health.
The glymphatic system is most active during sleep, playing a vital role in maintaining brain health. An impaired glymphatic system may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. At a minimum, sluggish lymphatic function likely leads to a sluggish brain!
Glymphatic Activity:
Whilst waste removal is a key function of the glymphatic system it is not its only function. It is also responsible or :
Fluid Balance: It helps regulate intracranial pressure and manage the movement of excess interstitial fluid within the brain.
Substance Transport: This system facilitates the transport of various substances—including glucose, lipids, and other signaling molecules—throughout the brain.
Brain-Body Communication: The glymphatic system may also play a role in communication between the brain and other parts of the body.
Brainwashing and Sleep
The activity of the glymphatic system is significantly higher during sleep and lower when we’re awake, suggesting a strong connection between sleep and brain waste clearance
Our own experiences of a poor night's sleep as well as research underscore the link between sleep and healthy cognitive function. We all have felt the negative effects of insufficient sleep, and recent studies reveal that a significant aspect of this is a failure to clear metabolic waste from our brains, resulting in a "clogged" neural network.
The glymphatic system primarily functions during sleep and is largely inactive during wakefulness. The biological imperative for sleep across species may thus reflect a need for the brain to reach a state that enables the removal of potentially neurotoxic waste products.
As an Integrative Healthcare Professional, Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, and Lymphoedema clinician, I prioritize evaluating and treating the lymphatic system in my practice.
To support lymphatic health, regular lymphatic decongestion treatments, home self-care techniques, hydration, daily movement, stress management, sweating (swedana), and diaphragmatic breathing are all beneficial for maintaining healthy lymph flow. A diet rich in bitter greens and foods that bolster bone marrow production and gut health is also crucial. Additionally, Ayurvedic herbs such as Manjista and Brahmi, along with naturopathic tinctures like Red Clover, are recognized for their detoxification support.
Traditional Chinese Medicine can further enhance lymphatic health through acupuncture and acupressure, addressing "dampness" and suggesting dietary changes that promote detoxification.
It is encouraging to see Western medicine increasingly investing in research and aligning with Eastern medical practices (such as TCM and Ayurveda) to recognize that the lymphatic system is essential for both health and longevity, particularly concerning brain health.
Three Points Clinic specializes in women's well-being and lymphatic health. In addition to oncology care and lymphoedema management, we offer various Bliss Therapies to support healthy lymphatics for everyone. To explore our range of services, follow the link below or contact Natasha at 0408465928.
www.threepointsclinic.com.au
References
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature14432.html
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