Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has become increasingly common, especially for women navigating menopause. The prevailing explanation for this seems simple: hormones decline with age, so replacing them makes sense. But this explanation overlooks a more fundamental question: Why are hormones deficient in the first place? And why is HRT becoming more common?
When we think of hormonal health, we often focus on endocrine glands, such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. Yet beneath this master system lies a quieter network that connects them all: the lymphatic system. In Ayurvedic physiology, the lymph is known as rasa — the first tissue formed after digestion. It is the river of vitality that nourishes all other tissues and ultimately leads to shukra (reproductive essence) and ojas (immunity, longevity, and vitality).
Balanced hormones do not disappear overnight nor simply because of aging. They fade when the systems that create them are no longer supported.
A 2024 scientific review confirms that the lymphatic system is a key driver of age-related problems. The study details how lymphatic decline — including senescence (aging) of lymphatic endothelial cells, reduced lymphangiogenesis (new lymph vessels), and impaired clearance (lymph congestion and poor detox) — leads to chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and hormonal imbalance.
Before Hashimoto’s thyroid disease was named after Hakura Hashimoto, it was known as a lymphatic condition. In the early 1900s, the disease was called Thyroiditis Lymphomatosa and Thyroiditis Lymphadenitis. Today, underlying lymphatic congestion (which is very common) is a forgotten component of thyroid and hormonal care.
The lymphatic network drains the interstitial fluid between the cells. It carries nutrients, toxins, and metabolites. It supports immune-endocrine communication and absorbs fats via the small intestine.
The lymph is responsible for transporting fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), immune messengers, and hormone precursors from the intestines into circulation. Unlike the bloodstream (which is pumped by the heart), our lymph relies on movement, breathing, and tissue pressure to flow. There is no central pump.
When lymph becomes congested, we face a “traffic jam” of hormone precursors, metabolites, interstitial wastes, and inflammatory cytokines. Longevity and vitality depend on the healthy circulation of lymph — the modern equivalent of rasa.
Hormones Are Made From Fat, Not Pills
All steroid hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol, are synthesized from cholesterol and other lipid compounds. These fats must be properly digested, absorbed through the gut, transported via lymph, and delivered to endocrine tissues (where hormones are produced).
This process depends on two critical systems working well together:
- Digestive capacity to break down and absorb fats
- Healthy lymphatic flow to transport fats throughout the body
If either system is compromised, hormone production suffers — regardless of a person’s age or gender. Research shows that impaired lymph drainage leads to the accumulation of inflammatory substances in the interstitium (a connective tissue lymph-based system). This then interferes with a healthy immune response, leading to low-grade inflammation.
In Ayurveda, when rasa (lymph) is abundant and flowing, the body can produce hormones efficiently. When it becomes stagnant, the entire hormonal cascade downstream weakens.
Poor Digestion Means Poor Hormone Production
Even when healthy fats are consumed, they must be properly digested. Low stomach acid, sluggish bile flow, gut inflammation, or enzyme deficiency can prevent fats from being broken down and absorbed. Undigested fats never make it into lymphatic circulation, which means endocrine glands never receive their building blocks.
When fats cannot reach endocrine tissues:
- Estrogen and progesterone decline
- Cortisol regulation falters
- Thyroid conversion weakens
- Vitamin D remains low even if supplemented
From an Ayurvedic perspective, weak digestion (agni) leads to toxic residue (ama) that clogs lymphatic channels. This creates a double problem: fewer fats are absorbed, and lymph becomes too congested to transport what little does get through.
How Modern Life Creates Lymphatic Congestion
Today, lymphatic congestion is no longer rare. It is seemingly universal. Sedentary lifestyles, shallow breathing, processed diets, tight clothing, and dehydration all impair lymph flow. Add poor digestion to the equation, and the result is a failure to deliver the raw materials needed to make hormones.
Keeping stress levels down matters, too: a relevant study showed that chronic stress damages lymphatic vessels via sympathetic nervous system activation, altering lymph flow dynamics.
When lymph drainage is compromised, the stress hormone cortisol accumulates in the lymph, disrupting communication between the brain and the body via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. From an Ayurvedic standpoint, vata becomes aggravated due to stress, ojas (vitality) weakens, and the rasa (lymph) becomes congested. The body enters a state of chronic “alert” without recovery.
All of this means many people are not necessarily experiencing “hormone imbalance” as they may be told; instead, they could be experiencing hormone deficiency caused by an upstream lymph issue.
Why Women Feel This More Strongly
While this issue affects everyone, women tend to experience symptoms more intensely because female reproductive physiology is highly lymph-dependent. The breasts, uterus, ovaries, and pelvis are rich in lymphatic tissue. Monthly hormonal cycling, pregnancy, and menopause all require healthy lymphatic movement. PMS symptoms are linked to insufficient reproductive lymph drainage from ovulation to menstruation (when the lymph is supporting a premenstrual detoxification).
When lymph is stagnant, women may experience:
- PMS symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, and mood swings
- Heavy or irregular periods
- Estrogen dominance symptoms without adequate progesterone
- Perimenopausal and menopausal discomfort
- Fatigue, weight gain, and brain fog
These symptoms are often labeled as “hormonal,” but the underlying issue may be transport failure.
If this perspective on lymph, digestion, and hormone “transport failure” feels like a missing link in your own experience — you’re not alone. Many people try to manage symptoms (including with HRT) without ever addressing the upstream systems that determine whether the body can make, move, and metabolize hormones in the first place.
In Dr. John Douillard’s upcoming Quantum Ayurveda training (begins Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 1:00pm Pacific), you’ll learn a clear, evidence-supported approach that weaves Ayurveda, modern physiology, and practical daily protocols to restore vitality as you age — including tools for strengthening digestion, clearing lymphatic stagnation, and rebuilding whole-body coherence from the root.
Learn more by clicking on the image below, or by Clicking Here!
