Do our lymphatic systems need a detox?
What's Up Docs?
BBC
4.4 • 659 Ratings
🗓️ 26 May 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, Chris and Xand explore the lymphatic system, from its vital everyday functions supporting fluid balance and immunity to its more mysterious roles. They look at what happens when things go wrong, examine popular wellness claims around draining and detoxing our lymphatic system, and find out what actually supports good lymphatic health.
Joining them to discuss this is Professor Kristiana Gordon, a Consultant in Dermatology and Lymphovascular Medicine. She’s Clinical Lead at the National Lymphoedema Clinic at City St George's, University of London, and is also a certified lymphoedema therapist.
If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Professor Kristiana Gordon Producer: Claire Justin Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Researcher: Samara Linton Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Visual Producer: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Olga Reed
At the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:07.2 | Things just swirling around my head. |
| 0:09.6 | Am I really the product of this? |
| 0:12.1 | Astonishing secrets uncovered by at-home DNA tests. |
| 0:17.0 | Little did I know what more was to come. |
| 0:19.5 | I'm Jenny Clemen, and in the new series of The Gift, |
| 0:23.6 | we'll hear more stories emerging out of the ever-expanding global DNA database. |
| 0:28.8 | They did know that I was different. |
| 0:31.7 | You had kids together. |
| 0:33.0 | Yeah. |
| 0:33.5 | Then you met. |
| 0:34.3 | Then we met. |
| 0:35.2 | The Gift. |
| 0:36.1 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:41.7 | Zandi, what do saunas, celery juice, and jumping on a trampoline all have in common? |
| 0:49.9 | Oh, is this a riddle? |
| 0:51.0 | Hang on. |
| 0:51.9 | They've all got the same number of letters. |
| 0:53.6 | No. |
| 0:53.9 | They're anagrams of each other. |
| 0:56.5 | What are they? |
| 0:57.2 | No, they've all been claimed to detox your lymphatic system. |
... |
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