Nature’s Sunshine Lymphatic Drainage Ingredients

Name: Lymphatic Drainage
Brand: Nature's Sunshine
SKU: 3171
Price: 28.45 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (35 reviews)

Explore the nature's sunshine Lymphatic Drainage ingredients — Cleavers, Red clover, Stillingia root & Prickly ash bark — and how they support lymphatic health.

Product Overview

Nature's Sunshine Lymphatic Drainage Ingredients: What They Are and Why They Matter

The lymphatic system is one of the body's most essential — and most overlooked — networks. It works quietly behind the scenes, removing waste from cellular metabolism, transporting immune cells, and helping maintain healthy fluid balance throughout the body. When lymphatic flow becomes sluggish, you may notice puffiness, water retention, or a general sense of heaviness.

Nature's Sunshine Lymphatic Drainage is a 2 fl oz liquid formula designed to aid the proper dispersion of lymphatic fluid. It brings together four herbs with deep roots in Western herbal tradition — Cleavers aerial parts, Red clover blossom extract, Stillingia root, and Prickly ash bark — each historically valued for its role in supporting lymphatic movement, fluid balance, and overall well-being.

Understanding the nature's sunshine Lymphatic Drainage ingredients helps you appreciate how this formula draws on centuries of herbal wisdom. Each of the four botanicals has a distinct traditional profile, and together they target the lymphatic and circulatory systems from complementary angles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Cleavers aerial parts — 300 mg

Cleavers (Galium aparine L.) is widely regarded as the primary lymphatic tonic in Western herbal medicine. This annual plant from the Rubiaceae family — the same family as coffee — has been used for thousands of years across European, Native American, and Traditional Chinese Medicine traditions to encourage lymph fluid movement, help drain congested lymph nodes, and support detoxification. Herbalists have historically recommended it especially as a fresh spring tincture for its diuretic and lymphatic properties. Phytochemical screening confirms that Cleavers contains iridoids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, and polyphenolic compounds. The coumarins present in Galium species are a class of benzopyrones that traditionally promote Lymphatic Drainage, while the iridoid glycosides — including asperuloside — are considered mildly laxative and purgative. Laboratory studies have confirmed the antioxidant property and radical-scavenging capability of Cleavers extract, and preclinical research has demonstrated immunomodulatory activity, with bioactive fractions stimulating the activity of immunocompetent blood cells in lymphocyte blast-transformation models. Diuresis and fluid balance is one of the best-attested traditional actions of Cleavers: it has been historically used for edema, dropsical swellings, and water weight, and preclinical animal studies confirm increased urinary volume with extracts. However, human clinical trials remain sparse for all of these applications, and modern research on Cleavers is still limited — particularly in clinical settings.

Red clover blossom extract — 300 mg

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a perennial legume with longstanding use in Western herbalism as a blood purifier and alterative — a class of herbs traditionally believed to support the detoxification functions of the liver and lymphatic systems. It has been recommended for swollen glands, chronic lymphatic congestion, and skin eruptions thought to arise from lymphatic stagnation. Red clover contains isoflavones — including biochanin A, formononetin, genistein, and daidzein — which modulate NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways relevant to vascular and lymphatic function. Its isoflavones also include natural coumarins, a class of benzopyrones that have been studied in the context of lymphedema. Red clover became commercially popular in the United States in the 1930s as a component of blood-purifying compounds, and it appears in multiple traditional formulas designed to promote elimination and lymphatic flow. Modern research on Red clover has focused primarily on its isoflavones for menopausal and cardiovascular benefits rather than directly on lymphatic function, so lymphatic-vessel claims remain empirical. A 2020 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs confirmed isoflavone activity for menopausal symptoms, and a separate meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in hot-flush frequency at doses of ≥80 mg/day of isoflavones, but direct clinical evidence for lymphatic function remains traditional.

Stillingia root — 300 mg

Stillingia (Stillingia sylvatica L.) is a perennial plant native to the sandy pine barrens and coastal regions of the southeastern United States. It is one of the most consistently cited traditional lymphatic herbs in North American folk and Eclectic medicine, used to stimulate lymphatic flow and address lymphatic stagnation. King's American Dispensatory (1898) described its action on the lymphatic system as unsurpassed. Eclectic physicians extensively employed Stillingia as an alterative — a class of herbs understood to support eliminative channels, particularly the lymphatic system and skin. It was used for swollen glands, scrofula (lymphatic tuberculosis), chronic skin eruptions, and conditions attributed to poor lymphatic function. The root was also traditionally used by Native Americans for constipation, as a purgative, and to treat lung and liver conditions. Stillingia's root contains tannins, resins, volatile oil, and diterpene esters of the daphnane and tigliane types. While preliminary laboratory studies have explored its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, no clinical studies exist to validate its traditional lymphatic use, and its evidence base is primarily historical and anecdotal.

Prickly ash bark — 300 mg

Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum spp.) is a genus of aromatic shrubs and trees in the Rutaceae (citrus) family. It is classified as a 'lymphatic stimulant' in multiple professional herbal materia medica sources. Naturopathic herbal texts note that due to its stimulating effect upon the lymphatic system, circulation, and mucous membranes, it may have a role in the holistic treatment of many conditions. This is a traditional herbal classification without supporting human clinical evidence. In North American herbalism, Prickly ash has deep roots in both Native American and early European settler medicine. It was traditionally used to support peripheral circulation, with historical applications for conditions associated with poor blood flow such as leg pain, Raynaud's syndrome, and chronic rheumatism. The Eclectic physicians of the 19th century adopted it as a key remedy for digestive sluggishness and pelvic congestion. Prickly ash bark contains alkaloids (including chelerythrine and berberine), alkylamides known as sanshools, coumarins, lignans, and volatile oils. Researchers have identified coumarins and various alkaloids that may help reduce platelet sticking. All evidence for circulatory and lymphatic effects remains preclinical or traditional — no randomized controlled human trials have been identified.

Lymphatic Drainage

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Lymphatic Drainage

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Traditional Formulation

How These Four Herbs Work Together

The nature's sunshine Lymphatic Drainage ingredients represent a time-tested approach to lymphatic wellness. Each herb brings a different dimension to the formula's traditional profile:

Cleavers is historically the cornerstone lymphatic tonic, traditionally used to encourage the movement of lymph fluid and promote healthy fluid balance through gentle diuretic action.
Red clover has been traditionally recommended as a blood purifier and alterative that may support the body's natural detoxification pathways, including lymphatic flow.
Stillingia root was prized by 19th-century Eclectic physicians specifically for its traditional action on lymphatic gland enlargement and eliminative function.
Prickly ash bark is traditionally classified as a lymphatic stimulant that may also support peripheral circulation and mucous membrane health.

Together, these botanicals have been historically combined to promote overall health and well-being and to aid the circulatory system. It's important to note that while each ingredient has a rich ethnobotanical history, clinical trial evidence specifically evaluating lymphatic outcomes in humans remains limited for all four herbs.

If you'd like help understanding how this formula fits into your wellness routine, our naturopath is available for a free consultation.

Who Benefits

Who May Benefit from Lymphatic Drainage Support

Nature's Sunshine Lymphatic Drainage is traditionally formulated for individuals interested in supporting their lymphatic system's natural processes. This may include people who:

Are looking for herbal support for healthy lymphatic fluid movement
Experience occasional water retention and want to promote healthy fluid balance
Are interested in traditional herbs that have been historically used to support the body's natural detoxification and elimination pathways
Want to support their circulatory system as part of an overall wellness routine

Because the lymphatic system plays a role in removing waste from cellular metabolism, supporting its function is traditionally seen as a way to promote overall health and well-being. If you're unsure whether this formula is right for your needs, our naturopath offers free consultations and can help you explore your options.

Usage Guide

How to Take Lymphatic Drainage

Take 1 ml (approximately 15–20 drops, 1/4 teaspoon) in water twice daily.

Each bottle contains 2 fl oz of liquid, making it easy to incorporate into your daily routine. The liquid format allows the herbal extracts to be absorbed quickly when mixed with water.

About the author

Written by Greg Howlett

Greg Howlett

Founder

Greg has spent over a decade helping customers choose the right natural-health products. He personally vets every formula we carry and writes these guides to cut through the marketing noise with practical, experience-based advice.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What are the ingredients in Nature's Sunshine Lymphatic Drainage?

Nature's Sunshine Lymphatic Drainage contains four herbal ingredients: Cleavers aerial parts (300 mg), Red clover blossom extract (300 mg), Stillingia root (300 mg), and Prickly ash bark (300 mg) per serving. Each of these herbs has been traditionally used in Western herbalism to support the lymphatic system.

Is there clinical research supporting these Lymphatic Drainage ingredients?

The four herbs in this formula have rich traditional histories as lymphatic tonics in Western, Native American, and Eclectic herbal medicine. Preclinical laboratory studies have identified relevant compounds such as iridoids and coumarins in Cleavers, isoflavones in Red clover, and alkaloids in Prickly ash bark that show immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity. However, human clinical trials specifically evaluating lymphatic outcomes have not been published for any of these herbs. Their inclusion in the formula is based on long-standing traditional use.

How do I take Nature's Sunshine Lymphatic Drainage?

Take 1 ml (approximately 15–20 drops, 1/4 teaspoon) in water twice daily. The product comes in a 2 fl oz liquid bottle for convenient daily use.

What does Cleavers do in this formula?

Cleavers (Galium aparine) is widely regarded as the primary lymphatic tonic in Western herbal medicine. It has been traditionally used for thousands of years to encourage lymph fluid movement, help drain congested lymph nodes, and support fluid balance. It also has a well-attested traditional reputation as a gentle diuretic. Phytochemical research has confirmed it contains coumarins, iridoids, flavonoids, and tannins, and preclinical studies have shown immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity, though human clinical trials are lacking.

Can I take this product if I'm on medication?

Some of the herbs in this formula have potential interactions. For example, Cleavers may enhance the effects of diuretic medications, Red clover may interact with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs and inhibits several cytochrome P450 enzymes, and Prickly ash is contraindicated for those on anticoagulant therapy. Stillingia also has known safety considerations. We strongly recommend consulting with a healthcare professional before taking this product if you are on any medication. Our naturopath is available for a free consultation to discuss your specific situation.

Is this product safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Several of the herbs in this formula — including Cleavers, Red clover, Stillingia, and Prickly ash — are noted as contraindicated or lacking adequate safety data for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. This product should not be used by pregnant or nursing women without the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider.

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