Manufacturers make these supplements from animal lymphatic tissue, usually from cows or sheep. They sell them on the traditional organotherapy belief that eating an animal tissue can support the matching human tissue.
Some people claim the supplements help immune function by supplying components they think interact with the human lymphatic system. You can buy them as raw lymph concentrates or freeze-dried tissue powders.
No established scientific evidence backs these uses. People typically take small amounts under the tongue or mixed with water. Because the lymphatic system carries immune cells, sellers sometimes promote the product alongside other immune supplements.
Animal-derived supplements carry risks, including contamination with pathogens or prions, which are infectious proteins. Improperly sourced bovine tissues pose a theoretical risk for prion diseases like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Avoid these products if you have an immune disorder, are pregnant or nursing, or have an allergy to animal proteins.