Detox

Detoxification

The world that we live in and the food that we eat has changed unrecognisably in the last fifty years, and it cannot be known the impact that this will have on human health. Ensuring that your body can detoxify effectively will help in your defence against this onslaught of toxins.

For its own benefit and survival, the body is equipped with many biological processes that enable it to break down and excrete toxins. The systems of the body can be overburdened by stress, pollution, poor diet, fatigue, and toxin overload which can have a direct impact on its ability to detoxify.

Toxins are gained from the outside world (exogenous) such as:
Drinking water - chlorine
Food - pesticides, hormones, bacteria
Air - pollution
Drugs - prescription, recreation, alcohol, tobacco

Toxins are also created internally (endogenous) such as:
Digestion - waste products from the metabolism of food
Bacteria - 'Unfriendly' gut bacteria create toxins
Elimination - constipation allows toxins that were due to be eliminated to be reabsorbed through the blood stream. Commonly known as auto intoxication.

The major organ of detoxification is the liver. The liver prepares toxins for excretion by the associated organs of elimination; the bowel, the kidneys, the lungs, and the skin.

The skin:
The skin is the largest eliminatory organ, when other organs become congested, the body tries to push as many toxins out through the skin as possible, the symptoms you might notice include, spots, dark circles around the eyes, pasty or pale skin, chronic skin itching, and psoriasis. It is important to keep this organ in good condition, many 'skincare' products, especially the petroleum based ones, clog skin pores and reduce the amount of waste matter that can leave. To keep the skin functioning as an exit for toxins effectively you can try dry skin brushing before your morning shower, Epsom salt baths, or saunas.

The lungs:
The body requires a constant supply of good quality oxygen in order to carry out many of its processes. Breathing also releases carbon dioxide from the body, which is a waste product of the metabolic process of breaking down macronutrients. Many people do not breathe fully, and only replace the air in the top section of their lungs. Strengthening your lungs will increase your bodys ability to release toxins. One way of doing this is with the breathing taught with yoga.

The kidneys:
Water, water and water. The kidneys need a supply of around 2 litres of clean water each day, part of this will come from food, provided we are eating a good supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. When the body is dehydrated the blood is thicker and therefore the level of toxins is more concentrated, this means that the kidneys need to work harder to clean the blood.

The bowel:
Bowel function is also essential for removal of toxins from the body, and again water intake is a large supporting factor of this. Dehydration leads to constipation, as faeces should consist of 60-70% water, this along with an adequate fibre intake ensures smooth progression through the colon and a more complete evacuation. Constipation can allow the reabsorption of toxins into the bloodstream. A change in diet may not be enough to effectively cleanse the bowel of someone who has suffered with constipation long term, in this case colon hydrotherapy may be useful to help clear out old compacted faecal matter.

The liver:
Once the organs discussed above are doing their job effectively then the liver will be able to do the same. When the body is unable to expel toxins they will backup and ultimately affect the livers ability to be able to detoxify at all. In this situation you might notice symptoms such as, dark circles around the eyes, chemical sensitivities, persistant fatigue, foul smelling breath and/or stools, and poor tolerance of alcohol!
Not that drinking is to be encouraged but one cause of hangovers is the livers inability to detoxify the ethanol as fast as is required, if you find that even a glass or two of wine will leave you feeling dreadful the next day then a struggling liver may well be the issue.
There are several herbs that have been found to be useful to support the liver, the best known of these is milk thistle.

The detoxification process:
Biotransformation, the process of recycling toxic chemicals into harmless ones, takes place in a two stage process.
Phase 1 is carried out by enzymes called P-450 enzymes. These enzymes are dependent on a constant and sufficient supply of nutrients, especially the B vitamins, several amino acids, glutathione, flavonoids and antioxidant nutrients, such as A, C & E.
P-450 enzymes are able to neutralise some toxins without the need for stage 2, such as caffeine; other toxins are altered into 'intermediate chemicals' to prepare them for phase 2.
In phase 2 the altered toxins go through a process called conjugation, where another substance is attached to them in order to make them harmless and transport them from the body. In some cases this substance will be glutathione. It is essential to the whole detoxification process to have an adequate supply of glutathione, this can be achieved by a good supply of cruciferous vegetables i.e. broccoli, cauliflower and kale. Certain herbs can also increase the synthesis of glutathione in the body, such as oregano, fennel and rosemary.
When the elimination pathways are not working correctly toxic waste can accumulate in the liver, this affects the function of the enzymes and makes them less able to carry out their job effectively.

Conclusion
In order to maintain good health it is essential to provide your body with all that it needs to removal harmful substances from the body, this includes staying hydrated, a good diet, healthy lifestyle, exercise and regular detoxification techniques. In some cases additional supplementation may be necessary to help this process along.