Detoxification: Misguided wisdom and signs of toxicity
The conventional wisdom surrounding toxins (and the need to detox)
has been misguided for decades. Instead of focusing on long-term
effects, only short-term symptoms have been considered damaging. For
example: with amalgam dental fillings, mercury was used for decades.
Because most people didn’t roll over an die when the amalgams were
implanted, most assumed mercury to be harmless. Now, we know that
mercury is a known neruo-toxin, and can directly harm the nervous
system. One recent study showed that those with over 8 amalgam
fillings had blood mercury levels over double than those without
fillings. According to the World Health Organization,
“Exposure to mercury even small amounts may cause serious health
problems” and “ Mercury may have toxic effects on the nervous,
digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.”
A new theory about toxins has emerged, one about total body burden.
Think of your body as a cup. Everyone has a different sized cup and
the things you do everyday either add to that cup or drain it. If
someone is constantly exposed to toxins, their cup will fill very
quickly and eventually ‘spill over’. When the body is overloaded
with toxins, many symptoms can arise, such as fatigue, brain fog,
anxiety, depression, weight loss or gain, GI symptoms like
constipation or diarrhea, thyroid problems, reproductive issues,
memory loss, and many more. When the body is overloaded, it is
called “Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance” or (TILT). In order to
prevent the body from being overburdened with toxins, it is
important to consistently detoxify while decreasing exposure to
toxins. Let’s talk more about this.
Chelation And Heavy Metal Detoxification
Our toxic world
Since World War 2, over 100,000 chemicals have been introduced into
our environment. These chemicals are found in our water, food, air,
soil, and most products. It is the EPA’s job to determine if these
chemicals are harmful or acceptable, even though they have only
banned or limited 5 chemicals thus far. Yes, 5. This is a ridiculous
notion that all chemicals are safe…until they’re not. Although some
of the chemicals released have been tested, none have been tested in
conjunction with other chemicals to see how they affect human
physiology. Better yet, no long-term studies have been conducted
showing the safety of all of these chemicals on our reproductive
health, immune function, brain, and gut.
Toxic from birth?
In a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, 287
chemicals were found in the umbilical cord of newborns. Of those 287
chemicals, 180 have been known to cause cancer!
This goes to show that humans today are toxic even before they are
born! If we don’t excrete or get rid of toxins, they can build up in
our bodies and keep accumulating. This illustrates just how
important it is to actively detoxify in our lives.
How we detoxify
Our bodies eliminate toxins in a variety of ways:
-through our lungs (breath)
-through our sweat (skin)
-through our urine (kidneys and liver)
-through our stool (gut and liver)
The Liver: Your main organ for the detoxification process
Your liver has hundreds of jobs in the body and is one of, if not
the busiest, organ in the body. The liver’s main job is to break
down toxic products into forms that can be eliminated from the body.
In the liver, there are 2 main phases of detoxification: phase1 and
phase 2. There are different nutrients needed for the different
stages, and many people don’t get enough to efficiently run the
detoxification process, leading to buildup of toxins. Below is the
body’s natural detoxification process.
Phase 1- Break down toxin into intermediary (make them less toxic).
This is done by the Cytochrome P450 enzymes. Nutrients needed to
complete this phase include B Vitamins, Vitamin C, and Glutathione.
Phase 2-Breaks down water soluble substance again so it can be
excreted through the bile or urine. Some people can run phase 1
detoxification well, but cannot perform stage 2. This is like
washing your clothes in the washing machine, but never transferring
them into the dryer. The clothes would sit and start to smell. The
same happens in the body, if phase 2 cannot be performed correctly,
toxins can re-absorb into the body. Phase 2 is dependent on
mitochondria and nutrients such as sulfer-based amino acids, like
taurine, glycine, glutamine and cysteine.
Gut: The first line of defense
Your gut is your first line of defense for everything that enters
your body through your mouth. The majority (up to 80%) of your
immune system is in your gut to protect from invaders. While the
first line is the gut, the liver helps to clean up whatever the gut
could not. The gut bacteria have a large role to play in how well
the body detoxifies. The gut has about 100 trillion bacteria in it,
and a good balance is essential for health. Good bacteria helps
break down food and make vitamins, all while destroying toxins. On
the other hand, when there is an imbalance of gut bacteria due to
antibiotics, NSAIDs, infections like H. pylori, parasites, or
candida, bad bacteria can proliferate. Bad bacteria destroy vitamins
and make toxins; leading to toxic overload in the body. Cleaning up
the gut is paramount in correcting detoxification issues.
If one eats an inflammatory diet, takes multiple medications, and is
stressed- the gut cannot effectively make the first pass at toxins-
leaving the liver to do most of the work. The liver already does
hundreds of jobs in the body, so when the overworked organ has to
pick up the slack from the gut, someone’s toxic cup can overflow.
Sources of toxins:
Food- Toxins in food can include pesticides and herbicides from
conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. In fact, the average
American consumes over a gallon of pesticides and herbicides every
year from eating conventionally grow fruits and vegetables. Also,
food colorings and dyes, aspartame, and artificial sweeteners in
food can stress the body’s detoxification processes.
Household products
The average American uses over 10 personal care products every
single day. This can include shampoo, deodorant, perfume, shaving
cream, lotions, toothpaste, and many more. Toxins like phthalates,
triclosan, fragrance, Bisphenol A (BPA), lead, and fluoride are
pervasive in household products today. This can possibly lead to
neurologic complications, reproductive and endocrine disorders,
detoxification problems, and immune imbalances just to name a few.
The average household has over 10 gallons of synthetic chemical
products. You can reduce these by avoiding toxic products.
The WHO states that over 3 million people died in 2012 from ambient
outdoor air pollution. Outdoor pollutants like particulate matter
and nitric dioxide can lead to cardiovascular and pulmonary disease,
as well as cancers. According to the EPA, indoor air is up to 5
times more toxic than outdoor air. This is due to gases like radon
and carbon monoxide, mold and pollen,
building and furniture materials( like formaldehyde, lead, and
asbestos), and household chemicals and products. In order to combat
indoor air toxins- I would recommend a good quality HEPA air filter
for your home or workplace. Also make sure to open windows whenever
possible.
Water
The Environmental Working Group collected data from agencies and the
EPA about drinking water in all 50 states. Out of 500 contaminants
tested, 267 were found. In fact, some alarming results came about
from the study: 93 contaminants showed an increased risk for cancer,
78 were associated with brain damage, and 63 were considered
detrimental to children or fetuses. Some of those include: fluoride,
a known neuro-toxin, chlorine-which can drastically alter the gut
flora and lead to neurologic problems, lead-which is extremely toxic
and is classic for cardiovascular problems, and even medications
like Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, antidepressants, birth control pills,
and statin drugs.
Foods for Natural Heavy Metal Chelation
All of the data also showed increased level of lead in 19,000 public
water systems in America. Tap water is inundated today with toxic
chemicals that can have long-lasting effects on health.
What are the symptoms of a toxic body?
Most people think that if they are still breathing, then toxins
aren’t harming them. That could not be further from the truth. In
fact, the cumulative effect of toxins on the human body is
far-reaching and can have an impact on every system and cell in the
body.
Weight gain- When the body accumulates toxins, they store them in
fat. The more toxins accumulated, the more fat needed to store
toxins. This can be a direct correlation to weight gain, and many
have shed pounds when they are able to detoxify properly. 70% of
Americans are overweight. How many have a detoxification problem?
Headaches- Different substances are toxic to brain cells and can
even destroy post-synaptic neurons. Toxins can also impede and back
up liver detoxification pathways. Both of these can be expressed as
headaches.
Brain fog – Have you ever felt like you live in a fog? Like you
can’t form the sentences you wanted, or remember what you walked
into a room for? Brain fog is something very real and something that
can be driven by toxic overload. The brain is one the most fragile
organs and affected significantly when toxins are present.
Depression- When toxins are present in the brain, the reuptake ports
on the neurons can shut down; ultimately leading to degradation of
serotonin and dopamine your feel-good brain neurotransmitters.
Other common symptoms include insomnia, fatigue, constipation,
diarrhea, and bloating.
What to do
The foods we eat either build us up or break us down. The foods we
eat literally make our entire body: from our blood vessels, to our
brains, to our muscles. Food is not just calories for our body: it
is information for our genes. Eating the correct foods can help the
body detoxify. Incorporating many vegetables into your diet gives
the liver the antioxidants needed to run detoxification. Top notch
detox vegetables include the cruciferous family: broccoli,
cauliflower, garlic, onions, and brussels sprouts. Herbs and spices
can pack a punch also: add rosemary, ginger, turmeric, cayenne for
amazing detoxification. Be sure to get enough quality protein, as
protein is broken down into amino acids; which are used up by the
liver in detoxification. Organic or grass-fed meats are the best
when looking for quality and safety.
Clean up your house- No I don’t mean vacuum and mop
Instead, be on the lookout for any potential harmful products in
your home. If you are not sure of what to look for, be sure to visit
EWG.org. Some easy switches are: deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo and
body wash, shower filters, eliminating toxic candles or air
fresheners, and swapping toxic cleaners for natural ones.
The solution to pollution is dilution
Perhaps the simplest but most impactful way to help your body
detoxify is to ensure you are consistently hydrated. Think of it
like this: what happens to water in a pond when it is stagnant? You
can see growth of bad bacteria and it can look nasty, right? What
about a fast-flowing river? Much cleaner. The same concept is what
happens in your body when not properly hydrated; there is not enough
water to flush out toxins. A good rule of thumb is to shoot for over
½ ounce per pound of body weight (A 200 lb person needs well over
100 ounces of water/day in most instances).In order to combat
contaminants from tap water, be sure to filter your water. Reverse
Osmosis is a great choice which filters out almost all contaminants.
Removing Heavy Metals
Binders
Binders like activated charcoal and diatomaceous earth help detoxify
through adsorption: the toxins stick to the them and are escorted
out of the body. These can be likened to a sponge, and activated
charcoal has also been used in ERs for drug overdoses. Activated
charcoal and DE can be used to help eliminate almost any toxin in
the body.
Probiotics
The good or bad bacteria in our gut dictate sickness or disease.
Adding in probiotics can help trap and break down xenobiotics and
heavy metals, helping to eliminate them from the body.
Cilantro and chlorella
These can help purify the body by helping to bind to toxins.
NAC- N Acetyl Cysteine
NAC- N Acetyl Cysteine is a precursor to glutathione (the master
antioxidant of the body). NAC can boost glutathione in the brain,
liver, and other organs while squashing free radical damage.
Vit C
Vitamin C not only helps detoxify, but it boosts your White Blood
Cell’s ability to fight off invaders, stimulates bowel movements,
aids the liver and adrenal glands.
Incorporate fiber
Incorporate fiber into your diet daily. Foods like chia, hemp, flax,
and berries are full of fiber, and can help stimulate gut motility—
aiding in bowel elimination of toxins.
Epsom salt baths as detox bath
Epsom salts have been used for centuries, and for good reason. Epsom
salt baths help reduce inflammation, promote gut motility, help
flush out toxins, and can even be a great de-stressor. Add lavender
or your favorite essential oil for even greater benefits.
Infrared saunas
IR saunas use infrared light to stimulate healing of the body. IR
saunas are different in that the light penetrates the skin without
heating the air around you. The light can also penetrate much
deeper, mobilizing toxins more efficiently. Also, sweating is one of
the methods that the body detoxifies. IR saunas can also increase
heart rate and metabolism.
Functional Medicine Testing
Certain tests can be performed to show amounts of heavy metals
stored in the body, but a more functional test would be the Organic
Acid test. The OAT is a valuable, non-invasive test to show how
different body systems are working. For example, the OAT shows how
well the body’s methylation and detoxification pathways are running;
which are extremely important for health and can be altered if
found. The OAT can also show neurotransmitter production and
breakdown (serotonin, dopamine, etc), gut bacteria, nutrient
markers, and can warn of potential problems in the body due to
nutrient deficiencies.
Your body is always attempting to detoxify. Instead of adding to
your cup, be sure to actively do things that empty your cup on a
daily basis. Implement the tips included in this article. I know the
holidays can be a busy time of year, but rather than waiting until
the new year, consider at least looking into what you need to be
doing now.
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