Toxins are all around us, and as we approach the millennium approximately one million tons of chemicals are produced every year. Foreign substances absorbed by our body are called xenobiotics. A xenobiotic is a chemical that is found in an organism but not normally produced or expected to be present in it. Many of these chemicals are toxic, weaken our immune system, adversly affect our health and harm the inviroment.
Toxins produced inside the body are identified as endotoxins, toxins produced outside the body are identified as exotoxins. Any toxin produced in excess, whether it comes from inside or outside the body can be harmful and destructive to the entire system. Some substances are only toxic in excess amounts. Others can become toxic when they combine with chemicals that can accentuate their actions, even if they are only present in small amounts. Certain chemicals can have an accumulative effect.
Current toxicology research has involved the study of the cancer-causing effect of various chemicals. Low level exposure of too many substances that occurs for too long can eventually exceed the body's threshold of tolerance and result in chronic illness.
Synthetic chemicals can affect human biology in numerous ways. They can weaken our immune system, are carcinogens, can cause birth defects and disrupt the hormonal system. Many chemicals on the market today can be found in everything from food, paints and industrial detergents to cosmetics, furniture and hair dyes.
The National Academy of Sciences puts out a report that says that the average American consumes roughly 40 milligrams of pesticides each year from food alone, and that we carry about 100 milligrams of these pesticides, at all times, in our body fat. Not only do we ingest toxins from our food, but some also accumulate over time and contaminate our water and soil. They are transported long distances on air and ocean currents and contaminate people living in remote areas as far away as the Arctic. Regulations have not kept up with the scale of chemical production. Most chemicals on the market and in everyday use have never been adequately assessed for their human and environmental safety.
Detoxification is the ongoing process of removal of toxins from the body. The process begins by identifying the particular toxin or poisonous substance, either neutralizing or transforming them in order to remove them safely from the system. Detoxification is a continuous process that happens every second of the day on a cellular level. It is an involuntary function governed by the autonomic nervous system. Even if there were no external toxins to eliminate, the body would still have to continually detoxify cellular and metabolic waste products. Every single cell has a built-in mechanism to clear waste. Detoxification starts in the cell, then the waste is moved from the blood into the lymph, gets carried to the liver, the kidneys and the colon. The most important organs involved in detoxification are the cells, the skin, the blood, lymph, the gastrointestinal system, the kidneys and the liver. How well our detoxification system works is largely dependent on our health, genetics, environmental exposure and the nutrients provided through our diet.
The food we consume provides the essential nutrients for the detoxification process which makes a healthy whole foods diet a must. Naturally we want to consume organic vegetables and free-range meats in order to ease the toxic burden already put on our bodies. Exposure to certain toxins can create free radicals in the body. Free radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons. They take the electron from existing atoms and molecules in the body creating cellular damage. Antioxidants are substances that neutralize and protect the cells against free radical damage and are essential for healthy tissue and cell function.
Antioxidants are essential to the detoxification process and are supplied through our diet or by supplementation, except certain enzymes like superoxide, dismutase, catalase, glutathione, peroxidase glutathione-s transferase which are produced in the body.
Antioxidants supplied by diet or supplementation include:
Vitamin A: through eggs, milk fat, green and yellow fruits
Beta Carotene: through dark green ,orange, yellow vegetables
All B Vitamins
Vitamin C: through Turnip greens, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, kale
Vitamin E: through leafy vegetables, whole grains, egg yolks, liver, nuts.
In order for the body to deliver the needed nutrients to the cells for detoxification and for the cells to excrete waste and carry it away, we need good circulation. Exercise promotes good circulation and supports the detoxification process. It speeds up the removal of toxins and waste materials form the cells, increases blood flow that carries nutrients to the cells, increases lymph circulation, increases good cholesterol, helps lower blood pressure, prevents heart attacks, helps maintain proper blood sugar levels, prevents the formation of gallstones, restores lung power and oxygenates the body. Not only do we derive physical benefits from exercise it also helps us with emotional detox by improving mental health, elevates mood by release of endorphins, relieves depression, improves self confidence, increases oxygen levels and mental ability, improves memory, decreases feelings of inertia, reduces mental stress and reduces tension and anger.
There are many different forms of exercise that can help with detoxification, but it is best to pick one that supports the capabilities of our body and are easy to incorporate in our schedule. If we like to be very active, we can run, bike or cycle. Some people are more comfortable with walking, yoga or tai chi. Whatever we choose to do, any form of daily exercise will greatly benefit our body and support detoxification on an ongoing basis.
We also need to get adequate rest and sleep in order to detoxify properly. A high stress lifestyle contributes to free radical formation and high oxidative stress, which can cause damage to the cells and lead to disease. Many rejuvenating processes in the body are accelerated during sleep and rest periods and can not function properly if we don’t take the time out our body deserves and needs.
One of the major organs of detoxification is the liver. It takes care of breaking down chemicals via certain enzymes known as cytochromes P-450. These enzymes are designed to neutralize certain chemicals and to break them down into two or more harmless components that can be circulated in the blood and then eliminated through feces or urine. Another method is to transform the molecules into another form so that different enzymes can continue to work on them. These methods are known as phase one detoxification.
Some chemicals need further processing. This step is known as phase two detoxification. Phase two detoxification works by adding other molecules to the substance in order for it to be either rendered harmless or to be safely and effectively eliminated out of the system. Heavy metals are detoxified this way.
One of the major nutrients that support liver function is glutathione. It is an excellent free radical fighter and one of the most important nutrients to fight cancer and aging. Health problems reduce and deplete glutathione levels. Even though glutathione is readily absorbed from foods like fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and meat, in supplement form the body does not seem able to absorb it. So, taking Vitamin C, Alpha lipoic acid, glutamine, methionine, whey protein also helps raise glutathione levels. There are also many herbs and formulas that support detoxification and protect the liver; milk thistle, dandelion, beet, burdock root, yellow dock.
One of the most important things we need to do for our body to adequately detoxify any substance is consume at least 8 glasses of purified water a day. In order for the kidneys to properly eliminate toxins in the urine we need to be adequately hydrated, all detoxification pathways require fluid; the cell can not excrete waste without proper hydration. The digestive system is a big part of detoxification. The liver via bile excretes toxins through the feces and if we get chronicle constipate
Obviously, the more substances that present to the body, the more work it has to do. The substances could be food, because the food triggers the gastrointestinal tract, our immune system, the liver, the gall bladder, the colon and the kidneys, to do their work. It is good work, because it's the only way that they receive the nourishment they need in order to live. Without these organs working, they can't thrive and they can not access the nutrients that they depend on. Certainly, by reducing the pollutants that present to the body, we can greatly reduce the stress to the detoxification system.
It is impossible to completely avoid pollutants entirely because we live in a polluted world. There are over seventy-two thousand known manmade chemicals in circulation. We do have a choice. We can lower our total toxic load by eating organic foods and by purchasing cleaning products that are less harmful to the environment and our bodies, that have less harsh chemicals in them. These are the two things that we primarily do have control over. What we purchase, what we put in, on or around our bodies makes a significant difference.
We can not totally control the air we breathe or the water we drink, but we can make sure that we are not part of the continuing problem by not unnecessarily contributing to the burden of the air and the water, by not dumping chemicals into it. We can use air filters and water filters in our home and at work when possible. We really need to be proactive in any way that we can to reduce our total toxic load.
Some of the mechanisms that we can use are simplified eating, eating a catabolic or cleansing diet. Exercise facilitates the flushing of toxins out of our cells and gets them in circulation so that we can clear it. We can do liver and gall bladder flushes, gentle fasting, sweat therapy and hydrotherapy. We can take certain supplements that support detoxification systems and a variety of herbs.
