Detoxing In Toxic Times

Lemon and rosemary water in a glass jug

Why Does Detoxing Matter?

We are surrounded by toxins that accumulate in our body over our lifetime. Some of us are more effective at removing toxins that we are exposed to. But some of us are not and if we can not clear toxins over time they may start to effect our health. Think about a cup collecting water drip by drip and one day it over spills as it can not handle another drop! Introducing a carefully planned detoxification program can be a very effective way to bring the body back to a healthy balanced state. For some people this is all they need but for some that have more chronic health conditions a more comprehensive approach is necessary.

Where Does Detoxification Happen?

When we talk about detoxification the first organ that comes to mind is the liver. this process happens in 2 phases. The liver is responsible for making toxins water soluble via its phase 2 detoxification pathway to aid their excretion from the body. It does this by by various conjugation pathways. These require certain nutrients to work optimally. The excretions is in urine by the kidneys and in stool via bowel movements, this is where optimal bile flow is important. Toxins are also removed by the skin by sweat and the lungs.

Before the liver can eliminate toxins via the phase 2 pathway it first must go through the phase 1 pathway. This is where the toxin is fat soluble and it is modified to get it ready for phase 2. This substrate quite invariably ends up more toxic than the original toxin! If there is an imbalance between both phases and the liver is not able to clear the toxins via phase 2 fast enough the detoxification pathway may end up blocked. This is also referred to as "pathologic detoxifiers" where phase 1 is very efficient but phase 2 is slow. If you are a pathologic detoxifier you need to take action to support your detoxification pathways and your antioxidant state. Read below for nutritional recommendations.

Where Do Toxins Come From?

We are bombarded with toxins on a daily basis all the need for optimal liver and effective elimination channels in the body. To simplify there are 2 sources for toxins that enter the body:

Endotoxins; are toxins that come from the body these are end products of metabolism, hormones and bacterial endotoxins such as LPS.

Exotoxins are toxins that come from the environment or also referred to as environmental toxins. Food intolerances, food additives, microbes and their toxins, drugs, chemicals, agricultural, household, self care products.

Most toxins are fat soluble and need to go through the 2 phases of the liver detoxification pathways to be excreted either in urine or by bowel movements.

Where Are Toxins Stored In The Body?

Adipose tissue, bones, the liver and kidneys are main areas where toxins are stored in the body.

Fat soluble toxins can easily be stored in adipose tissue that is a metabolically active fat surrounding your vital organs. People that lose weight very fast may also release toxins back into circulation. This why it is important to have a functional detoxification system that can bind to the released toxins in circulation and assist their removal from the body.

Toxins that can replace calcium can be stored in bones. Lead, strontium and floride are some elements that can be stored in the bones. This can be a concern if the person gets osteoporosis as the toxins will be released from the bones into circulation in larger than normal amounts.

The liver and kidneys are other sites of toxin storage as they have a large blood circulation that carry toxins to and through them. Therefore it is paramount that these organs are working optimally so they clear out the toxins from the body.

Colourful fruit and vegetables with salmon and bowl of chia seeds

Nutritional Support For Toxin Elimination

One thing that is very important for detoxification is to establish good bile flow. It is the bile that cleanses the liver and carries the toxins down to the bowels for elimination in the stool. Eating bitter foods and drinks such as artichoke, dandelion, cruciferous vegetables, rocket, kale, broccoli can be very helpful. Lemon juice can helps stimulate the liver for bile flow. We also need adequate good fats in the diet to encourage bile flow. Avocado, extra virgin olive oil, raw nuts and seeds are good for this. It is important to drink adequate amounts of filtered water also to keep the bile fluid so it does not become stagnant leading to bile sludge. This also is protective of gallbladder stones by keeping the bile moving so gallbladder stones do not form.

Incorporating colourful fruits and vegetables into your daily diet can help protect the liver from intermediate reactive substrates that can potentially damage the liver. Think berries, purple cabbage, purple grapes, strawberries, blackberries, melons, peppers and dark green leafy vegetables.

Keep the bowel moving by ensuring your diet is rich in fibre. The government recommendation for adults is 30gr fibre per day is a good level to aim for everyday.

Eat foods that incorporate different types of fibre. Soluble fibre and insoluble fibre.

Think beans, chia seeds, flax seeds, oats, apples, sweet potatoes, avocados, beetroot, pears. The apples also contain pectin that bind to toxins and remove them from the body. Soluble fibre also binds to toxins.

Ensure adequate protein in the diet. This is quite often overlooked. Especially social media influencers the emphasis is usually on juices but no mention of protein. Good sources of protein are chicken, turkey fish, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.

Looking after your gut microbiome by eating a diverse and fibre and polyphenol rich diet also helps with clearing of toxins from the body. The gut microbiome has a role to play in metabolising toxins and eliminating them from the body. Eating fermented foods and drinks such as kimchi sauerkraut, kefir, beetroot kvass and şalgam suyu, consuming different food groups and fibre is just a simple way to keep your microbiome healthy and in top tip condition.

Key Nutrients For Liver Detoxification Support

• Selenium

• Glutathione

• Zinc

• Copper

• B vitamins

• Amino acids

• Vitamin C

• NAC

• Alpha lipoic acid

Lifestyle Considerations For Detoxification Support

• Eat organic food and drinks where possible

• Keep active to help with optimal functioning of the digestive system that includes the gut and liver.

• Do not drink alcohol to excess

• Use a water filter

• Reduce your use of plastic bottle and containers use stainless steel and glass instead

• Have regular traditional sauna, FIR sauna or use red light therapy

• Do skin brushing to support healthy lymph flow

• Sleep 7-9 hours a night

• Avoid from blue light screens before bed

• Deal with stored trauma and emotional blockages