, and how many toxins can create major health problems. But do the multiple touted detox diets work? Are they just hype or do they make a difference?
EFFECTS OF TOXINS ON THE BODY
Most of us equate detox with deprivation. Detoxing has also become the umbrella term for a lot of different diets. Sometimes the word may be used positively, as in feeding your body a healthy diet of natural, whole foods, and other times the word typically means drinking nothing but a fluid concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper or some such for days, which is supposed to flush poisons from the body.
The fact is we have a natural detox system in our body that works very well when treated well. The liver does a great job of flushing out waste every day, our lungs breathe out pollutants, our kidneys filter out toxins, and our digestive system lets things pass through that we don’t need.
But some of us have genetics that reduce our ability to remove toxins from our bodies, including the MTHFR mutation (see previous blogs). Others have diseases which reduce their ability to detoxify. And others have been overwhelmed with toxins and the body doesn't have the capacity to remove them all. With the amount of toxicity currently in our environment, this is more common that we would like to admit.
In our office at Diamond Springs Wellness Center, we encourage all of our patients to get at least a test for heavy metals, either for prevention or as part of their treatment for a chronic illness. We have found through previous testing that those dealing with increased levels of heavy metals also have increased levels of chemical toxins. All of these can damage your health. Sometimes one toxin will show up extremely high, such as arsenic or mercury, but most often there are mild elevations of multiple toxins, which is just as bad when looking at the toxic load on the body.
Steps to detoxification:
1. Remove toxins as much as possible from your body and your environment. Remove heavy metal fillings from your teeth by a qualified dentist; use organic foods as much as possible with a healthy diet; use natural skin and hair care products; reduce use of plastic for food and water, etc. Sweating through exercise and sauna helps.
2. Support your filters: your kidneys, liver and GI tract. I usually recommend supplements such as Dr. Christopher's Kidney-Bladder Formula, Liver-Gallbladder formula, and Colon Cleanse, but there are many out there that are effective.
3. Use GI binders that bind toxins in the intestinal tract such as charcoal (binds mold toxins), clay (binds aflatoxins), chlorella (binds heavy metals), zeolite (binds radiation, heavy metals and some chemicals) and modified citrus pectin (binds heavy metals and many other toxins).
4. Address detoxification biochemistry: N-acetyl cysteine increases glutathione, alpha lipoic acid, glycine, etc. There are many products that assist with this.
SpringTree has developed a product called Detox & Chelate, which uses both GI binders and addresses detoxification biochemistry (www.springtreehealth.com). It also contains moderate amounts of EDTA to reduce biofilm in which heavy metals accumulate.
5. Balance necessary minerals: High copper and low zinc increases synergistic toxicity with heavy metals in the system. High calcium and low magnesium stops detoxification by restricting magnesium dependent transporters and increasing inflammation. You must also have adequate molybdenum, selenium and lithium to detoxify. SpringTree SuperMulti Plus carries good amounts of all of these in balanced levels except lithium. We usually recommend Lithium Orotate, 5-15 mg/day.
4. Use chelating agents such as EDTA, DMPS and DMSA. If your toxic load is high, IV chelation by a qualified practitioner may be necessary.
5. Other types of detox processes may include frequency generators or pulsed-electromagnetic frequency (PEMF), homeopathics, foot baths, etc. These are not yet scientifically proven, but many feel they have worked for them.
Remember that detoxification takes time. A one time detox juicing or treatment will not remove all of the toxins. It often takes consistent work for a year or more. Start slow and work up if detoxing causes negative symptoms. Some people do better by taking breaks from their detox process every month or so. Preferably work with a qualified health care practitioner familiar with the detoxification pathways of the body and how the various treatments work.
I do believe that in today's environment periodic detoxification is necessary. But most important is removing as many toxins from our own personal environment as possible.
Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi
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