Detoxification:
Many cultures around the world have long believed that toxins are accumulated in the body and can be an underlying cause of a variety of health problems. For centuries, different treatments have been used to "cleanse" or detoxify, from simple water fasts to elaborate regimes of bowel cleansing, steams, and saunas. Western medicine has tended to ignore or criticize these ancient techniques for years, but has finally started to recognize detoxification as a vital body process. Research has substantiated that an individual's ability to detoxify substances to which they are exposed varies tremendously (see Genetic Testing: Detoxification), and the body's capacity to detoxify these substances is of critical importance to overall health.
Consider this for a moment:
- According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 4 billion pounds of chemicals were released into the ground in 2000, threatening our natural ground water sources.
- Over 260 million ponds of chemicals were discharged into surface waters (i.e., lakes, rivers, and oceans).
- Nearly 2 billion pounds of air emissions were pumped into the atmosphere.
- Several thousand food additives are intentionally added to our food supply, and thousands more slip into our food supply unintentionally during harvesting, processing, or packaging. In fact, the average American consumes about 124 pounds of food additives a year!
- Over 400 pesticides and herbicides are currently licensed for use on food crops, and every year over 2.5 billion pounds are dumped on crop lands, forest, lawns, and fields.
- Dioxins, one of the most potent causes of cancer known is found in bleached paper products, milk cartons, herbicides in food, and auto & industrial pollution.
- Last year, 74% of the soybeans, 71% of the cotton, and 32% of the corn planted in the United States were GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) varieties. Thousands of products on the shelves of your local supermarket contain GE ingredients or foods from crops that have not evolved in any natural environment.
- Plastic has seeped into nearly every aspect of modern life. It's molded into our computers, phones, wires, pens, carpets, flooring, window blinds, water pipes, shower curtains, kitchen gadgets, credit cards, cars, planes and even our clothes. The inventory seems endless. In addition to creating safety problems during production, many chemical additives that give plastic products desirable performance properties also have negative environmental and human health effects. These effects include:
- Direct toxicity, as in the cases of lead, cadmium, and mercury.
- Carcinogens, as in the case of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP).
- Endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancers, birth defects, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children.
Some Common Ways Your Exposure to Toxins is Increased:
- Eating a diet high in processed foods and fat
- Drinking tap water
- Excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Tobacco use
- Recreational drug use
- Chronic use of medication(s)
- Lack of strenuous exercise
- Liver dysfunction
- Kidney Problems
- Intestinal dysfunction
- Occupational exposure
- Using pesticides, herbicides, paint, and other toxic substances without proper protective gear
- Living or working near areas of high vehicle traffic or industrial plants
We hope this has given you a sense of just how much your body is dealing with every day in terms of environmental toxins.
Extensive research shows that it is not a question of if we are carrying a burden of these toxins; but unfortunately, how much and to what extent they affect our health. Look at the following list of symptoms; how many of these do you have?
- Fatigue, weakness
- Hyperactivity
- Muscle/joint pain
- Sinus problems
- Digestive problems
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sore/horse throat
- Canker sores
- Asthma
- Food Cravings
- Water retention
- Mood swings
- Anxiety, depression
- Itchy/swollen eyes
- Poor concentration
- Headaches
- Itchy ears
- Dizziness
- Skin problems
If you are like most people living in the western world, you probably suffer from several of these symptoms much of the time. Such symptoms in themselves can make life miserable, or at the very least make it less than it can and ought to be. In addition, they are warning signs from the body to clean out before worse disease sets in.
Possible Long-Term Health Risks and Symptoms of Chronic Toxicity:
- Headaches
- Mineral Imbalances
- Kidney Dysfunction
- Fertility problems
- Abnormal pregnancy outcomes
- Chronic immune system depression
- Multiple chemical sensitivities
- Fibromyalgia
- Recurrent yeast infections
- Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
- Contact dermatitis
- Learning disorders
- Panic attacks
- Memory loss
- Mood swings
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Adverse reactions to medication
- Extreme sensitivity to odors, fumes, medications, foods
- Inflammatory arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Alzheimer's disease
- Parkinson's disease
- Certain cancers
- Hormonal disorders (affecting menstruation, libido, metabolic rate, stress tolerance, glucose regulation, etc.)
- Thyroid disorders
The body must rid itself of these all of the toxins we have mentioned by transforming and then excreting them through the lungs, skin, kidneys, and bowels. Unfortunately, not all of them get excreted efficiently---some are circulated back into the bloodstream and others are stored in various body tissues such as fat tissue. This is in part due to the increasing levels of toxins we are exposed to, and may be exacerbated by a lack of nutrients needed to fuel the detoxification process. Over the years toxins can build up in fat, joints, the brain, and various other tissues, potentially leading to a variety of health problems.
The Detoxification Process: How Your Body gets Rid of Toxins:
Detoxification is a process by which your body transforms toxins into harmless molecules that can be eliminated. This process takes place primarily in the liver and to a lesser degree in other tissues.
Detoxification is largely accomplished in two phases.
Phase I:
Certain enzymes change toxins into intermediate compounds.
Phase II:
Other enzymes convert intermediate compounds into harmless molecules that are eliminated by the body.
| Phase I enzyme | | Phase II enzyme |
| TOXIN | ==> | Intermediate Compound | ==> | Harmless molecule is excreted via urineor bile/feces |
WE CAN HELP
Modern science has taught us that the detoxification process is heavily nutrient-dependant. Phase I and Phase II enzymes are the engines that drive the detoxification process and they are fueled by vitamins, minerals, and other key food components. Therefore adequate nutrition is essential for effective detoxification.
Here at Nutrikon we can provide you with an advanced detoxification program to help your body rid itself of dangerous toxins. Our program provides simple, yet effective, dietary guidelines in combination with Body Klar (our nutritionally balanced shake) which contains a blend of the essential food components and nutrients that support balanced Phase I and Phase II activities, along with the appropriate supplements for your particular needs.
(See Chelation for heavy metal removal)
