Supporting Your Body’s Detox Capabilities
When we come into contact with toxins or compounds that pose a threat to our health, we need to remove them or render them ineffective in order to maintain a state of homeostasis. Needless to say, our bodies come equipped with their own detoxification capabilities—no magic cleanse required. We use the liver, kidneys, and various antioxidants to nullify harmful substances that we may encounter, and we can improve their functioning by actively supporting them in a variety of ways.
Heat Therapy
Exposure to extreme heat increases heat shock proteins (HSPs), which have various beneficial effects on our ability to detoxify. They activate antioxidant defenses in healthy individuals and increase regeneration of the body’s main detoxifying organ, the liver, after it’s been damaged. In addition, sweat has been shown to contain bioaccumulated toxins. For instance, BPA shows up in sweat even when it doesn’t show up in the blood or urine. Sweat has also been shown to contain certain phthalate compounds and their metabolites. Sweat contained arsenic and lead in people exposed to high levels of the metals. Sweating may also improve the function of the kidneys, another important detoxification organ, by restoring nitrogen excretion in people with kidney disease. Police officers with chronic illnesses caused by exposure to high levels of meth lab chemicals experienced significant improvements following sauna therapy.
Drink Coffee
Coffee is repeatedly linked to decreased rates of type 2 diabetes, which has been suggested to begin with damage to the liver. A damaged liver can’t effectively and efficiently process, metabolize, and render toxins harmless. Coffee was also shown to undo alcohol-related liver damage. High coffee consumption seems to protect against liver cancer by reducing liver damage. Moderate coffee consumption also increases serum levels of glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant.
Eat Cruciferous Vegetables
Crucifers like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are good sources of sulforaphane, an activator of an essential antioxidant, quinone reductase. Quinone reductase protects cells from carcinogens and toxins, and it also helps manage the activity of glutathione. A daily broccoli sprout drink was shown to quickly and sustainably nullify airborne pollutant-derived oxidative stress in a group of Chinese adults.
Support Glutathione Production
Glutathione, as previously mentioned, is the body’s master antioxidant. It regulates detoxification of most every toxin that enters your body, from alcohol to BPA to airborne pollutants. There are many ways to boost glutathione production:
Eat polyphenols.
Take N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). NAC is the stable, supplement form of the amino acid cysteine. NAC provides the raw material for glutathione production.
Take glycine or collagen. Glycine is the primary amino acid in collagen and is essential for detoxifying methionine, an amino acid found primarily in muscle meat and eggs.
Drink raw milk or eat raw egg whites.
Take whey protein. It’s also good source of cysteine.
Eat crucifers. Glutathione occurs naturally in many foods, but is particularly high in cruciferous vegetables.
Support cytochrome p450 activity. Cytochrome p450 is a class of enzymes that detoxifies drugs and carcinogens. Crucifers boost cytochrome p450 activity, and flavonoids (plant phytochemicals found in foods like chocolate, red wine, tea, berries, etc.) can also alter cytochrome p450 activity.
Support Your Liver
The liver is your body’s chemical processing plant. If something’s being detoxified in your body, you can bet the liver is involved. There are several things you can do to keep the liver healthy:
Avoid refined omega-6 polyunsaturated oils that have been linked to alcoholic fatty liver disease, among other inflammatory conditions. Obtain PUFAs from fish, eggs, animals, and nuts.
Don’t eat refined sugar.
Don’t drink too much alcohol.
Eat egg yolks often and try some liver. Both are high in choline, which our livers require to process fats and function properly.
Support Your Kidneys
The kidneys are in charge of excreting many of the toxins you accumulate. Protein gets a bad rap when it comes to kidney health, but the real offender appears to be sugar, particularly in the form of fructose. Compared to glucose, it has a far more adverse effect on the kidneys. Metabolic syndrome also typically leads to kidney failure.
Support Your Gut
Having good gut health is crucial for detoxification. A leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, allows toxins, such as bacterial endotoxins, allergenic proteins, and other irritants, into circulation, which disrupts homeostasis. Additionally, gut bacteria modulate xenobiotic metabolism and can favorably alter the metabolic outcome of pharmaceuticals, environmental toxicants, and heavy metals.
Detox is simply supporting the natural detoxification pathways human bodies have been using for ages. It’s not a 2-week cleanse you do once a year. We live in a world where daily exposure to harmful pollutants, chemicals, allergens, and other toxins is not that uncommon, therefore detoxification is an ongoing process. Maintenance and consistency is key when it comes to detoxification support.