Occasionally a doctor or a #nutritionist will write an article and express the opinion that people do not need to use special diets or nutritional supplements to encourage the removal of toxins from the body. Their view is that the body has a perfectly designed detoxification system using the liver and our skin to remove any #toxins. In theory that may be correct, but in practice, it is “dead” wrong, with pun intended. Here are some questions for the misinformed:
Has the volume of toxins increased in the past several decades: plastic containers, pesticides, industrial #pollution, pharmaceutical waste, radiation exposure, food processing, and cooking, vehicle #emissions, and much more?
Has the diet of the average person improved or declined over the past seventy years? The CDC says over 95 percent of the population has serious nutritional deficiencies, and the National Cancer Institute puts that number at 100 percent. Without the proper nutrients in the body can the #detoxification system work properly?
Does the average person get more physical activity now than in the past? Every study says that a vast majority of people do not get enough physical activity, and we know that exercise is crucial for the removal of toxins from the body. Movement is required for the lymph glands to release stored toxins for processing. #Sweating is necessary to move toxins out of the body.
People do not eat enough detoxifying foods, which are mostly vegetables. Every study of human behavior in North America confirms that a vast majority of people do not eat enough vegetables.
And, finally, why do hundreds of peer-reviewed studies clearly show that detoxification programs actually work very well to remove specific toxins, reduce toxins in the blood and urine markers, reduce #symptoms and improve overall health?
The science is in. The misinformed need to read more and the average person needs to take a careful look at their lifestyle and behavior in order to improve their deteriorating #health. Over 70 percent of adults now have a chronic illness and in 1960 that figure was only 10 percent. Why did you ask? Respected scientists and doctors like Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Dr. Jeffrey Bland all agree that toxins are one of the main reasons for our deteriorating health, along with poor nutrition and inadequate exercise.
Detox Box by Dr. Mark Hyman- March 2016
The Toxin Solution by Dr. Joseph Pizzorno- February 2017
For some naysayers and reluctant laymen, this overview may not be sufficient to sway their thinking or encourage them to consider making serious changes to improve their health. Therefore, it may be helpful to provide an explanation of how our detoxification system works.
THE LIVER AS MASTER DETOXIFIER
It is true that the liver plays the dominant role in our detoxification system, but there are other supporting players including the #kidneys, the lymph glands, the blood-brain barrier, the lungs, the #skin, the gall bladder, the fat cells, and the intestines. Their roles are as follows:
The liver—All toxins are sent to the liver eventually where there are two stages of detoxification to break down the toxins and remove them as part of the feces removal process. The liver also performs many other functions.
The kidneys—The kidneys process 200 quarts of blood and filter out two quarts of water and waste. The kidneys also perform many other functions.
The lymph glands—There are over 1000 lymph glands in the body that gather toxins for storage until they can be sent via gravity to the liver for processing.
The blood-brain barrier—Because the brain is so vital to our health, it has a special filtering system of its own to keep out potentially dangerous chemicals. This is a rejection type system that forces toxins to return to the kidneys via our blood.
The gall bladder—The gall bladder makes bile that is used as an additive to the waste coming out to the liver to help carry it to the #intestines.
Fat cells—Fat cells often are used to encapsulate toxins in order to protect them from doing damage to our bodies. When someone is #LosingWeight, these fat cells shrink causing the release of these toxins in the bloodstream.
The intestines—The intestines are responsible for waste removal, for the most part. The bacteria and enzymes present also play a role in the #digestion of foods and the removal of toxins into the blood for processing.
HOW DOES THIS “PERFECT” DETOXIFICATION PROCESS FAIL?
As was mentioned earlier the system can begin to fail when there are simply too many toxins and not enough nutrients to help the system to work the way that it should. Here are some of the toxins that can begin to overwhelm this system:
Air pollution from cars, factories, airplanes, building materials, household chemicals, earth processes (radon, mold, #bacteria, viruses, etc.), tobacco smoke, burning fossil fuels, and animal feces.
Water pollution from factories, human waste, animal waste, #pesticides, prescription medication in sewage systems, #chlorine in water and pools, fluoride in water systems, mining waste, marine dumping, radiation waste, landfill leakage, and oil leaks.
Many of these pollutants also end up in the soil where they are passed on in our food.
Most of these toxins become free radicals in our body
Each cell in our body gets 10,000 free radical hits per day.
The body has 50–100 trillion cells.
The body gets seven trillion free radical hits per second.
In order to neutralize this free radical damage, the body needs 10,000–12,000 mg of #antioxidants per day and only gets 5000-6000 mg from a really good #diet.
Measured as ORAC units (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity), the body needs 3,000–5,000 units but only gets about 1200-1500 units.
As was explained earlier, cells go through five stages of deterioration; (stressed, weakened, dysfunctional, mutated, diseased). Therefore, this deterioration happens over many years due to high levels of free radicals and low levels of #nutrients.
HOW THESE TOXINS ARE PROCESSED
In some cases, these toxins are very quickly neutralized in our bodies when toxins become free radicals that are lacking a paired electron. Those becoming a free radical, in search of an electron in our body, can cause damage when they steal an electron from one of our healthy cells. This can be avoided if we have some #vitaminC circulating in our body, which has an extra electron that it can give to the free radical, thus avoiding the previously mentioned cellular damage. This is how we can help to avoid damage to our #arteries and even cancer. When there are too many toxins in the body they are sent to the liver to begin a two-stage detoxification process.
Stage 1 - Liver Detoxification
The overload of toxins may contain some more complex molecules that need to be broken down using the body's cytochrome P450 and CYP system. These are special enzymes involved in the synthesis and #metabolism of drugs and other toxins with complex molecular structures.
Every toxin is reduced to one reactive oxygen species (ROS), which must be neutralized by an #antioxidant.
This ROS molecule then receives some bile from the gall bladder and some fiber from the liver before being sent to the intestines for removal from the body as feces.
In an ideal situation, these toxins are successfully eliminated by the body in regular bowel movements.
In some cases, this processing is flawed and can cause toxins to stay in the body.
Quality proteins (amino acids) are needed in order to make P450 and CYP enzymes to break down the complex toxins. If they are lacking this processing fails.
If the body’s metabolism is too fast this process is incomplete and fails.
If the body’s metabolism is too slow (constipation) the toxins can be reabsorbed.
If the intestines are not working properly there can be gaps that allow toxins to escape into the #bloodstream and be returned to our organs and other tissues.
The recirculated toxins can begin to cause damage to the liver, the brain, and other parts of the body. This is especially true if the toxins accumulate in the liver and become a burden due to the liver’s inability to process them in stage 2 of the detoxification process.
Stage 1 detoxification may also be flawed if it is overstimulated or inhibited in some way. Two substances that can cause this over activation are caffeine and alcohol. Inhibitors can include low protein diets (vegans and vegetarians), high carbohydrate diets, antihistamines, food dyes, #aspirin, paint fumes, cigarette smoke, #enzyme deficiencies, and nutrient deficiencies.
By the same token, there are several substances that can enhance stage 1 detoxification, and they include milk thistle, beet greens, #chlorella, chlorophyll, garlic, artichokes, and vitamin C.
Stage 2 - Liver detoxification
This stage of liver detoxification has six distinct pathways, all of which are determined and guided by genetics and nutritional behavior. There are three primary factors to consider in the utilization of this stage for the elimination of toxins in the body:
The primary pathway of the six pathways available is the glutathione pathway, which handles about 60 percent of the toxins that are excreted using bile and fiber as part of the process. This includes the toxins known as carcinogens, which are the molecules posing the greatest risk for cancer.
Methylation plays a key role in all six pathways because it is necessary to convert amino acids into enzymes and nutrients in all six of the pathways. Methylation is accomplished when amino acids are broken down by adding vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate.
There are two antioxidants made naturally in the body from specific nutrients, and they are glutathione and superoxide dismutase. Glutathione is made in the liver by combining nutrients such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC), alpha-lipoic acid, and glycine. Glutathione is the body’s most powerful antioxidant. However, as the body ages, it is programmed to make fewer enzymes, #probiotics, and antioxidants. This means that supplementing with certain key nutrients becomes necessary as we age. Here are a few of the most scientifically proven nutrients that can help with this detoxification process:
NAC, alpha-lipoic acid, and glycine to make glutathione
Vitamin C to neutralize circulating free radicals
Vitamin D3 to control genetic predispositions to disease
Fish oils to control #inflammation, reduce pain, and keep cells healthy
Modified citrus pectin to remove heavy metals and stop cancer cell growth
Co-Enzyme Q10 to protect the cell nucleus from damage and keep cellular energy levels high for the functioning of all cells in the liver, and elsewhere.
The role of detoxification in disease development
Dr. Bruce Ames is one of the pre-eminent nutritional biochemists in the world, and he provides an excellent explanation about how poor nutrients leads to ineffective detoxification and the development of chronic illness, including cancer. It is called The Ames Theory and is based on the priorities by which nutrients are used in the body after they are consumed.
Immediate needs— When nutrients are consumed, the first priority for use is for reproductive purposes and controlling invaders such as viruses and bacteria.
Intermediate needs—The next priority for our cells is the production of energy, cell maintenance, and the production of biochemicals such as hormones and neurotransmitters.
Long-term needs—The remaining nutrients are used for protection against chronic illness, the protection of the DNA in the nucleus of our cells, and the aging process.
This nutrient priority process perfectly explains the health crisis we are experiencing at this very moment in the United States. Consider the following facts, some of which have already been shared:
A study by the National Cancer Institute of over 16,000 people, aged two to 80, could not find one person having a truly healthy diet. In fact, a vast majority were deficient in 11 out of 14 nutritional categories.
The percentage of people with a #chronic illness has grown from 10 percent in 1960 to over 70 percent today, with many people having two or more chronic illnesses.
The cost of health care is increasing so fast that a prominent economist has estimated that it will consume 100 percent of our GNP by the year 2065.
The current health care system is focused on the treatment of symptoms of illness with prescription medications and surgery.
Over 80 percent of all chronic illness is preventable, but the current system only spends five percent of all health care spending on prevention.
Doctors get less than 10 hours of education on #nutrition in their medical training.
The pharmaceutical industry spends more on lobbying Congress than any other lobby group, over $1.7 billion a year.
The insurance industry is the second biggest lobby group spending nearly $200 million a year.
People often say we do not have a health care system, we have a sick care system, and it is not sustainable. Clearly, people are not eating as well as they should, doctors are not educating people about nutrition as well as they should, and the health care industry is not doing what they should be doing to help people to become #healthier to reduce the cost of health care.
And, to the point of this article, it does more harm than good for doctors and nutritionists to continue to say that detoxification programs are not necessary. Clearly, they are.
DO DETOXIFICATION PROGRAMS REALLY WORK?
There are several clinical studies confirming the benefits of detoxification programs for human patients. One of the earliest studies was conducted by Metagenics in the 1990s to evaluate their new detoxification medical food product. Metagenics employs over 120 scientists for the purpose of testing their medical foods and nutritional supplements to determine if they are able to improve cellular function as they are designed to do.
In this case, the following steps were used to ensure that the study produced valid results.
The study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a medical #FoodSupplement detoxification product compared to a hypoallergenic, calorie-restricted diet in the management of symptoms in chronically ill patients.
In order to create a comparable set of patients, hundreds of chronically ill patients were evaluated using a 100-point symptom-based Metabolic Screening Survey. Only patients scoring in the range of 72–74 were selected to participate.
One hundred and six patients were selected, with 84 placed in the experimental group and 22 patients in the control group.
During the ten-week study period, both groups ate the same hypoallergenic diet, with the experimental group also consuming the medical food detoxification product. The control group consumed a powder with no nutritional value.
After ten weeks, the symptoms survey was reapplied. The experimental group realized a 52 percent reduction in symptoms while the control group realized a 22 percent reduction.
Lab tests were also conducted during the study, with the experimental group experiencing a normalization of hepatic phase 1 cytochrome P450 activity and phase 2 glycine conjugation detoxification function. The control group did not experience similar biochemical lab result improvements.
These results suggest that many chronically ill patients may be ill due to the metabolic impact of toxin accumulation from both exogenous (external) and endogenous (internal) sources.
There were also twenty-one scientific footnotes in the study explaining the impact of the various medical food components on the liver and other detoxification pathways in the body.
Additional detoxification studies can be found in the following sources:
GreenMedInfo-—192 scientific abstracts on a variety of detoxification nutrients
Toxin Toxout (book) by Lourie and Smith-—282 scientific references
The Disease Delusion (book) by Jeffrey Bland — 16 detoxification references
The Toxin Solution (book) by Joseph Pizzorno.
The question about whether the human body needs some help with detoxification should be resolved now. The next question is how to accomplish this detoxification in a safe, effective, and scientifically proven manner.
Some guidelines for evidence-based detoxification
There are some specific steps necessary to develop a truly personalized detoxification program. Each step will help to guide anyone to a higher level of optimum health.
Detoxification needs assessment—
Find a qualified health practitioner to conduct an Electrodermal Screening (EDS) assessment. This proven physiological assessment tool will determine if your key organs are functioning properly (liver, kidneys, intestines, gall bladder, #lungs).
Ask your doctor to request blood and urine tests to determine if you are experiencing any accumulated DNA damage in your cells.
Damage to cellular DNA caused by toxins- Toxins such as chemicals in the air, water, or food, as well as various forms of radiation, can accumulate in the body. This accumulated level of toxins can lead to SNP’s (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and damage to the DNA in the nucleus of our cells. The urine test 8-OHgD can measure the extent of this damage, thus providing an early warning of diseases including cancer. Other tests can then be used to locate the specific location of the most serious DNA damaged cells.
Ask your doctor to add a test of heavy metals in order to determine if specific toxins are accumulating in your body such as lead, mercury, #arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and aluminum.
Include an overall blood test CBC to ensure a comprehensive assessment
Toxin source identification- If specific toxins have been identified, try to determine the source of them in our home, your community, or your place of work. Try to determine which sources you have control over and take the necessary actions to remove them, such as changing the products you consume, the water you drink, the food you eat, or the air you breathe. Buying chemical-free products, organic foods, air filters, and pure, tested spring water will be a great help.
Symptoms for toxin exposure- Another method of determining your level of toxin exposure is to perform an assessment of existing metabolic #symptoms. There are two good tools to conduct this type of assessment.
The Metagenics “ Screening Questionnaire” provides a 100-point evaluation tool that can be used as the beginning of your detoxification program and then again after it has been completed. Use Appendix 1.
Dr. Pizzorno’s Symptoms by Toxins and Symptoms Tracking Tool are two separate assessment tools that can measure which toxins affect different parts of the body, as well as how toxins are impacting overall symptom expression. Find these in his book The Toxin Solution.
Best foods for detoxification in the liver— Start with the Mediterranean Diet with an emphasis on plant-based organic foods. Add these special foods recommended by Dr. Bland:
Green tea, which contains catechins
Turmeric, which contains curcumin
Soy, which contains genistein (caution due to possible breast cancer concern)
Cruciferous vegetables, which contain #glucosinolates
Red grapes, which contain resveratrol
Watercress and pomegranate, which contain ellagic acid
Hops, which contains humulones
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS IN THREE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES
a. Stage 1 - Detoxification Supplements
Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, and folic acid
Flavonoids
Phospholipids
b. Stage 2 - Detoxification Supplements
Vitamin B12 and folic acid
N-acetylcysteine, #glycine, and glutathione
Sulfate
Glutamine
Methionine
Glucuronic acid
c. Toxin Elimination Supplements and Foods
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, garlic, and onions
Vitamins A, C, and E
Selenium, copper, zinc, and #manganese
Coenzymes Q10
Turmeric, green tea, and silymarin
Summarizing The Need For Detoxification
Dr. Joseph Pizzorno is the founder of Bastyr University, the editor of the Integrative Medicine Clinicians Journal, advisor to two presidents for Integrative Medicine, and the author of The Toxin Solution. His earlier book, The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine has sold over three million copies. Dr. Pizzorno summarizes detoxification in this way:
“The more research I read, the more convinced I am that toxicity from exogenous, endogenous, and toxins of choice are now the primary cause of most chronic illness in industrialized countries.”
Dr. Pizzorno goes on to say that this chronic illness is caused by specific damage in the body in the following well-documented ways:
Toxins poison enzymes, so they do not work properly.
Toxins displace structural minerals, resulting in weaker #bones.
Toxins damage organs, such as the liver, the kidneys, and the intestines.
Toxins damage DNA, increasing degeneration, and rapid aging.
Toxins modify gene expression, by disrupting the on and off switches that makeup over 80 percent of #genetic material.
Toxins damage cell membranes, which are the point of entry and exit for everything going in or out of the cell.
Toxins interfere with #hormones, causing imbalances.
Toxins impair our detoxification effects.
The bottom line is that toxins eventually cause cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and every other chronic illness, along with other factors such as poor nutrition, stress, poor
sleep and more.
HOW TO AVOID TOXINS — A Basic List
Avoid processed foods or non-organic foods.
Avoid conventionally raised meat or dairy (grass-fed chemical-free is better).
Avoid farm-raised fish or large #fish (they contain more mercury).
Avoid high-fructose corn syrup or added sugar of any kind.
Avoid health and #BeautyProducts containing chemicals.
Does your house contain lead pipes or copper plumbing?
Do you utilize chemical-free products at home as much as possible?
Do you live near a nuclear plant, a fracking well, or homes burning coal?
Do you still have mercury fillings?
Has your home water and air been tested for toxins?
HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE TOXINS IN YOUR BODY
Take the symptoms test (Appendix I) See Appendix 1 following the references at the end of this article.
Include the following tests in your next blood test
Damage to cellular DNA caused by toxins- Toxins such as chemicals in the air, water, or food, as well as various forms of radiation, can accumulate in the body. This accumulated level of toxins can lead to SNP’s (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and damage to the DNA in the nucleus of our cells. The urine test 8-OHgD can measure the extent of this damage, thus providing an early warning of diseases including cancer. Other tests can then be used to locate the specific location of the most serious DNA damaged cells.
Heavy metals test
Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase test (GGT)–Oxidative stress
Galectin 3- measures heavy metal damage
Note: An average of 91 to 148 toxins were found in recent blood tests. The most dominant toxins were PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, brominated flame retardants, and perfluorinated chemicals. Use the basic cancer blood panel from www.drcharlesbens.com
Strategies to help reduce toxins
Quit smoking – Use the Healthy Smoker book at www.drcharlesbens.com
Avoid tap water – Use spring or filtered water.
Eat organic food whenever possible.
Reduce radiation exposure from X-rays, television, microwaves, cell phones, computers, etc. See radiation article at TotalHealthMagazine-Dr.Charles Bens.
Use quality air filters in your house and at work.
Get your mercury fillings replaced safely.
Hang dry cleaned clothes outside for a day.
Wash new clothes before wearing them.
Wear natural #fiber clothing (cotton and wool).
Avoid prescription drugs and find safer herbal supplement alternatives.
Reduce as many chemicals as you can in your house and find natural alternatives.
Eat cleansing foods like asparagus, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, watermelon, garlic, olive oil, parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, fruits, and dark green vegetables.
Use herbs to cleanse your liver and body, such as milk thistle, dandelion, #turmeric, and cordyceps.
Use supplements such as lecithin, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetyl cysteine, calcium D-glucarate, beta carotene, and quercetin. Use the highest quality Ultra Potent C Powder at www.drcharlesbens.com.
Especially consume modified citrus pectin to remove lead and pesticides-PectaSol-C from www.drcharlesbens.com.
Drink detox teas, which includes green tea.
Consume products from the sea such as spirulina, chlorella, and blue-green algae (heavy metal detox).
Use homeopathic like Newton’s Detox #1.
Use combination formulas like Clear Change from #Metagenics www.drcharlesbens.com
Exercise to help drain your lymph nodes.
Get a sauna or a massage to help move toxins out.
Reduce toxic foods such as meat, dairy, high-sugar foods, processed food, and all junk food.
Avoid swimming pools that use chlorine.
Appendix-1
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charles K. Bens, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, and wellness consultant specializing in the prevention and reversal of the chronic disease. He is the founder and president of Healthy @ Work, Inc. a wellness education and consulting company focused on improving the health of employees. The company provides workshops on a wide range of health topics. He has written nine books including, “Healthy at Work: Your Pocket Guide to Good Health” and “The Healthy Smoker: How To Quit Smoking By Becoming Healthier First,” plus over 200 articles. Dr. Bens lectures all over the world on organizational change and improvement as well as wellness and health improvement. And was selected by Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation as the Vail Visiting Professor for 2013. Contact info:
bensck@gmail.com