What is the Mechanism of Detoxification?

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

For most people, detoxification means fasting, lemon juice and honey, sweating, and laxatives. Although some of these practices may have some benefits, they fall short of what needs to be and in fact may even be dangerous. To understand whole body cleansing we need to first have some idea about how the body processes toxins. When toxic chemicals enter the body they eventually  end up in the liver for processing. Most of these chemicals are difficult to move out of the body so they need to be transformed in such a away that enables them to be eliminated. Thia is done through an elaborate system  called PHASE I and II detoxification mechanism.

One of these chemicals are converted they are carried to the gastrointestinal tract via the bile. Bile has two major functions in the body: (1) hel the body absorb fats and fat soluble nutrients, (2) help the body eliminate toxins and wastes.

Bile contains a majority of the body's metabolic wastes, including deceased blood cells and toxic chemicals like pesticides. the bile flows from the liver and gall bladder into the small intestine where it gets picked up by dietary fiber and excreted out of the body in the feces. A lack of dietary fiber (specifically soluble fiber) results in inadequate binding of the bile, allowing toxins to be reabsorbed.  Without the presence of soluble fiber in the gut, bile is sucked back into the blood stream along with the toxic chemicals. In othe rowrds people that detoxify by fasting cannot eliminate toxins resulting in a build uo in the blood stream, The end result is an increase in toixic chemicals causing potential harm.
Scientific cleansing involves loosening toxic chemicals bound to body tissues and efficiently eliminating them by improving detoxification mechanisms.