Discussions on detoxification & cleansing diet have been doing rounds. Do we really need a detox? Does it help in removal of toxins? Let us discuss this in detail. When we get in the morning, the first thing we do is drink black coffee or lukewarm water since we assume that these morning drinks would help in detoxifying our body by removing toxins. However the fact of the matter is detoxification is constantly occurring in our liver ,kidneys, skin & gut. Before getting into details about how our diet helps to detoxify our body, let us discuss how our body does this naturally. At this point, it is important to understand what toxins are!
Discussion of toxic exposure has become a relevant topic specifically for those looking to improve their health & prevent occurrence of chronic diseases. Toxins are classified as endotoxins & exotoxins.
- Endotoxins: Endotoxins are toxins produced within our body during the course of various bodily processes & functions. Such substances produced through natural bodily functions can become toxic in high concentration & therefore our body uses an internal detoxification system to remove them. Besides, endotoxins can also be produced by bacteria inside your body when you are not well. These are required to be removed
- Exotoxins: These are toxins that are taken in our body rather than produced inside our body. These toxins are generally consumed in the form of drugs ( prescribed or over the counter). However sometimes they are consumed unknowingly through the food we consume. Food additives( preservatives), pesticides, environmental pollution & house cleaning chemicals all contain exotoxins( toxins) that need to be removed from our bodies. If we eat junk & spoiled food regularly, toxins can enter our body through bacterias
Let us discuss how our body detoxifies naturally.
The major part of detoxification takes place in the liver although intestine, brain, skin & adrenal glands are also involved. Detoxification of substances takes place in two phases as discussed herein below:
- Phase 1: During phase 1 of detoxification, toxins are metabolised from their fat soluble form to water soluble form. Without this step, toxins are most likely to be stored in fat cell rather than removed from the body. The issue here with compounds formed during phase 1 of detoxification is that it creates oxidative stress. The reason behind this is – toxins formed during this process are more harmful than original toxins & this process of creating compounds results in production of reactive molecules.
- Phase 2: During this phase, toxins converted into water soluble form in phase 1 are converted into less harmful products that your body can easily eliminate. Most of these less harmful substances are transported to gallbladder & kidneys & leave your body through urine.
- Phase 3: This phase is also referred to as an antiporter system which eliminates toxins directly. Most of these antiporter cells are found in intestines wherein they pump some of the absorbed toxins into intestines.
Having discussed how toxins are removed by our body naturally, let us discuss the role of diet plays in eliminating toxins. Toxins can be removed by reducing the toxin exposure from food, supporting detoxification processes & enhancing toxin removal.
The following paragraphs will discuss how toxin exposure from food can be reduced
- Wash your fruits & vegetables: You can reduce toxin exposure by eliminating the amount of chemicals you eat. This can be done reducing pesticides exposure. Wash all fruits & vegetables in running water & dry it with clean cloth
- Bring variety in your eating habits: You should not stick to one single fruit or vegetable. Consuming a variety of fruits & vegetables can reduce your exposure to one single pesticide.
- Buy organic produce: If you buy stuff from the local market, ask the vendor about the pesticide he uses. Organic food is not always pesticide free & are not exposed to naturally occurring toxins.
- Cooking meat at high temperatures: Cooking animal protein at high temperatures or when animal protein is smoked or chargrilled from harmful toxins. Therefore avoid consuming smoked salmons & barbeque chicken. This is even more important with those having some specific genetic code which makes them more sensitivity to such forms of cooking
- Lean Meat: If you are non-vegetarian, it makes sense to eliminate all the fat ( saturated fat) before you cook meat. Pesticides & bacteria consumed by animals can be found in their fat & hence trimming/eliminating fat content is essential.
- Consume a lot of cruciferous vegetables: Specific compounds found in cruciferous vegetables( Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale) such as polyphenols can improve phase 2 detoxification( as discussed in earlier paragraphs). This is more relevant for folks whose genetic makeup makes them more sensitive to phase 2 detoxification.
- Antioxidants are essential: Natural detoxification process results in formation of reactive molecules. These molecules can cause oxidative stress & damage your cells if not neutralised or removed. Vitamin A, B, C & E have antioxidant functions that can help that can overcome & eliminate these reactive molecules. Therefore it is advised to consume a lot of fruits & vegetables
- Consume a lot of fibre: Having a healthy gut- regular bowel movement is important for removal of toxins. Therefore having a lot of fibre in your diet & staying hydrated is key to detoxification .
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