Health evils come from all directions, including toxins from both outside and inside the body. Flushing out these unwanted, harmful chemicals is an important ritual in the quest for ongoing good health. Whether once a year or once a month, a detox can offer consumers a way to balance the toxic modern lifestyle and environment, as well as any bad health habits they may have.
Toxins are everywhere. “Unfortunately, toxins are in our food, water, air, medications and clothing,” said Lynn Schrum, business development manager for Better Living Inc., who noted toxins often accumulate and prove too difficult for the eliminatory organs to handle. As the toxins accumulate and circulate in the body, general poor health, lack of energy, aches and pains result. However, if these toxins are expelled, general improvement in energy and health levels will be realized. “Regular detoxification enhances the body’s immune system, improves blood circulation and helps our own detoxification organs do their job,” she said.
The body has many means of automatic detoxification— breathing, sweating and skin-shedding all help remove toxins.
However, the systems and organs involved in detox can be overwhelmed by the consequences of living, both in modern and ancient times. In fact, ancient civilizations practiced fasting and purging to exact a harsh eviction of unhealthy compounds. Today, detox programs span a wide range of difficulty/severity, including fasts of considerable duration and foul-tasting tinctures, as well as gentle short detox programs with no fasting or multiple, distasteful restoratives.
“Many people complain about detox programs that are too long and harsh,” said Nitesh Khakhar, CEO of HealthAid America. “Thus, we devised a two-day detox program that is basic and gentle, but also effective. Whether it’s done once, only sporadically or every month, this program at least provides a start to the process of getting toxins out of the body.”
There are many detox products and regimens available, but only those designed correctly will produce desirable results, according to Cheryl Myers, vice president of health sciences for Enzymatic Therapy. The primary focus is generally on the liver, the body’s main detox organ. The liver metabolizes compounds created either inside or outside the body, including medications, excess cholesterol, alcohol and broken-down hormones. “Some people are the Michael Jordans of detox, and naturally and efficiently remove any toxins thrown at them, but some people have sluggish livers due to, maybe, a past hepatitis bout, alcohol issues or overweight status,” Myers noted, adding liver cleanses also help women wi th per imenopausal and premenst rual syndrome (PMS) problems, relative to removal of old hormones, which have a life cycle and need to be cleared out for new hormones.
One goal of liver detox is to increase production of bile, which helps dissolve the “trash” the liver collects. Milk thistle is one of the most researched and popular liver detox herbs. Silymarin, a collection of flavonolignans in milk thistle, is most credited for the plant’s detox abilities, which include protecting the liver and promoting bile flow.
Healthy blood and lymph, which both filter through the liver, also help the detox process. Thus, there are often blood and lymph node detox components to many programs. Burdock, a group of biennial thistles, often forms the basis of blood purifying formulas used in detox. Similarly, the kidneys are an important component of detox, as they flush toxins from the urine on a daily basis; they also remove protein waste products, which can be harmful when concentrated over time.
When the liver filters out toxins, it dumps them into the intestines for removal. Myers cautioned the intestines want to absorb everything, so it is important to bind the toxins in the intestines, so the body doesn’t suddenly go from detox to “retox,” whereby the toxins re-enter the blood and re-infiltrate the liver.
One of the best binders available is fiber, which Myers likened to a catcher’s mitt. “In addition to binding toxins, fiber also scrubs the intestines and helps speed removal of waste from the gastrointestinal system,” she explained. “Some fibers bind up to 17 times their own weight.” Psyllium is the fiber most often used in detox regimens; Enzymatic’s Whole Body Cleanse kit features Fiber Fusion™, a patent pending fiber blend—psyllium husks, oat bran, guar gum seed, pectin and marshmallow extract— designed to enhanced dispersion of encapsulated fiber.
With the toxins removed by the liver, then collected en masse in the intestines, final removal from the GI system is crucial. Here, a laxative can be helpful. Unfortunately, stimulant laxatives can be irritating and cause cramping, a common complaint among detoxing consumers, according to Myers.
One natural, gentler laxative is magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia), which is osmotic, drawing water to the colon to soften waste material and allow it to more easily pass through.
Ridding the colon of unwanted toxins and other materials is crucial to detoxing. Steve Kravitz, president of Matrix Health, which makes Earth’s Bounty Oxy-Cleanse, explained oxygen can actually break down old matter and other debris to help gently eliminate it, rather than just pushing or scraping it out.
While it contains magnesium, as do other such products, he said it is infused with oxygen/ozone under specific pressure, creating a special crystal matrix. “Oxygen in this special form can help rid heavy metals by chelating them out, as well as remedy an impacted colon,” Kravitz said. This is another detox product useful for both acute and seasonal targeted or whole body cleanse programs, according to Kravitz.
In addition to choosing from a variety of natural ingredients formulated to achieve detoxification results, consumers can also choose from a range of plan durations, from days to weeks. “A lot of people complained about longer, sometimes harsh programs,” Khakhar said. “However, customers who want more can do our two-day plan every four weeks.” He said this type of detox is also popular after holidays, weddings and other events, during which people tend to consume less healthy foods in less healthy amounts. In this way, the two-day plan can address both acute and seasonal detox needs, he noted. The program includes a liquid product with key detox herbs, such as milk thistle, tamarind, dandelion, artichoke, meadowsweet, burdock, Oregon grape, birch, licorice, fennel, yellow dock, Swedish bitters and prune extracts.
The winter holiday season is a popular time to detox, but toxins know no seasons, and the body and certain organs often needs cleansing throughout the year. Alcohol abuse, even for one night, is a common reason to undertake an acute detox. “Someone may need an acute detox product if they have been diagnosed with any disease where the liver, kidneys or lymphatic- immune system is compromised, such as hepatitis, diabetes, HIV or cancer,” Schrum added. “If someone has been exposed to toxins, such as asbestos, PCBs or heavy metals, an acute detox product is highly recommended.”
By a similar rationale, a detox need not focus exclusively on the liver and GI system, but may address some of the lesser known detox pathways and organs, such as the skin. “In general, the human body excretes the waste materials through sweats, urines and stools,” Schrum said. “However, the wastes are not completely excreted and remain in the body. Toxins are stored furthest from the heart to accumulate in extremities of feet and hands.”
Better Living Distributors offers a detox foot patch, which is worn during sleep and contains tourmaline, bamboo vinegar and various herbs. Schrum explained the bamboo vinegar assists in the discharge of undesired waste matter from the human body through the skin. “Eastern medicine has held the view that toxins go downwards in the body and accumulate from the tips of the toes to the ankles,” she explained, adding toxins tend to sink to the lower part of the body during the day and accumulate around the feet. “The Better Living Detox Patch stimulates the nerve endings on the bottom of your feet which, in turn, stimulate the secretion of lymph fluid and the extraction of toxins while you sleep.”
Schrum stated Better Living has done some clinical studies using the patch on people with chronic fatigue syndrome, with 87 percent effectiveness rate. “I am careful about the foods and water I intake; I even grow some of my own organic vegetables and exercise,” she said, noting she thought she was healthy until she used the patches. “I sent a used one to a lab to be tested for 15 different substances. My patch had nine different toxins in it: asbestos, PCBs, thullium, cadmium, azo dyes, aluminum, mercury, nickel and benzene.”
Homeopathic remedies may also play an important role in detoxification—without side effects or drug interactions. Washington Homeopathic Products manufactures and distributes Derivatio, a homeopathic remedy formulated by the German company Pfluger, that gently detoxifies the body, aids in organ function and supports the body’s natural elimination process. Ingredients include Aurum metallicum (for lymph), Carduus marianus (related to liver metabolism) and Stannum metallicum (support respiratory health).
According to the company, Derivatio can be taken periodically to assist the body in flushing the organs of prescription drug bioaccumulation. Michael Huelsberg, N.D., pharmacist with Pflueger, noted: “Derivatio doesn’t reduce the efficacy of prescription medications. It often helps the patient to reduce the side effects of such remedies. This is particularly important for patients who have to take strong acting medication such as steroids or anti-rheumatic drugs for years.”
Whether ingesting detox agents orally or through the skin, there are many reported benefits to the cleansing process. Many detoxers tell tales of results such as increased energy, decreased digestive problems and minor weight loss. Jeff Whipple, marketing and communications director at Health from the Sun, proclaimed one of the best ways to get the body in top form is to detox and cleanse the system. “Certain organs are responsible for the process of removing foreign invaders, therefore flushing out these toxins requires the body’s organs to be in top physical condition,” he explained. “This clears the way for thermogenesis (fat burning) and beneficial weight management.” He noted natural ingredients, such as those found in Health From The Sun’s 4.3.2.1. Diet products, can support the gentle detox and cleansing processes considered essential for obtaining optimal health and beneficial weight management. The vegetarian formula is based on four herbs known to support the body’s natural cleansing and eliminat ion processes—green tea, yunnan tea, Nopal Cactus and mate bush leaf. The Ultimate version features four layers of detox/weight control:
- 4 Plants: Mate, kola, green tea and green coffee target and help dislodge fats.
- 3 Plants: Bean pod, cinnamon and fenugreek help neutralize dietary sugars.
- 2 Plants: Dandelion and grape extract eliminate excess water.
- 1 Plant: Artichoke helps eliminate toxins.
The idea of cleansing the body and losing weight is a marriage of two modern quests. BNG Products’ newest detox product is Simply Slender Lemonmade Diet, a modern-day version of Stanley Burroughs’ famous Master Cleanse, according to Russell Grossman, vice president of BNG Products. The company also offers a 10-day comprehensive cleansing program complete with its Jumpstart formula, a soy protein and potassium blend.
Detoxi-fix-ation
Most consumers can grasp and accept the concept of increased toxins in the environment, food a n d medications, but are they tuning into the idea of natural detoxification? “Detox products are definitely becoming more popular because of the amount of toxins we take in our bodies,” Schrum offered.
John Barron, director of Baseline for Health Foundation, reported his annual liver detox event in January has grown from a handful of family and friends a few years ago, to more than 600 people from more than 30 countries, including countries such as Nigeria, China, Serbia and Lebanon.
Myers reported while Enzymatic Therapy offers targeted detox products (such as liver detox or digestive products), its Whole Body Cleanse quickly gained a spot in the company’s top five products and has stayed at this level of popularity ever since.
There certainly is a major educational component to selling detox, as many consumers don’t understand just how ubiquitous toxins are, as well as how much they accumulate in the body and affect many areas of health. “For us, a lot of stores are educated on the actions of these detox ingredients,” Khakhar said. “We’ve helped educate the stores, which, in turn, educate the consumers.”
Consumers are beginning to realize detox is not just for severe cases of specific illness. “With pollution in the air and hormones and chemicals in our food, a minor detox can help just about everyone,” Grossman reasoned. “It can also act as a preventive measure by keeping all of the toxins from accumulating.”
“Whatever kind of detox, acute or seasonal, people just need to cleanse,” Kravitz said. “Everyone can benefit from some sort of detox.”
Whether long or short, organ-specific or comprehensively whole-body, there are many detox programs and products on the market designed to help consumers cleanse their bodies and ease their minds.