The Detoxification Process

The detoxification process began the moment you were conceived. Your body is hard at work right now (and every day) cleaning itself of harmful substances so that you can stay alive. In our modern industrial environment this is no small task! You can help your body with this big job by understanding its detoxification process. Then you can do your part to lighten your toxic load and support your organs to function optimally.

When everything is in proper working order, your body naturally filters out the “bad stuff” and uses the “good stuff” as fuel. For the body to detoxify itself effectively, it relies on the strength and health of its vital detoxifying organs.

How Does Your Body Do It?

Your skin can only filter out water-soluble chemicals. Fat-soluble substances (like those in lotions) are absorbed directly into your bloodstream. The same goes for your lungs. The fat-soluble substances you inhale, including all neurotoxins (toxic to your brain), enter right into your bloodstream.

The digestive tract has a more complex filtering system designed to handle the more complex range of substances it encounters. A healthy gastrointestinal barrier (including the stomach, large and small intestines) blocks some of the toxins and sends them directly to the colon. But most toxins that enter the digestive tract are sent to the liver. The liver uses enzymes and antioxidants to chemically neutralize toxins. Your kidneys have the important job of filtering out the toxins that make it into your blood stream. On average, they process about 200 quarts of blood per day to sift out 2 quarts of waste product.

This cooperative detoxification process works well with a “normal” toxic load in a healthy, natural environment. However, when the toxic exposure is too high and the organs are compromised, toxins are deposited in your fat cells for “temporary” storage. If and when blood toxicity levels decrease, these stored toxins can then be released into the bloodstream and the process starts again - hopefully with more success.

Toxic Accumulation Leads to Disease

In the course of daily modern life we are each exposed to more toxins than the detoxification process can safely handle. In the past 50 years, we have experienced an unbelievable increase in harmful toxins in our food and environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 70,000 chemical substances are presently manufactured or processed for commercial use in the United States, and almost 1,000 more are introduced each year.

These chemicals have seeped into our drinking water, food supply and are included in many products that we use every day in our homes. No wonder so many of us suffer from diseases and conditions caused by toxicity.

Gentle Detox Will Work Wonders for Your Body

Your body is ready and willing to clean out and regenerate itself. All it needs is a little help from you! As soon as you lighten up the toxic load on your body, it will automatically enter the process of increased detoxification.

“One of the most fascinating parts about improving and changing your nutritional intake is that your body will often use that change as an opportunity to flush out its 100 trillion cells. This phenomenon is called a cleansing reaction, or detoxification.”

How Health Works - Scott Ohlgren