Detoxification: Mainstream Medicine’s Blind Spot
 Slow Response of Conventional Medicine?
Although the toxins in our environment present a well-documented threat to global
health, mainstream medicine has been slow to respond to the ways in which these
insidious contaminants can lead to disease. And although many natural supplements
made with herbs, nutrients and botanicals can be used safely to help the body cope
with these poisons, most conventional doctors merely identify their patients’ symptoms
and prescribe a host of pharmaceutical drugs formulated to treat just that: symptoms.
The problem, however, is that this too-common approach to medicine overlooks the
pollutants and poor lifestyle habits that are the root cause of numerous health
problems. Recently even the editor of the British Medical Journal has admitted that,
“… many doctors' knowledge of nutrition is rudimentary. Most feel much more comfortable
with drugs than foods…”
In 1989, Stephen DeFelice, MD, coined the
term “nutraceutical” to create a “…category, primarily for foods and dietary supplements,
with clear ground rules for making disease and other health claims based on clinical
data.” He defined the term as “any substance that is a food or a part of a food
and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment
of disease.” One main use for nutraceuticals is to help the body eliminate toxins
that might otherwise result in illness; the body needs assistance in coping with
the byproducts of our industrial age.
Deep Impact
The fact that many toxic compounds are present in very tiny amounts in our food,
water and air is one reason many medical professionals can’t comprehend or believe
the impact they have on the health of our bodies. But even at very small concentrations,
these substances can have serious consequences as they accumulate in our organs
and tissues. When scientists at the University of Florida at Gainesville reviewed
how toxins can affect our chances of becoming sick, they found that a wide range
of substances we encounter every day can alter the body’s inner chemistry in harmful
ways. As they point out, “Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, air pollutants, industrial
chemicals, heavy metals, hormones, nutrition, and behavior can change gene expression
through a broad array of gene regulatory mechanisms.”
In their view, one of the biggest threats of our industrial
age is the creation of toxins that can inhibit the way our genes function. In other
words, the genetic material all of us inherit from our parents can make us more
susceptible to certain diseases, but it may be the absorption of particular toxins
from the environment that finally results in “… serious and complex … diseases,
including cancer, diabetes and obesity, infertility, respiratory diseases, allergies,
and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.”
The researchers at UF strongly recommend that society come to terms with pollution
and eliminate it in order to create “…dramatic improvements in human health.” In
the interim, your best hope is to avoid these toxins whenever possible and support
your body’s natural detoxification processes to reduce your chances of being an
environmental victim.
Even Bats Do It
 Even if most doctors don’t
yet grasp the importance of detoxification for preventive health, its benefits have
been recognized for thousands of years. Just as Hippocrates, the grandfather of
modern medicine, advocated 2,500 years ago, “Let food be your medicine,” most alternative
health practitioners, including herbalists and traditional naturopaths, understand
that the human body devotes a good deal of its resources to the removal of toxins.
Further, it has been long known that a wide range of herbs, nutrients and botanicals
can help the body eliminate harmful poisons. Certain animals seem to understand
intuitively the concept of natural detoxification, and zoologists are finding that
some species frequently consume substances to help their bodies purge harmful toxins.
For example, researchers in Ecuador discovered that fruit-eating bats visit mineral
licks every night to consume a combination of clay and water in order to help them
flush out the plant chemicals they consume. The study
showed that pregnant and young bats are particularly susceptible to harm from some
of the compounds in their mainly fruit diet, but the minerals at the mineral lick
help them eliminate these irritants. Incidentally, people living in the same area
use the mineral licks for a similar purpose.
Cleansing Principles
If you don’t happen to have a mineral lick nearby, you can still employ minerals
(as well as herbs) by using
natural detoxification supplements to help your body rid itself of undesirable
substances. Magnesium hydroxide, for example, is a mineral included in many herbal-cleansing
formulas to help hydrate the bowel. When taken in combination with herbs such as
slippery elm and marshmallow, it can help strengthen the intestinal walls and prevent
toxins from passing into the bloodstream and entering the cells of the colon. The
most effective natural detoxification formulas often combine different botanicals
and nutrients designed for both morning and evening use in order to provide a full
spectrum of cleansing benefits. Morning herbs may include turmeric (for its natural
antioxidant properties), milk thistle (shown to support healthy liver function)
and dandelion (to promote kidney health). An evening supplement may include cape
aloe and rhubarb root, both of which have been shown to support efficient bowel
function. In studies rhubarb has also shown potential for lowering the risk of developing
cancer. Used traditionally in China for its remarkable healing benefits, new research
shows that it may also help destroy cancer cells. Ginger may also be used to improve
digestion, and enzymes such as cellulase help the digestive tract better utilize
whole herbs by breaking down their cellular structure.
Working Out Toxins
An optimal detoxification plan should include a consistent exercise program. Exercise
stimulates digestion by helping to move food through the intestines. This, in turn,
helps to accelerate the elimination of waste and toxins. The sweat that is released
during a workout also helps to transport toxins out of the body. Furthermore, researchers
believe that exercise lessens your risk of developing cancer by stimulating the
liver’s detoxification mechanism and boosting the body’s production of detoxifying
enzymes
that protect against tumors. Exercise may also encourage the body to create antioxidant-rich
enzymes that help repair DNA and proteins in the cells.
Fighting Back
Even though today’s world is filled with toxins, a detoxification program gives
you the power to fight back. When you embrace the power of nutraceuticals for preventive
health, you embrace a healing tradition as ancient and as established as medicine
itself.
The material on this page is for consumer informational and educational purposes
only, under section 5 of DSHEA.
Disclaimer: Nothing in this website is intended as, or should be
construed as, medical advice. Consumers should consult with their own health care
practitioners for individual, medical recommendations. The information in this website
concerns dietary supplements, over-the-counter products that are not drugs. Our
dietary supplement products are not intended for use as a means to cure, treat,
prevent, diagnose, or mitigate any disease or other medical or abnormal condition.
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