The environment we live in holds great influence over our health and the way our bodies function, and our world is now filled with toxins, from air pollution, toxic chemicals, and heavy metals to pesticides, microplastics, and low-quality personal care products. These toxins undermine our health, as they compromise our immunity, disrupt our hormones, mess with our gut barrier, and even damage our epigenome. The human body can naturally detoxify, but heavy exposure to toxins overwhelms the body’s defenses. For that reason, it’s crucial to understand how to support your body’s natural detox mechanisms and to avoid exposure to toxins as much as possible. We’re going to explore some of the most common toxins in our environment, how our bodies naturally get rid of them, and what we can do to support natural detox.

What do environmental toxins do to your body?

As technology advances, more toxic chemicals, pollutants, and heavy metals are added to our environment. These toxins surreptitiously fit themselves into our everyday life; they can be found in the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe. These are some examples of environmental toxins and how they affect our bodies:

  1. Heavy metals:The main source of heavy metal exposure is drinking water contaminated by industrial waste. Some of these metallic toxins, like lead, mercury, and arsenic, when they enter your body, damage important cellular proteins and enzymes, which impairs mitochondrial function and hinders DNA repair. Other toxins like chromium are irritants that, with chronic exposure, induce inflammation, which dysregulates your immune system and causes lung and heart diseases.
  • Air pollutants:Particulate matter that results from fossil fuel combustion is the major air pollutant found in our environment; this also includes the air inside our homes, as indoor air pollution is responsible for more than 4 million deaths every year. Inhalation of these pollutants causes oxidative damage, chronic inflammation, and inappropriate activation of the autonomic nervous system and is linked to heart diseases, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.
  • Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs):These are a group of toxins that interfere with your endocrine system and impair the function of your hormones. EDCs can include metals, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, microplastics that contain bisphenol A, and personal care products that contain phthalates. EDCs interfere with the production and function of sex hormones, impair the function of the adrenal gland, and are associated with insulin resistance and diabetes.

These toxins build up in organs and tissues, causing long-term problems like cardiovascular disorders, chronic lung diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancer.

The body’s natural detox mechanisms and what to do to support them

Our bodies are equipped with a variety of processes that enable them to get rid of most toxins, but these mechanisms have limited capacities and can be overwhelmed with toxins; that’s why we need to reinforce them. These mechanisms include:

  • The liver: About one quarter of all the blood in circulation goes through the liver; it deals with the toxins that enter your body through food and water and removes them from the blood. It also metabolizes chemicals and drugs and deactivates them. All these are secreted into the bile and eliminated via defecation.Eating phytonutrient-rich foods like cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale) and incorporating more fibers and antioxidants (vitamins C and E, glutathione) into your diet will help the liver detoxification process.
  • The kidneys:The kidneys are your body’s filter that removes waste and toxins from the blood. On an average day, more than 47 gallons of blood pass through your kidneys. In addition to removing the body’s waste products, the kidneys also remove heavy metals and water-soluble drugs.Support your kidneys by drinking plenty of water and electrolytes and let them do the rest.
  • The skin and sweat:Up to 30% of the body’s waste is eliminated by the skin via sweating. Urea, excess electrolytes, and heavy metals are secreted in sweat.Regular exercise, hydration, and sauna therapy help with this process.
  • The lymphatic system:This system is composed of a network of small lymphatic channels that run parallel to your arteries and veins. These channels work to drain excess fluid, heavy metals, and environmental toxins from your tissues and carry them to where they can be dealt with. The lymphatic system also transports fat-soluble toxins like pesticides from the gut to your liver, where they are detoxified.Dry brushing, massages, and avoiding clothes that are too tight are ways to support your lymphatic system.

Signs you need a detox

The symptoms of environmental toxin exposure are often stealthy; they include:

  • Chronic fatigue: If you’re feeling tired all the time, this might be a result of dysfunctional mitochondria.
  • Digestive problems: bloating, constipation, or heartburn. These happen because toxins can build up in your gut, impairing its function.
  • Skin issues, like acne, eczema, rashes, and irritated skin.
  • Difficulty focusing or remembering things and poor concentration.
  • Hormonal imbalances, which can cause weight gain, low energy, and changes in libido.

If you have some or all of these symptoms and suspect toxin exposure, our team can help you by using a series of tests that detect different toxins in your blood, urine, and hair, then provide you with a personalized plan to clean your system.

Tips for a more effective detox

  • Stay hydrated: drinking enough fluids will allow the body’s natural detox to function properly.
  • Choose a healthy diet: a diet rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, and omega-3 will support your gut and liver.
  • Avoid toxins: use air filters, drink clean water, and pick high-quality personal care products.
  • Get enough sleep.
  • Try fasting: it gives your body a break to focus on detox.
  • Avoid extreme fasting, juice cleanses, and the excessive use of laxatives and diuretics.
  • Most importantly: consult a professional; they can help you figure out what your body exactly needs, allowing you to do a safe and effective detox.

Get in touch now so we can help you regain your vitality.

References

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  • Tchounwou PB, Yedjou CG, Patlolla AK, Sutton DJ. Heavy metal toxicity and the environment. Exp Suppl. 2012;101:133-64. doi: 10.1007/978-3-7643-8340-4_6. PMID: 22945569; PMCID: PMC4144270.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4144270/
  • Yilmaz B, Terekeci H, Sandal S, Kelestimur F. Endocrine disrupting chemicals: exposure, effects on human health, mechanism of action, models for testing and strategies for prevention. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2020 Mar;21(1):127-147. doi: 10.1007/s11154-019-09521-z. PMID: 31792807.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31792807/
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