What Is Detoxification?

Detoxification

“99 ABC’s of Wellness” Article Credit: The original article 99 ABC’s of Wellness is by Mylene Mendoza-Dayrit, which has appeared on the Philippine Star on January 12, 1999.

Principle #24: Detoxification

“Detoxification is the process of eliminating toxins from our bodies. Therapies used for this purpose include diet, supplementation, exercise and spa treatments. Crucial is intake of enough clean drinking water.” (Excerpt from the original article)

Detoxification is an alternative therapeutic approach to free the body from harmful substances that cause ill effects.

Dieting is one approach to achieve this purpose. Often, toxic substances also come from the food we eat like food with too much cholesterol content or trans fat, artificial flavorings, preservatives, etc. The objective of dieting is to remove these harmful substances by not eating any more of those harmful toxins and let the body remove the remaining toxins naturally. Diet may consist of carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, natural juices and herbs and non-fat dairy products or oatmeal.

One example of a detox diet plan is the Gerson Therapy. German physician Max Gerson believes that disease is caused by the accumulation of unspecified toxins, and attempts to treat the disease by having patients consume a predominantly vegetarian diet including hourly glasses of organic juice and various dietary supplements (source: wikipedia).

Fasting is one approach that proponents of detoxification promote. However, while it can be effective to some people, it may not be good for all because it may cause harm instead when overdone.

Taking food supplements also help speed up the detoxification of the body. Spirulina for example, has been found to prevent damage caused by toxins affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, neurons, eyes, ovaries, DNA, and testicles (source: wikipedia).

Trace minerals also supports a healthy, energetic body and wards off diseases. It is good for bones, teeth, soft tissue, muscle, blood & nerve cells, & stimulates muscle response, nerve impulse transmission, digestion, metabolism and hormone production. It also functions as co-enzyme and influences all metabolic processes.

Detox therapy also uses water cure. Detox proponents argue that drinking stomach-full of water can clean the bowel. They say that it has various health benefits although initially, it can cause loose bowel movement due to the increase of water intake. However, intake of water in large amount can lead to a rare but harmful case of water intoxication or water poisoning, which is fatal.

We need to be conscious of our health all the time. We need to watch our diet and keep a healthy lifestyle.

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