Detoxification is a chemical and/or mechanical process that removes a substance that is injurious to your body, or that changes a toxic substance so it’s no longer a problem.
Detoxification and toxicology are two long-established fields of scientific research. The term “detoxification” has been used in mainstream healthcare for decades to describe the process of weaning drug-dependent patients. But in recent years, “detox” has acquired a new and more recognised meaning to describe the process of eliminating accumulated substances that the body doesn’t need, such as;
- Certain by-products of the body’s own metabolism
- Environmental chemicals in the air, water, at home and in food
- Bad bacteria, parasites and yeast overgrowth
- Toxins acquired from unhealthy lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking excess alcohol and eating too many processed foods
Fortunately, the miracle and marvel that is the human body means that our organs are designed to filter out many of the toxins the world throws at us. The human body is an incredible and complex machine built to deal with toxins, and these pathways of detoxification are present in numerous areas of the body including the digestive system, the mouth, stomach intestines, skin, liver and kidneys.
Understanding how these processes work gives us the ability to play an active role in helping them out and supporting their efforts.
Over time, our bodies can become burdened by the level of toxins they are forced to cope with and that is when a detox program can clear out unnecessary and accumulated toxins, cleanse our bodily systems and strengthen our detox capabilities for the future.
Some may argue that a detox program isn’t necessary, that the body is designed to deal with toxins effectively enough that we don’t need to do anything to affect these processes. But scientifically, we know that refined sugar isn’t good for us, that excessive alcohol consumption isn’t good for us, and that processed foods aren’t good for us.
So if we know this things from decades of research and analysis, we know that quitting these foods, even temporarily, can give our detox capabilities a boost and get our bodies performing better, allowing us to feel our best and fight disease.