Detoxification is the process of removing unwanted chemicals and pathogens from our body in order to optimizing health
Any compound that has detrimental effect on the cell function or structure is considered a toxin. Chemicals and pathogens can enter into the body through a variety of means. Some come from outside the body while some are produced inside the body. Wherever these foreign compounds come from the end result is the same, a decrease in body vitality and a disruption of normal body function and a wide variety of symptom expression. This is why detoxification is so helpful for many health conditions.
Toxins may originate from a variety of sources:
- Physical: weather, irradiation / light, electromagnetic fields, radioactivity etc.
- Chemical: pollution, cleansing products, food additives, insecticides, pharmaceuticals
- Biological: bacterial, fungal, viral, food, allergens, hormone or metabolic waste by-products
- Psychological: stress overload, psychosomatic diseases etc.
Each second of each day the body performs hundreds of thousands of metabolic reactions to keep itself alive. Metabolic reactions need to occur in a proper internal environment (inside the body) that is free of waste materials within an ideal pH (acidity) range. When there is a build-up of toxins in certain areas of the body, the natural chemical reactions become slower and are of poorer quality, which in turn can affect all of the body’s functions. As the quantity of these toxins increases, the reactive potential (natural body defense mechanisms) of the individual decrease and the body’s natural capacity to detoxify is lessened or even hindered. Thus, organ systems begin to become dysfunctional causing chronic disease and symptoms which can range from fatigue and pain to even cancer. The appearance of these problems is directly related to the body’s incapacity to rid itself of toxins.
Exogenous Toxicity
Toxins that enter from outside the body are also called hetero-intoxication
While human beings have changed very little over the past thousand years our environment has changed substantially. We live in a world surrounded by toxins. Every year about 1000 new chemicals are released into the environment, many are not fully tested for their effects on the human body. Some are classified as PBT’s or Persistant Bioaccumulative Toxins, meaning they are present in the environment and in our food chain for a long time. These substances such as pesticide residues (e.g. DTT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and plasticizers. Other more common exogenous toxins include food additives, chemical ingredients used in body care products and processed foods and cigarette smoke.
Endogenous Toxicity
Toxins that are produced inside the body are also called auto-intoxication
The body produces many biochemical reactions every second. Endogenous toxins are created from the end products of metabolism, such as histamine, adrenaline, cortisol and many more. If not properly excreted they can be just as harmful to the body as external toxins.