Last Updated on Saturday, 17 January 2009 06:10

Toxic overload is a grim reality in today’s polluted world. Pollution, stress, food and environmental factors can leave your liver, kidneys, lungs, colon and other important systems of elimination exhausted from the battle to restore and maintain balance and harmony within the body.

With £50 million spent on laxative in the UK, it’s clear that elimination is a big problem. Colon and colorectal cancers and diseases of the digestive tracts are on the increase. An over-consumption of ‘bad’ fast and red meat, combined with low intake of fibre foods, will severely reduce the body’s ability to properly absorb nutrients and eliminate toxins.

Give your body a chance to recover and thrive with a sensible detox programme. By cutting down on red meats and fats, increasing your fruit and veg intake and using vitamins, essential fatty acids and herbs each day, you can detox your body to restore vitality, enhance weight loss and improve mood.

Herbs and Supplements and Vitamins commonly used for detox

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Binds to heavy metals and helps transport them out of the body.

Artichoke

 As well as improving fat breakdown and digestion, artichoke has proven to be an effective tonic for many digestive problems such as nausea, constipation, dyspepsia, abdominal pain, flatulence, belching and gallbladder conditions.

Burdock

Burdock is a digestive herb used primarily as a cleansing and eliminative remedy, especially useful if there is a build up of toxins.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C aids the detoxification process in several ways. It effectively recycles naturally available glutathionine and other important antioxidants in the body, including vitamin E. Studies have shown that glutathionine attaches to toxic compounds in the liver, neutralizing toxins or enabling them to be excreted.

Cleavers

Cleavers is one of the few herbs that has a beneficial effect on the lymph system, helping to energise sluggish flow.

Dandelion

Dandelion comes under the category of a bitter herb. It is believed that the bitter principles stimulate the initial phase of digestion, this involves the release of salivary and gastric juices. It is also involved in stimulating the release of bile from the liver and gall bladder. Dandelion also has a gentle and effective diuretic action.

Fibre

Fibre is a crucial component of a health diet and plays an essential role in the health and integrity of the entire gastro-intestinal tract. Fibre is divided into two main categories insoluble fibre and soluble fibre. Insoluble fibre tends to absorb water and provide bulk in the intestinal tract. Soluble fibres have broader benefits including heavy metal detox, the binding of bile acids and steroids and cholesterol reduction.

Flax and Hemp Seed Oils.

Nutritional oils aid in the lubrication of the digestive system, boost skin clarity and support hormonal and joint health.

Green Foods

Chlorophyll the green pigment found in green foods such as wheatgrass and barleygrass, increases peristaltic action thus relieving constipation and normalises the secretion of digestive acids. The alkaline effects of cereal grasses and other green foods help overcome cases of hyperacidity, control the growth of unwanted micro-organisms, detoxify the liver and deodorise the gastro-intestinal tract.

Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle inhibits liver damage and stimulates the growth of new liver cells to replace damaged cells.

Probiotics

Probiotics aid in the detoxification process, help re-establish normal gut flora and help inhibit the formation of toxic compounds in the digestive system.

Selenium

Selenium makes zinc more effective and works closely with vitamin E to maintain not just a healthy liver but a healthy heart too.

Zinc

Zinc is a mineral antioxidant that works with the sulphur component of the antioxidant enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase) to protect tissue. Zinc also assists with liver function.

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