BODY DETOX: TRUTH OR MYTH

A whole mythology has developed around the concept of "detoxification of the body", which has led to the devaluation of the phenomenon as such. "Detox" has become a fashionable prefix to everything that needs to be sold in a health care package, but it often has nothing to do with health and even vice versa. So, it is not a surprise, that many people are only skeptical about this word – there is no magic smoothie that cleanses the body from toxic substances once and for all. But this statement does not neglect the fact that our bodies are in special need of clearance. We would like to understand how toxins affect our lives and what real measures will help to cope with them, Gemma Podrezova, a consultant at MyGenetics, a nutritionist, a specialist in non-drug lifestyle correction, and physical rehabilitation gave us some answers. 

Myth 1. Our liver will cope with it on its own.  

The most popular argument among detox opponents is that the intelligent human body is programmed to solve the problem of detoxification on its own. This is can be truthful, but the fact is that you need to live in an ecologically clean area, eat natural products from your garden, do not take medicines, and do not use household chemicals and cosmetics. Everyone else has to look back to the 21st century – today, science knows more than 80,000 new chemical inorganic compounds that are potentially toxic to humans. And detoxification is different for everyone, genetics is one of many factors of the process.

Myth 2. Just quit smoking.

And also quit drinking, don’t eat fast food and sugar, and stop using plastic dishes. It is beneficial for us to give up bad habits. However, there so much more to worry about, such as external sources like exotoxins - heavy metals, xenobiotics (the same E-additives in the composition of products, nitrates, preservatives, etc.), drugs, and the prepared products of glycation that are formed as a result of cooking. And mold, parasites, plastic, synthetics, and this list is not finished! The threat can be not only external: endotoxins include steroid hormones and overconsumption of proteins.

Myth 3. It is hard to diagnose.

In fact, it is quite easy to detect signs of intoxication. Checklist of alarming symptoms: weakness, sleep, and gastrointestinal problems, headache from chemical odors, including perfume, migraines, pallor, dry elbows, and shins (especially in winter), dermatitis, tachycardia. Everyone should start with a visit to a gastroenterologist, who will help to improve the functioning of the liver and gallbladder.

Myth 4. Detox is a placebo.

This is a dangerous and harmful misconception. Detox works only when it is a comprehensive program, and nutrition correction is as important as 7-8 hours of sleep and well-planned physical activities. The most important thing to remember is that there is no magic remedy. To balance the biochemical processes in the body, it is necessary to completely revise the diet. It should be high in fiber, which acts as absorbent, cruciferous vegetables and foods rich in sulfur, antioxidants, vitamins C and E, gluten-free cereals, non-starchy vegetables, herbal teas. Foods with superpowers: sauerkraut without sugar and vinegar, coconut milk, quinoa, lemon, coriander, and many others. 

 Only properly selected and, most importantly, followed for at least a month, a comprehensive detoxification regime can lead to both external qualitative changes and internal transformation.