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Tag: detox diet

Detox Diets Part 3: How to Support Your Body’s Natural Detox Ability

: Dr Cliff Harvey

Detoxes and ‘cleanses’ are some of the most popular diets available. And while they probably won’t help you to lose any more weight than a good diet, or improve your body’s ability to remove toxins, certain nutrients and lifestyle changes can help to support your body’s own, amazing, innate detoxification pathways. Read our article ‘How


Detoxes and ‘cleanses’ are some of the most popular diets available. And while they probably won’t help you to lose any more weight than a good diet, or improve your body’s ability to remove toxins, certain nutrients and lifestyle changes can help to support your body’s own, amazing, innate detoxification pathways.

Read our article ‘How Dangerous are Common Toxins’ for a refresher on what toxins are and how they affect the body.

Reducing Toxins In Your Environment

There are many strategies that we can employ to help reduce our exposure to common toxins:

1. Choose supplements tested for heavy metals

Many supplement companies, including Nuzest, test their products to meet stringent guidelines for heavy metal contamination. When choosing a supplement always do your research first. Check the label to see what country the product originates from (manufacturing and monitoring systems for health supplements varies between countries) and if in doubt, contact the company direct.

2. Choose organic foods where possible

Organic does not always mean low in toxins and toxicants, however they are likely to be lower in pesticide and herbicide residue and environmental pollutants. If your budget allows, opt for organic produce where possible. And if not, make sure to wash your fruit and veg thoroughly before consuming in order to lower your risk of consuming unwanted toxins.

3. Choose foods from countries with more stringent quality controls

Some developing nations can have more relaxed environmental and pollution controls, and this can affect even ‘organic’ foods. It is safest to choose foods and materials from countries with more stringent environmental pollution laws and those known to have lower levels of heavy metals in groundwater and soil.

4. Reduce the use of plastics

Replace plastic storage containers with glass wherever possible. If using plastic, make sure that you opt for BPA-free plastic and always recycle properly. One of the most important things to remember is to only ever heat your food in containers that are deemed microwave-safe! This includes glass and microwavable safe ceramics and plastics. Current data indicates that BPA alternatives such as bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS) have comparative effects to BPA, so should also be avoided where possible42.

5. Exercise

Exercise can promote greater metabolic activity which may speed the clearance of toxins from the body. It is also useful to offset some of the negative effects that can result from some toxins and toxicants by helping to improve oxidative control, increase insulin sensitivity, and encourage the clearance of damaged and dysfunctional tissue from the body. Endurance exercise-trained rats are able to maintain glutathione status (an important antioxidant involved in detoxification) during paracetamol toxicity compared to untrained rats15.

6. Fasting

Occasional or intermittent fasting can help the body to deal with some of the effects of environmental toxins and toxicants by modulating inflammation, encouraging the removal of dysfunctional and damaged tissue, and improving antioxidant pathways.16–20.

phase one and phase two liver detox pathways

Nutrients That Aid Detoxification

Many of the toxins that we can be exposed to promote oxidative and other damage in the body. So, nutrients that might help us to avoid accumulating toxins, encourage their detoxification and excretion, and reduce damage are of particular interest. Oxidation, for example, is a normal and essential part of many cellular processes, however excessive oxidation is damaging.

Our natural, internal antioxidant pathways rely on a healthy liver, and various micronutrient and macronutrient co-factors. Most of the research that has been performed on dietary and supplemental interventions that may help in various aspects of detox or resistance to toxic chemicals has been performed in animals (due mainly to the ethics of exposing humans to toxic chemicals!). Regardless, this research offers a glimpse into some nutritional interventions that might improve the resilience of the body. These findings are summarised under the sub-headings below.

Nutrients that may help to reduce the accumulation, and improve the excretion, of common toxins

  • Spirulina and dandelion may help to reduce mercury accumulation23. Spirulina with zinc increases the excretion of arsenic in chronic arsenic poisoning24, and absorbs cadmium25.
  •  Chlorella may be useful in inhibiting the absorption of dioxins via food and the reabsorption of dioxins stored already in the body in the intestinal tract, thus preventing the accumulation of dioxins within the body26. Research performed in mice also suggests that mercury excretion is enhanced by chlorella27–28.
  • Milk thistle may help to reduce the entry of toxins into cells29,30.
  • Folate is critical to the metabolism of arsenic31.
  • Alpha-lipoic acid supports detoxification processes32.
  • Glycine was found to be effective for increasing glutathione (a powerful antioxidant) levels, and decreasing lead levels in bone (with extremely high doses of around 1g per kg bodyweight in subject animals)33.

Nutrients that may help to reduce oxidation and damage from toxins and toxicants

  • Treatment with cysteine, methionine, vitamin C and thiamine can reverse oxidative stress associated with arsenic exposure and result in a reduction in tissue arsenic level34.
  • Spirulina and dandelion enriched diets reduce lead and mercury-related oxidation23,35.
  • Spirulina, ginseng, onion and garlic decrease lipid peroxidation and increase endogenous antioxidant levels36,37.
  • Curcumin, resveratrol, Vitamin C, E, selenium and zinc and the bioflavonoid quercetin can effectively protect against cadmium-induced lipid peroxidation and reduce the adverse effect of cadmium on antioxidant status38–40.
  • Curcumin significantly protects against lipid peroxidation induced by both lead and cadmium41.
  • Milk thistle reduces oxidative damage from toxicant exposure29,30.

Conclusion

The body has an amazing capacity to remove toxins and toxicants naturally from the body. Despite what you may be led to believe, detox pills and potions won’t do anything more than a good diet based on natural and unrefined foods. Lifestyle changes and dietary additions (such as Nuzest’s Good Green Stuff who’s formulation is inclusive of many of the nutrients mentioned above) can help to support your own internal detoxification pathways, thus helping your body work ‘as nature intended’. Eating a varied nutrient-dense, organic (where possible) diet and exercising regularly can help us to reduce damage from toxins and toxicants and optimise the excretion of any chemical nasties that we may be exposed to.

Detox Diets Part 2: How Dangerous Are Common Toxins?

: Dr Cliff Harvey

What Are Toxins? Toxins are poisonous substances that are produced either within the body or by another organism (synthetically created ‘toxins’ are technically called toxicants). Are Toxins Dangerous? While they sound scary (and some are!), many toxic chemicals are actually produced as part of normal bodily processes. In fact, it is not uncommon for tiny


What Are Toxins?

Toxins are poisonous substances that are produced either within the body or by another organism (synthetically created ‘toxins’ are technically called toxicants).

Are Toxins Dangerous?

While they sound scary (and some are!), many toxic chemicals are actually produced as part of normal bodily processes. In fact, it is not uncommon for tiny amounts of toxins to be ingested as part of a normal healthy diet, or as a result of environmental exposure. Products that we are exposed to daily such as household cleaners, medications, alcohol, pesticides, fuel and cosmetics can all be considered toxic in certain conditions. So, it’s important to remember the old adage, the dose defines the poison!

Image of common toxins

What Are Some Common Toxins?

There are many different types of toxins, all of which vary greatly in the severity of their effect. We discuss some of the most common toxins and their effect on health below.

1.    Heavy Metals

Heavy metals are metals with high densities or atomic weights. They include nutrients such as iron, cobalt and zinc. These nutrients are essential for health and yet, are toxic in large doses. When people refer to heavy metals in the context of health, they are typically referring to metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. These heavy metals are toxic, even in the smallest amounts.

2.    Arsenic

Arsenic is a natural component of the earth’s crust and is widely distributed throughout the environment in the air, water and land. It is because of this that minute doses of arsenic can be found in some drinking water and foods. Interestingly, emerging research indicates that arsenic might be an essential trace nutrient 1, however elevated levels of arsenic are highly toxic and very dangerous. Based on mammalian studies, a recommended dose of arsenic per day for health is between 12.5 and 25μg, and people take in around 12-50μg per day through a normal diet1,2. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a safe limit of <10μg /L for drinking water.

3.    Cadmium

Cadmium is a heavy metal found commonly in the environment from natural occurrence and contamination. Smokers have a high exposure to cadmium through cigarettes, while everyday foods are the highest source of cadmium for the non-smoking population. Foods contributing most to dietary cadmium are cereals and cereal products, vegetables, nuts and pulses, starchy roots or potatoes, and meat and meat products. Vegans and vegetarians can have higher exposure to this heavy metal due to their high consumption of cereals, nuts, oilseeds and pulses.

Over exposure to cadmium can cause kidney failure, bone demineralisation and be carcinogenic. The average levels of cadmium in food have been found to be ≈200μg/kg3, with a tolerable amount of 7μg/kg body weight, per week (or ≈76μg per day), being previously set by the European Food Safety Authority.

4.    Lead

Lead is a major contaminant of drinking water and food and is extremely toxic at even small doses. Once in the body, lead circulates in the blood and can be stored in the bones. The health effects from lead exposure will vary depending on a variety of factors such as a person’s age and the amount and timing of lead exposure. In infants, lead exposure has been shown to hinder neuronal development1.

5.    Mercury

Mercury poses severe risks to the development of children in utero and in early life. A tolerable amount has been set by the World Health Organization of 1.6μg/kg body weight, per week 4, or ≈17μg per day for a woman of average weight.

6.    Bisphenols

Bisphenols such as bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) are chemical ‘plasticisers’ that function as raw materials for the production of many plastics including storage containers, food and beverage packaging, and lacquers and sealants for a range of other products (such as the BPS containing treatments on thermal cash register receipts)5. These plasticisers have been found in food, house dust, rivers and lakes, and personal care products6,7, and have been identified in human sera, saliva, and urine8. They are known to cause appreciable health harms and are toxic to a range of animals and organisms, including humans9,10.

As knowledge of the harms of BPA have become more well known, there has been a movement towards using different bisphenols in the place of BPA. This has led to an increase in exposure to other chemicals, in particular BPAF, BPF, and BPS and this has resulted in similar or even greater levels of exposure and accumulation of these chemicals in humans11. The various bisphenols; BPA, BPAF, BPB, BPF, and BPS have been shown to exhibit anti-thyroid, oestrogenic or antiandrogenic properties along with hormone-disrupting effects, toxicity and damage to both cells and genes, reproductive toxicity, immune dysfunction, dioxin-like effects, nephrotoxicity, and neurotoxicity (toxicity to the brain and central nervous system) and are carcinogenetic (cancer-causing chemicals)10–13.

7.    Glyphosate

Glyphosate (commercially often seen as “Roundup”) is an extremely common herbicide. Its use has become so common that glyphosate residue can be found in many foods, water, and commonly used products (including medical gauze, tampons and personal care products). While it has been listed as a probable carcinogen by the International Agency for Cancer Research, its effects on human health are controversial, with some claiming that the chemical is safe in the amount humans are exposed to, while others claim there are very real health risks from low-dose exposure. Overall, the effect of glyphosate on health is likely to be very complex in nature as there are potential effects on hormones, and likely detrimental effects on the microbiome, which require further research14.

Want to learn more? Read Detox Diets Part 3: How to Support Your Body’s Natural Detox Ability.

Detox Diets Part 1: Do ‘Detox’ Diets Really Work?

: Dr Cliff Harvey

Detox diets are a fixture of the alternative and complementary health scene. They are extremely common and very popular but do detox diets really work? And if they do, do detox diets work as claimed to help the body eliminate dangerous and damaging toxins? Let’s look at what the science says… What Is A Detox


Detox diets are a fixture of the alternative and complementary health scene. They are extremely common and very popular but do detox diets really work? And if they do, do detox diets work as claimed to help the body eliminate dangerous and damaging toxins?

Let’s look at what the science says…

What Is A Detox Diet?

Detox diets and programs were once more commonly known as liver cleanses. They are typically promoted to rapidly ‘cleanse’ the body of toxins, usually through a combination of fasting or food restriction, and use of various nutrients and herbs to support the liver and other detoxification pathways of the body.

What Are Toxins?

Toxins are poisonous substances that are produced either within the body or by another organism (synthetically created ‘toxins’ are technically called toxicants). While they sound scary (and some are!), many toxic chemicals are actually produced as part of normal bodily processes. In fact, it is not uncommon for tiny amounts of toxins to be ingested as part of a normal healthy diet, or as a result of environmental exposure. So, it’s important to remember the old adage, the dose defines the poison!

Read our article Detox Diets Part 2: How Dangerous are Common Toxins? to learn more about common toxins and their effect on the body.

How Does The Body Detoxify?

Due to the creation of some toxic by-products in the body from metabolic processes, and the inevitability of exposure to some toxic chemicals and heavy metals in the environment, the body has developed sophisticated detoxification pathways to excrete these chemicals. The liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, skin and lungs all play various roles in the excretion of toxins, with various processes such as methylation, metabolism and conjugation used to produce chemical end-products that can be more easily excreted. Some chemicals are difficult to convert to excretable forms and can accumulate in the body, especially in fat tissue (like organophosphate pesticides and herbicides, and heavy metals).

Infographic with phase one and phase two liver detoxification pathways

Do Detox Diets Work?

This is an interesting question. In order to answer this, we must first understand more about the outcomes of different detox diets (the ones that have been studied at least) and whether the diets work because of, or despite of their claims.

Do Detox Diets Help The Body Eliminate ‘Toxins’?

There has been limited research conducted on the many detox diets available. A 2014 review published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics highlighted the lack of thorough, scientifically robust studies on various detox diets. While one study noted a significant improvement in self-reported symptoms associated with poor health, no placebo control was used and other outcome measures (including some markers of phase 1 and 2 liver detoxification) did not significantly differ between groups. Other studies suffered from similar methodological flaws such as lack of a control group, no randomisation, or inconsistencies in comparison groups1.

Will A Detox Help Me Lose Weight?

Many people do lose weight on detox diets. It is often claimed that this is because ‘toxins’ encourage the storage of fat, but in all likelihood, it is actually because while following a restrictive detox diet a person simply eats less. Most detox diets involve some combination of fasting, extreme food restriction or elimination of common foods, all of which result in less energy intake. As an example, a 2015 study demonstrated that the ‘Lemon Detox’ diet did help women to lose weight, but this effect was most likely due to calorie-restriction6.

Let’s face it, any time you drastically restrict calories you will lose weight…and this aspect of detox diets has little to do with toxins.

Can Certain Nutrients Improve Innate Detoxification?

While it’s unlikely that specific detox diets will help you to lose weight or detoxify any more than an otherwise good diet based on whole, natural, and unrefined foods, some nutrients might help the body to support its own innate detoxification processes and reduce the damage that toxins may cause.

Many nutrients help to support our innate detox pathways and either reduce the toxins that we accumulate or improve their elimination from the body. These include spirulina2,3,4,11,12 and chlorella10,11,12, dandelion4, folate5, alpha-lipoic acid9, glycine1 (in high doses), and a combination treatment of methionine, vitamin C and thiamine8.

The Bottom Line

It is unlikely that a detox diet will help you to remove toxins from the body or lose more weight than a good nutrition plan. Eating a wholefood diet that is rich in nutrients and low in toxins and toxicants will help to support the health and performance of the body and support your natural detoxification pathways. Additionally, certain nutrients found in the diet, or supplements such as Nuzest Good Green Stuff could also be of benefit to the amazing, innate, natural detoxification pathways of the human body.