Can Your Body Detoxify Itself?

Part III: Toxins and your body

How Does your Body Detoxify?

Toxins are everywhere. You Eat, Drink, Breathe and Absorb them every day! But can your body Detoxify itself and still be healthy?

Today's world is full of perils for your body. The widespread use of man made synthetic chemicals has created a toxic cocktail within your body. The average person is contaminated with over 300 industrial chemicals. These chemicals are playing havoc with your health.

Ignoring the problem will not make it go away.

Most of the medical establishment is not aware of the effects chemicals have on your health any more than you are. It is a relatively new area of disease that is actually being perpetuated with the hundreds of new pharmaceutical drugs that contain many of their own toxins and chemicals.

It seems to be the position of most of the medical profession to take the easy way out and treat symptoms (usually with drugs and chemicals) rather than take the time and effort needed to understand the complex problem of toxic chemicals and their effects.

But it's your body so you should at least understand the basics of how it is fighting toxins and working to detoxify your system. That way you can help your own body help itself by giving it what it needs to work better.

The body has two main jobs when it comes to detoxification.

1. First, it has to rid itself of the wastes it creates from normal every day body functions.
2. Second, it has to protect itself against harmful foreign invaders such as toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria.

The entire body spends part of its time performing these two tasks but there are certain organs, tissues and systems that play a more vital role in the fight to detoxify your body.

Body Systems Involved

The Immune system is constantly working to defend the body from any foreign substance. It keeps the bad bacteria in check but it doesn't play a large role in eliminating toxins.

The Respiratory system actually has many features to filter the air we breathe and keep as many toxins and foreign particles out of our body as possible. It also expels unwanted material when we exhale.

The Excretory system does a lot to rid our bodies of waste. You can expel toxins in your sweat. Your kidneys filter your blood and expel toxins and waste in your urine. And your colon takes care of solid waste removal.

• The colon is actually one of most abused areas of your body because of all the waste it has to take care of. Many toxins and bad bacteria are constantly bombarding your body in this area and your immune system works overtime to keep it all in check. Taking care of your colon can do a lot to detoxify your body. Colon care is a big step in improving your health and a step in the right direction if you are concerned about disease prevention.

All of these systems deal with expelling the waste and toxins within your body. But the real worker, the one who breaks down and actually detoxifies the body's systems is the Liver.

The Liver - Can't Detoxify without it!

The liver is the most vital organ for detoxifying, breaking down and transferring toxic substances so our body can excrete them. It uses enzymes to convert toxic chemicals into less harmful substances. It can make toxins water soluble so they can be excreted by your kidneys.

The functions of the liver can be damaged by too many toxic synthetic chemicals but also by other chemicals we don't always think of as toxic such as caffeine, alcohol and saturated fats.

The liver is an amazing detoxifier, but it can only do so much. When it becomes overloaded, an unhealthy buildup of toxins will form in the body.

The Role of Proper Nutrition

All the waste and detoxifying systems in our body, including the liver, will work better when they are given the right amount of unprocessed and nutrient filled food. Throughout human history these foods have been relatively abundant. But today, in our modern world, when we need them the most to battle off the increasing toxic overload, these foods are becoming less and less available.

Modern farming techniques and the need to store foods longer and ship them farther has created highly processed and less nutritious choices for our bodies.

Cooking, Storing, Shipping and Processing all make food less nutritious. That on top of all the pesticides, preservatives and additives that are put into and onto our food supply make proper nutrition hard to get.

Natural supplements can make up for the low levels of nutrients and make it easier for out bodies to perform at optimum levels and detoxify themselves.

More toxins - Less Nutrition - A Recipe for Disaster.

But there is hope. Start avoiding toxins where you can.

• Start using safe, green home products.
• Switch brands to safer non-toxic personal care products.
• Watch what you eat and avoid the processed foods when possible.
• Look for more natural, organic choices.
• Drink more water (clean filtered water, not bottled)
• And finally, add supplements to your diet.

These steps can go a long way in helping you and helping your body take care of itself.

Next Part IV: Toxic Home

Return to Part II: Toxic Life

Jump Back to Part I: Toxic Overload

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