The need to detoxify your body
We live in a world surrounded by toxins. Every year about 1000 new chemicals are released on the market, many not fully tested for their effects on the human body. Some are so-called PBTs or Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins, meaning that they are present in the environment and in our food chain for a long time. These are substances such as pesticide residues (eg DDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and plasticisers.
Other more common exogenous toxins include food additives (including colours, flavours, preservatives), chemical ingredients used in body care products, cigarette smoke, industrial pollutants, etc. When accumulated in the body their effects range from immunotoxicity to endocrine (hormone) disruption and may also affect the nervous system, vital organs, cellular respiration, antioxidant reactions as well as mucosal surfaces. Some may even be carcinogenic. Then there are endogenous toxins – these are made inside the body as part of normal bodily functions and include histamine, adrenaline and more. If these are not excreted or cleared sufficiently from the body, they can be just as harmful as external toxins.
Toxins may originate from a variety of sources:
- Physical: weather, irradiation, light, noise, electromagnetic fields, radioactivity
- Chemical: pollution, compounds from our everyday life such as cleaning products, insecticides, prescription and non-prescription drugs, body care products, cosmetics
- Biological: bacteria, fungi, viruses, food, allergens
- Psychological: stress overload, psychosomatic diseases, etc
Metabolic reactions need to occur in a proper environment, free of waste materials and within an ideal pH acid/alkaline) range. When there is a build-up of toxins in certain areas of the body, the natural chemical reactions become slower and of poorer quality which, in turn, can affect all of the body’s functions. As the quantity of toxins increases, the reactivity potential and natural defence mechanisms of the individual decrease negatively affecting the body’s capacity to detoxify itself. This may translate into an evolution of pathologies towards irreversible stages where the conditions become chronic, degenerative or out of control (neoplasm). Many diseases that may then appear are directly related to the body’s incapacity to rid itself it its toxins.
Clinical detoxification supports your body in clearing accumulated toxic substances and repairs any damage that may have occurred. An individual assessment is essential in order to provide the support your body requires. Detoxification should never be undertaken without the support of a qualified natural health practitioner.