The Detox Truth
By: Dawna Jones, M.D. Bella Natural Health
There seems to be more dialogue on toxicity in our environment. It has been documented that we may be exposed to over 100 toxins per day in our everyday lives, present in cosmetics, pesticides on food, contaminants in drinking water, and plastics that leach in to our beverages. Try finding a beverage in a real glass bottle instead of plastic and see how rare it has become! In one way or another, it is quite probable that we will have exposures, as well as our children. The majority of the non-white population lives in urban areas, and our exposure may be intensified by our environment.
Over the course of a lifetime, we will be exposed to thousands of foreign compounds that can enter our bodies from the food we eat, that air we breathe, and directly through our skin. In many cases, we have substituted healthy eating with a diet that lacks the nutritional content to fuel the body’s detoxifying capacity. All of these factors contribute to an accumulation of toxins in the body.
A number of symptoms and conditions have been associated with possible toxic exposures and toxicity, including: migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, generalized arthralgias (arthritis and joint pains), chemical sensitivity, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
You can reduce your risk for toxicity by limiting your exposure. To minimize toxins in your body, avoid foods high in fat additives and preservatives. Eat organically grown vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and drink plenty of water. To minimize toxins in your environment, use an effective air purification system. Wear protective clothing when working with toxic materials, and replace furnace and air conditioning filters regularly.
Detoxification involves three phases, because only substances that are easily dissolved in water can be effectively eliminated from the body. Toxic compounds are typically stored as fatty molecules and therefore do not mix with water. The detoxification process transforms these fat soluble substances into harmless, water soluble molecules which can then be excreted from the body.
Studies have shown the overall detoxification process is nutrient dependent. The key steps are fueled by vitamins, minerals and other major food components. Nutrients that are known to help maintain and provide detoxification include: zinc, pantothenic acid, probiotics, Vitamins A, B3, B6, B12,C, E, beta carotene, and folates. Amino acid supplements like L-cysteine, L-glutamine and taurine, and green tea catechins, in addition to low allergy protein and carbohydrates, aid in elimination.
We suggest that these nutrients should come from foods like green leafy vegetables, fruit, sesame seeds, and green tea.
Be Well!
Dawna Jones, M.D, is the proprietor of Bella Natural Health, where she provides services such as integration of allopathic and holistic medicine services, homeopathy, and hormone balancing.
Bella Natural Health is located at 20 East Street, Suite 20, Box 11
Hanover, MA 02339. The office phone number is: (781)-829-8900
More information is available at her website: Bella Natural Health
