There are many different ways by which toxins may get into our body. The three main such means include inhaling toxins into the lungs by means of the respiratory tract, absorbing toxins by means of the skin, and ingesting toxic substances, which accumulate in the gastrointestinal system. While the liver happens to be the main detoxification organ in our body, even the skin, lungs, kidneys and intestines have acquired various protective methods as well as means to detoxify the body.
Various different types of toxins are found in the body, including heavy metals and a variety of chemicals, for instance contaminants, food preservatives and additives, pesticides. In addition, drugs as well as alcohol also have noxious consequences in our body. The bacteria that work to break down the ingested foods naturally produce toxins in the intestines in the form of by-products. In addition, when we digest protein, it also results in the formation of noxious by-products in our body.
Our body possesses several means by which it is able to detoxify itself naturally. Singular cells are detoxified in the circulatory and lymph systems. However, the liver is the body's main detoxification organ and the kidneys and intestines assist it in cleansing the body. The body eliminates toxic substances through various means, including the skin, kidneys, lungs and bowels.
It is essential to undergo detoxification therapies, especially when the naturally occurring detoxification systems of our body are either exhausted or become less effectual. The normal detoxification means of the body may be overwhelmed due to several reasons, including stress, wrong diets, excessive eating, ailments, inactive lifestyles and also due to overall poor health habits. When we fall ill due to the accumulation of toxins in our body, the condition is technically known as toxemia.
The digestive tracts of some people become weak and cannot digest food as it should be done. This happens owing to excessive eating over the years; taking diets containing high amounts of fats; consumption of too much processed foods that have very poor fiber content - the typical American diet. In such cases, it becomes difficult for the ingested foods to efficiently go through the digestive tract. Rather than being digested appropriately or removed from the bowel, the food can actually decompose in the digestive system and consequently result in the production of toxic by-products. In medical terminology, this condition is called intestinal toxemia or toxic colon syndrome.
Detoxification treatments aim to make the body's natural detoxification processes active and help them to function in the best possible way. At the same time, detoxification therapies also endeavour to prevent one from additionally coming in contact with toxic substances and reinforce the body as well as the immune system to ensure that such toxic imbalances do not take place later on.
Detoxification therapies are especially useful for people who have been struggling with several different chronic ailments and conditions, such as headaches, asthma, anxiety, allergies, arthritis, diabetes, depression, chronic infections, high levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream, digestive problems, diseases related to the heart, low levels of blood sugar, obesity and mental ailments among others. They are also beneficial for people who are suffering from health problems that are affected by various environmental issues, including cancer, and also for people who often come in contact with elevated levels of toxic substances owing to their occupation or maybe due to any accident.
In addition, detoxification treatments are also helpful for people who have been enduring allergies or suffering from problems related to the immune system, which cannot be diagnosed or treated using the available conventional medications. Such conditions include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, environmental ailments or multiple chemical sensitivity. People suffering from such conditions may experience symptoms like headaches, indigestion, insomnia, augmented allergic reactions, inexplicable exhaustion, intolerance to specific foods, hypersensitivity to ordinary substances, aches and pains, depressions, low grade fevers, abrupt weight gain or weight loss, sore throat, disability, common malaise and diminished resistance to infections. Besides these, one may also use detoxification therapies in the form of an effective preventive measure as well as a means to improve one's general health and wellness, augment resistance to ailments, and vitality.
Over the centuries, people have used several detoxification methods to heal their body, mind and spirits. Perhaps, fasting is among the oldest remedial practices. Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who is renowned as the 'Father of Western Medicine', advised that people should undertake fasting in the form of a common method to improve their health. Even Ayurveda, the ancient Indian form of medicine which was developed thousands of years ago and still practiced today, makes use of detoxification processes to cure several chronic health conditions as well as to prevent diseases.
In fact, detoxification therapies are one of the several aspects on which alternative medicine is based. Conventional medicine documents that it is possible that the environmental factors have a considerable role in the development of several diseases. Precisely speaking, environmental medicine studies the exact manner in which various environmental aspects affect the diseases. It has been found that coming in contact with toxic substances or those that cause allergies present in the environment have a strong influence on several diseases and health conditions like asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, and multiple chemical sensitivity.
While people are already harassed owing to the heavy presence of toxic substances in the environment, the problem has increased manifold as humans form the peak of the food chain and they are more susceptible to exposure to a toxic build up in their food supply. For example, farm animals are fed food grains, which are sprayed with harmful herbicides and pesticides. Moreover, often these animals are administered antibiotics, synthetic hormones as well as various different chemicals in injections forms for their treatment and also often to increase their mass.
Therefore, when we consume meat or meat products, we are actually exposed to the entire assortment of chemicals present in the animals as well as the additives that are employed throughout the total agricultural chain. People who are experts in different detoxification processes call this type of toxin build up as bioaccumulation. These specialists emphasize on the fact that over a period of time, bioaccumulation results in the development of several physical as well as mental problems, particularly the ones that increase very fast, such as cancer, asthma and mental ailments. Consequently, with the passage of time, detoxification treatments are becoming more and more important and also gaining in popularity.
Experts in detoxification therapies employ various different tests to ascertain the reasons for the toxic conditions. There are many causes and they include allergies, infections, addictions, malfunctioning of the digestive system and organs, in addition to various toxic chemicals. Various bodily functions that may point to the health problems or considered as symptoms of the problems are measured by undertaking blood, stool, urine and hair examinations and also allergy tests. Normally, detoxification specialists can avail these facilities in different laboratories that are exclusively dedicated to complicated diagnostic examinations for toxic conditions.
People suffering from toxemia (ailments due to bioaccumulation of toxic substances) are usually vulnerable to infections, as their immune system is feeble and unable to resist assaults by pathogens. Several microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, parasites and even common yeast may be responsible for infections. Detoxification therapists will, therefore, screen the patients for the underlying contagions that may also be responsible for a particular ailment.
Blood and urine tests are conducted to closely examine the functioning of the liver, as this is the foremost organ of the body that is entrusted with the job of eliminating toxic chemicals. Generally, the liver cleanses the body of any substance in two different phases. Therefore, detoxification experts recommend various examinations that point to exactly where in these two phases of the functioning of the liver the patient may be experiencing problems. In addition, these tests also help to ascertain the nature of the toxins accumulated in the body. In addition, these experts may also ask the patient to undertake blood and urine tests with a view to check out toxic compounds like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which are also called environmental poisons, heavy metals, and formaldehyde (a commonly used preservative).
The blood test undertaken to determine zinc deficiency is also very helpful, as it may help to divulge poisoning due to heavy metals. Although it may seem wired to the common man, detoxification specialists also recommend hair analysis to find out the precise levels of heavy metals in the bloodstream. In addition, blood as well as urine tests also help to ascertain the activeness of the immune system, in addition to determining the levels of hormones and may point to the presence of particular toxic chemicals in the body. Undertaking a 24-hour urine investigation, wherein urine samples are collected continuously during the analysis, enables the detoxification specialists to find out the competence of the kidneys as well as the digestive system. In addition, specific types of blood and urine examinations may also indicate absence of certain nutriments in the body and help the physicians to suggest diets appropriate for recovery of the patients.