Detoxification- Introduction, Causes, Prevention and Treatment

I. Introduction
American diet contain high in saturated fat, trans fat, and other harmful substances such as sugar, caffeine, pesticides, addictive substances, etc. and less in fruits and vegetables. These types of harmful substances is toxin. Our body detoxified functions try to get rid of them everyday, when they fails causing disruption of hormone production, damaging our body detoxification organs and weaken our immune system resulting in hormone imbalance and many chronic illness consequently.

II. Causes
A. Internal Causes
1. Overdose of red meat
Our animals are grown in a crowded environment and fed by growth hormones to perverse the maximum profits. No matter how restricted the government regulations are, these traces of growth hormone still remain in the animal body causing more harm than good. Although our body requires protein and fat to function daily, overdose of red meat causes cholesterol building up in the arteries, triglyceride in the bloodstream, and high blood pressure resulting in heart diseases and chronic illness.

2. Overdose sugar
Carbohydrates are essential to our liver and kidney function, overdose of sugar in American diet causes insulin resistance, damaging the pancreas, reducing the circulation of blood and causing hormone imbalance.

3. Excessive drinking
Our social life is a mess. We drink too much. Since alcohol is a stimulant, moderate drinking helps increase the circulation of blood and improve mental alertness. Excessive drinking reduces the brain's function, damaging our liver, decreasing the function of the immune system and causing inflammation.

4. Artificial Agents
Artificial agents may help to perverse food and make it look good, but they are toxic to our body. These types of agents stimulate appetite by directly influencing the hunger centers of the brain causing you to eat more resulting in obesity.

5. Smoking
Smoking not only causes lung cancer, it also causes the depletion of oxygen levels in the bloodstream, increasing the risk of hardening, thickening and calcium attached in arterial wall as well as increasing the risk of heavy metals accumulating in our brain.

6. Consuming not enough fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients that are vital for daily function of our body. Vitamins C, E, K and chemical substances in fruits and vegetables such as alpha carotene, beta carotene, selenium, chlorophyll, and amino acid are powerful antioxidants that not only helps to increase body metabolism, it also helps in strengthening our immune system against fighting the forming of free radicals as well as protecting our body by fighting against inflammation caused by bacteria and virus.

B. External Causes
1. Air Pollution
The cause of air pollution are the result of burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas, and gasoline to produce electricity and power our vehicles such as the emitting of carbon dioxide resulting in ozone pollution, acid rain, and toxic heavy metal pollution. Yes, this is the air we breath very day. Every breath we inhale, our body is required to detoxify all this harmful material entering our body. If you have a weakened immune system, some of these harmful can not be removed from our body resulting in heavy metal accumulation as well as disrupting the normal function of organs causing inflammation and infection.

2. Soil Pollution
Soil pollution are caused by misuse of the soil in poor agricultural practices, mineral exploitation, industrial waste dumping, and indiscriminate disposal of urban wastes. These kinds of wastes accumulating in our soil include herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals and man-made chemicals that will enter our body through raining, snowing and foods. If our body cannot get rid of them long term accumulation of these harmful substances will result in a weakened immune system and chronic diseases.

3. Water pollution
An estimated 90% of waste water are discharged directly into rivers and streams without treatment. There are as many causes of water pollution such as poorly designed landfills, road deicing salts, and hazardous waste sites resulting in heavy metals and harmful chemical substances entering the water that we drink everyday.

4. Indoor pollution
Indoor pollution such as gas heaters, gas appliances, wood burning fireplaces, leaking chimneys and furnaces, and tobacco smoke causes allergic reactions such as eye, nose and throat irritation, and weakening our immune system.

5. Toxins in Food
Certain foods are more toxic than others, such as french fries, BBQ chicken, and most fast foods which contain a high quantity of trans-fat that has been shown to be carcinogenic. Fruits and vegetables grow in the contaminated soils or herbicides are used on them, pesticides will absorb the contamination substances and have poor nutrition.

III. Prevention and Treatment
1. Liver cleansing
a) Milk thistle
Milk thistle, a flower plant of the daisy family have been traditionally claimed in treating chronic liver disease. It contains silymarin that helps to protect liver function and the liver in expelling toxins.

b) Licorice
Licorice is a legume plant and and native to southern Europe and parts of Asia. It contains glycyrrhizin that not only has both estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activity but also is an important liver herb with strong hepatoprotectant properties in treating the suppression of hepatic stellate cell activation and subsequent liver fibrosis.

c) Tabebuia heptaphylla
Tabebuia heptaphylla is also known as pink trumpet tree. It contains alkaloids, flavonoids, sulfur and essential oils helping to support the immune system, and it also has antifungal, antibacterial and antibiotic properties. It is a powerful antioxidant that helps to cleanse toxins accumulated in the liver as well as protecting the forming of cancerous cells in the prostate.

d) Stilingia root
Stilinga root not only helps to strengthen the immune cells but also prevent and treating food allergies and eczema by stimulating the removal of toxins accumulation in the liver caused by long term eating of preservatives, canned foods, fast foods and excessive alcohol drinking.

e) Pricky ash
Pricky ash is also known as toothache tree. It has been used traditionally as a digestive aid, to strengthen the nervous system. It also is a tonic and stimulant herb for the liver and gallbladder.

f) St. John wort
St. John wort is also known as tipton weed or klamath weed. It has been used traditionally in treating depression. It contains different flavonoids and 3-O-coumaroylquinic acid that has anti-inflammation and antioxidant effects by stimulating the immune system in fighting allergies and liver protection from toxins.

g) Fennel
Fennel contains anethole, polymers and essential oil that helps the liver and pancreas in the metabolism of fats and sugars. It also helps to dissolve fat deposits of the body and restore damaged liver cells that cause jaundice, hepatitis and other liver disorders.

2. Kiddey cleansing
a) Dandelion leaf
Dandelion is a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc. Dandelion root has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine in treating liver disease by stimulating the removal of liver toxins. Dandelion leaf on the other hand are used as a diuretic to stimulate the excretion of urine in removing the toxin accumulated in the kidney.

b) Echinacea
Commonly called purple coneflower. It contains a wide variety of chemicals that not only helps to strengthen the immune system but also stimulates the removal of toxins that causes kidney inflammation and infection.

c) Corn silk
Corn silks are the silky fibers that are found under the leaves and on top of an ear of corn. It contains flavonoids, essential oil and minerals that helps effectively in treating acute and chronic inflammation of the urinary system caused by toxins accumulated in the kidney.

d) Apple
Apples contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, E and a variety of antioxidants that not only help in strengthening our immune system but also help to cleanse our kidney from toxins through urinary extraction and preventing kidney inflammation.

e) Artichoke
Artichoke is a perennial thistle originating from southern Europe containing thiamin, riboflavin, niacin. These are antioxidants that besides helping strengthen our immune system, it also is used to treat kidney diseases and protein in the urine caused by toxins through poor diet for a prolonged period of time.

f) Golden rod
Golden rod is a yellow flowering plant in the family of Asteraceae. Golden rod has been used in traditional medicines as a kidney tonic, and treating urinary infections and stones. Golden rod juice also helps to cleanse of kidney and bladder caused by toxins and inflammation.

3. Skin cleansing
a) Chromium
Chromium is very important in rejuvenating the skin condition. It helps to balance the blood sugar, and lower stress and depression. Both are main factors that impact skin problems. It also helps to get rid of skin toxins caused by bacteria and virus infection.

b) Zinc
Deficiency of zinc causes the thickening of skin. It is also a powerful antibiotic in treating acne and other forms of skin diseases caused by skin inflammation and toxins accumulation as a resulting of stimulating the release of vitamin A from the skin.

c) Lecithin
Lecithin is a fat-like substance, or phospholipid, produced by every healthy liver that is needed for a healthy skin. Lecithin helps the body in utilizing vitamins A, D, E in fighting against the bacteria and virus that causes skin problems. It also helps to eliminate the toxins on the skin or around the eyes caused by fatty deposits.

d) Strawberry leaf
Strawberries come in endless varieties but all leaves of all strawberries contain healing tannins. It has also been used to aid in the treatment of anemia, eczema, jaundice and other skin problems caused by weakening of the liver.

e) Burdock root
Burdock has traditionally been used in treating chronic skin ailments such as eczema psoriasis, and dermatitis. It also helps to purify the bloodstream of toxins causing skin diseases.

f) Oats
Oats contain antioxidants such as IP-6, vitamin E, and zinc that is not only needed for a healthy heart and prostate gland but also help in rejuvenating our skin by fighting against inflammation in the skin caused by toxin accumulation or bacteria infection.

4. Colon Cleansing
a) Flax seed
Flax seed contains high amounts of omega 3 fatty acid, fiber and lignan that not only helps in controlling cholesterol in the blood stream and provides essential nutrition to our body, its fiber also helps to soften the stool and promote bowel movements for relief of constipation by removing all toxins accumulated in the colon.

b) Psyllium
Psyllium contains about 70% soluble fiber and 30% insoluble fiber. Besides having proven record in Chinese medicine in treating high levels of cholesterol, its fiber portion has been used to treat constipation by softening stools and easing bowel movements .

c) Bentonite
Bentonite is a natural clay that comes from volcanic ash. Taken internally, the adsorbent action of bentonite helps to eliminate and remove toxic material from the intestine.

d) Liquid clay
Liquid clay moves through our body and attaches to any bacteria, virus as well as toxins in our intestine and removes them out of our body as wastes resulting in improved intestinal regularity, easing chronic constipation and easing indigestion.

e) Buckthorn bark
Buckthorn bark is native to Europe and parts of western Asia. It contains anthraquinones that stimulate intestinal movement and also attracts more water to the intestines resulting in a softened stool and removing toxins accumulated in the intestine out as wastes.

f) Rhubarb root
Rhubarb root has been used in Chinese medicine in treating both constipation and diarrhea. Intake of rhubarb root helps to improve intestine tone, as well as remove toxins from the intestine.

g) Cascara sagrada
Cascara sagrada is known to tone the relaxed intestinal muscles in the digestive system. Intake of cascare sagrada helps promote the digestive process in people affected by disorders in the digestion as well as chronic constipation.

5. Lung cleansing
a) Lotus Root Tea
Made from the root of the esteemed Asian water lily. It helps
dissolve and eliminate mucus and lung congestion over time. Lotus
root traditionally has been used to neutralize toxins accumulated in
the lung as well as in treating of other respiratory diseases such
as asthma, tuberculosis, coughing.

b) Platycodon Root
Platycodon has been used in Chinese medicine for over a century
in treating of abscesses, respiratory disorders, intestinal disorders.
Study shows that platycodon roots not only helps to treat cough
due to purulent sputum and inflammation in the chest area but
also removes toxins in the lung.

c) Wild Cherry Bark
Wild cherry bark traditionally has bee used irritable and persistent
cough of bronchitis, pertussis, cough due to increased irritability
of respiratory mucosa. Because of its antispasmodic qualities, it
has been used with other herbs to treat asthma and enhance
relaxation as well as removing toxins from the lung.

d) Mullein
Mullein contains coumarin and rotenone. It has a long history of
use as a medicine and is an effective treatment for asthma
and respiratory disorders.Mullein also helps in soothing the mucous
membranes, reducing inflammation and encouraging healthy fluid
production in the lungs.

e) Ephedra
Epphedra has been used in Chinese medicine traditionally for 5,000
year in treating of asthma and hayfever and common cold. It also
helps to support healthy sinus nasal lung and respiratory function
by removing toxins in the lung.

f) Elecampane
Elecampane also called horse-heal. It has been used for treatment
of the shortness of breath and helps to promote a strong lung.
Elecampane is a wonderful lung tonic. Useful for asthma, soothing
to the lining of the lungs

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