Understanding Detox and Detoxification - Liver Cleanse

Basics of detoxification:

Detoxification is an ongoing process that takes place continuously within the liver, kidneys, intestines, lymph, blood, and in every cell. The primary pathway of the elimination of this waste is through the liver, where we transform the waste into bile. Bile contains the vast majority of the body's metabolic waste, deceased blood cells, and toxins that the liver has filtered out from the system. Once formed, bile moves from the liver to the gallbladder and is then secreted into the intestines where it is used to break down fats and lubricate bowel movements before it is eliminated. Bile is the primary agent for giving our bowel movements it's classic dark brown color and imbalances can often be detected by the presence of green or straw colored fecal matter. Bile is a natural laxative, has a normalizing effect on the intestines, and any increase in its production and secretion leads to an increase in our body's ability to cleanse out toxins and waste.

Protecting the liver during detox:

One aspect of the detoxification process is that the liver is unable to completely purify the system of toxins while those substances are still coming into the body on a regular basis; otherwise the Liver's energy is spent processing and sorting the incoming toxins rather than eliminating them. In such a situation, by the time the liver is ready to begin flushing toxins out, another flood is introduced to the system and the liver must deal with the new load of incoming assailants rather than continuing the final phase of releasing toxins. From this picture it is easy to see how the liver can become overburdened, congested, and stagnant leading to a need for a period of detoxification. As a hepatocyte protector, the ability of Milk Thistle to guard each cell of the liver (hepatocyte) from incoming toxins is an important and valuable trait given the number of destructive substances our bodies are exposed to on a daily basis.

Symptoms of detox and detoxification:

As the liver begins to become more effective in it's efforts to detox, most peoples’ store of toxins will begin to be processed and moved out. Some of the symptoms of detoxification include a feeling of dizziness, lack of appetite, tiredness and fatigue, general malaise, nausea, headache, increased body odor, hives, rashes, or mild skin outbreaks, the presence of allergies or a worsening of allergies, and/or a possible worsening of initial symptoms before they improve. When cleansing the internal organs, blood, and lymph, some detoxification symptoms are normal and expected. Clients should be notified of this prior to detox treatment and be advised to proceed through the detoxification process at a rate that is manageable to them.

Watching the detoxification elimination pathways:

Due to the detoxifying nature of this product, it is important to verify that clients are having daily bowel movements in order to ensure that the newly released toxins are not being reabsorbed back into the system. Milk Thistle, Dandelion, and the increased bile production and secretion that these herbs encourage, are natural mild laxatives and stool harmonizers. Even with this harmonizing action, some patients may require additional methods to encourage elimination, such as bulk fiber, purgative herbs from a qualified herbalist, or colonics in extreme cases. If proper elimination is not occurring (at least once a day), then the newly released toxins may be re-absorbed back into the bloodstream and liver. This will create the same symptoms as detox, but can be even more exaggerated, as toxins and allergens are going through the system twice. In many cases, if the individual suffers from allergies, they will appear to become worse before they become better. This can be expected and patients should be reminded that it may be part of the cleansing and detoxification process.