Herbal Detox for Internal Cleansing

By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine

Earlier this week, I told you how chronic exposure to endocrine disruptors can upset your neurological, reproductive and immune systems – and may ultimately result in diseases like cancer. But, the personal choices we make every day may have an even bigger impact on our health. Bad habits (sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine), pharmaceutical and OTC drug use, some medical procedures and even stress can contribute to a toxic state.

Not long ago, a friend of mine complained that she hadn’t been feeling up to par lately. Since her symptoms included those commonly found in people suffering from a build-up of toxins – frequent headaches, PMS, joint pain, skin problems, digestive symptoms, halitosis, frequent colds and infections, difficulty sleeping and a general feeling of malaise – I suggested she try a detox.

Fast-Track to Wellness

Fasting is the quickest way to detoxify your body. Periodic fasting causes the body to use fat for energy because dietary fats and carbohydrates are unavailable. Because many toxins are stored in adipose (fatty) tissue, fasting liberates poisons. Although this has a detoxifying effect, it challenges the body and may not be appropriate if you are diabetic, hypoglycemic, pregnant or are in the midst of a serious illness. But if you are generally healthy, fasting will flush toxins out of your system with amazing speed and allow your body to rest and repair itself.

If you’ve never tried fasting before, a strict water fast may be too difficult to adhere to, even for a day. I prefer a weekly 24-hour juice fast. And, according to Elson Haas, M.D., who literally wrote the book on detoxing (The Detox Diet, 1996), fresh juices are rich in nutrients, easily assimilated, require minimum digestion and stimulate our body to clear its wastes. Dr. Haas also believes that juice fasting is safer than water fasting, because it supports the body nutritionally while cleansing – and it probably produces a better detox and quicker recovery. A juice fast can last a day or extend up to a full week. To get the maximum benefits from your fast, choose only freshly squeezed juice from organic fruits and vegetables. Apple juice spiked with a bit of lemon or plain carrot juice are the basics of any juice fast, but beets, parsley, spinach, cucumber, zucchini, celery and cabbage are all nutrient-rich choices. For variety, try different combinations of several fruits or vegetables.

As your body starts to rid itself of toxins, you may experience headaches, fatigue and irritability. If your fast lasts for more than a day, Dr. Haas also notes that your tongue will develop a thick white or yellow coating and you may experience bad breath. Depending on the state of toxicity, you may also experience flatulence and loose stools. And your skin may erupt as your body expels poisons. But if you stick with it, periodic detoxing can make you feel cleaner, better and more alive.

When you’re ready to break your fast, Dr. Haas recommends eating low-starch vegetables like spinach or other greens. Adding a little sauerkraut helps stimulate digestive function. A laxative-type meal, such as grapes, cherries or stewed prunes, can also be used to initiate eating. However you make the transition, go slowly, chew well and don’t mix too many foods at a meal. Simple vegetable meals, salads or soups are a good beginning. Well-cooked brown rice is handled well by most people by the second day. From there, progress slowly through grains and vegetables. Some nuts, seeds or legumes can be added, and then richer protein foods.

Doing the (herbal) Detox

If you prefer a gentler approach, you might want to consider an herbal detox. Herbs have been used for centuries to accelerate internal cleansing and healing. While there are a number of herbs that can help remove toxins from our bodies, the most effective cleansing herb is milk thistle. In case you missed the last issue, milk thistle’s key component is silymarin. A potent antioxidant and intermediate in cell metabolism, silymarin specifically targets the liver, preventing the depletion of glutathione – a powerful protein that attaches itself to toxins (including heavy metals, solvents and pesticides) and transforms them into a form that can be excreted in urine or bile.

Three other herbs that protect glutathione are garlic (Allium sativum), artichoke leaf (Cynara scholymus)and burdock (Arctium lappa). A potent antioxidant, garlic contains diallyl sulfide, a phytochemical that protects both liver cells and glutathione. In one study, animals fed fresh garlic had a 40 percent increase in glutathione activity within the liver. In other studies, artichoke leaves prevented liver toxins from causing oxidation, in turn preventing glutathione destruction. And, Taiwanese researchers have found that burdock can restore glutathione in the liver and reverse hepatoxicity.

Detoxing with herbs can take several weeks and you won’t experience the dramatic physical changes that accompany a fast. But, by combining this method with other health supporting activities, you will notice subtle changes in how you feel and look.

Clean Out Your Colon

Your colon also helps eliminate toxins. But if you’re colon isn’t functioning properly these poisons can settle and accumulate – eventually turning the colon into a toxic waste dump. One of the best ways to remove this toxic build-up is with fiber. By trapping toxins and assisting in the elimination of heavy metals, fiber helps reduce intestinal permeability. It also prevents disabled estrogens from being reactivated and absorbed. On a purely mechanical level, fiber detoxifies by enhancing bowel transit time.

Along with increasing the amount of fiber you eat (whole grains, fruits and vegetables), you can boost your fiber intake with psyllium. Psyllium is a natural bulk-forming laxative high in both fiber and mucilage. The laxative properties of psyllium are due to the swelling of the husk when it comes in contact with water. This forms a gelatinous mass that keeps feces hydrated and soft – provided it is taken with sufficient water. The resulting bulk stimulates a reflex contraction of the walls of the bowel, followed by emptying. Researchers at Perdue University have found that psyllium also increases bile acid which helps the body rid itself of toxins. Although psyllium is generally considered safe, people with an obstruction of the bowel or diabetics who have difficulty regulating their blood sugar shouldn’t use this type of fiber.

Whichever type of cleansing regime you choose, try to detox at least once every three months. An excellent time is at the beginning of each new season. And if you’re anything like me, once you’ve experienced the benefits of detoxification, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it!

One Last Thing ...

If you’re scheduled to have x-rays or a CAT scan, you might want to stock up on grape seed extract (Vitis vinifera). Radiation can damage cells and alter the DNA within them. But recent laboratory experiments have found that grape seed extract can protect cells from the damaging affects of x-rays. The researchers credit the polyphenolic activity of grape seed extract, along with its antioxidant properties – which are 50 times more powerful than vitamin E. While some doctors and nutritionists consider taking 50–100 mg. of grape seed extract a day reasonable, optimal levels have never been established. But, since grape seed extract is a water-soluble nutrient, excess amounts not used by the body are simply excreted in the urine, making this an extremely safe herb.

This Just In ...

Here’s some good news on the glaucoma front. A new study in the journal Ophthalmology has found that ginkgo biloba extract can partially restore visual field losses in people with normal tension glaucoma. In the current study, 27 glaucoma patients with visual field losses were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received 40 mg. of ginkgo three times a day for four weeks, followed by eight weeks with no treatment and finally four weeks of placebo. The other group received placebo for four weeks, followed by the same eight weeks with no treatment and ending with four weeks of ginkgo. While both groups experienced significant improvement after treatment with the herb, the researchers saw no improvements for either group during the placebo phases. I’m not surprised by these findings. Ginkgo has several properties that may be responsible for the beneficial effects observed in this trial. Its antioxidant activity might have protected the optic nerve from oxidative damage. And previous research shows that ginkgo increases blood flow in the artery supplying blood to the optic nerve. No matter what the underlying reason, the mounting evidence that ginkgo improves glaucoma should offer a ray of hope for anyone suffering from this frustrating and frightening condition.

***

References:

Buhman KK, et al. “Dietary psyllium increases fecal bile acid excretion, total steroid excretion and bile acid biosynthesis in rats.” Journal of Nutrition. 1998; 128:1199-1203.

Castillo J, et al. “Antioxidant activity and radioprotetive effects against chromosomal damage induced in vivo by X-rays of favan-3-ols (Procyanidins) from grape seeds (Vitis vinifera): comparative study versus other phenolic and organic compounds.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2000; 48:1738-1745.

Khanum F, et al. “Effects of feeding fresh garlic and garlic oil on detoxifying enzymes and micronuclei formation in rats treated with azoxymethane.” International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. 1998; 68:208-213.

Lin SC, et al. “Hepatoprotective effects of Arctium lappa Linne on liver injuries induced by chronic ethanol consumption and potentiated by carbon tetrachloride.” Journal of Biomedical Science. 2002; 9: 401-409.

Perez-Garcia F, et al. “Activity of artichoke leaf extract on reactive oxygen species in human leukocytes.” Free Radical Research. 2000; 33:661-665.

Quaranta L, et al. “Effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on preexisting visual field damage in normal tension glaucoma.” Ophthalmology. 2003; 110:359-362.