You don’t need magic pills or exotic foods. If your body is to start cleansing, you just need to nudge it in the right direction.
Spring cleansing of the organism, a miraculous detox, a unique program in which you get rid of all waste substances. It sounds tempting, but there’s a catch. The human body gets rid of all waste metabolites and unwanted foreign substances every day. That’s why he has a liver, kidneys, lungs and also intestines. But this ingenious system sometimes gets into a tailspin – for example, lack of sleep, long-term alcohol consumption or chronic stress can be to blame. Unwanted substances can then accumulate in the body, and it is then that it makes sense to support its natural detoxification. But not by extreme fasting or drinking vegetable juices. There are much smarter ways to do this.
Natural cleaning plant
Several organs and physiological systems are involved in this continuous process. The liver takes care of the chemical breakdown of substances, the kidneys then filter them into the urine, and the lymph ensures their removal from the tissues. The intestines and the gut microbiome also play an important role.
“The role of the intestines is to excrete waste products of metabolism from the body, the microbiome, in turn, contributes significantly to their transformation and reducing the biological activity of some toxins,” geneticist Barbora Procházková, who participates in the development of genetic tests and analyzes of the intestinal microbiome, told Recipe. “The detoxification system is thus an indispensable element of human health, which helps maintain a stable internal environment of the organism and prevents the accumulation of substances that could damage cells.”
When this process slows down, the result is the accumulation of inflammatory substances, impaired blood filtration or a higher tendency to oxidative stress. In other words, the efficiency of the entire mechanism is reduced and the organism copes with the load more difficult. But the good news is that you can easily support the optimal function of the detoxification system yourself.
Forget miracles
Detox diets, vegetable juices or perhaps special herbal teas. At first glance, all sorts of treatments may seem like one of the methods of detoxification, with the promised quick effect. But mostly it’s just good marketing that promises more than it can actually deliver.
“This is not a real detox, because it takes place precisely in the liver and kidneys. The benefit is more that they supply a person with fluids and micronutrients and that thanks to them you can temporarily limit the consumption of heavy meals, for example,” explains expert Procházková. “Vegetable juices may make sense as a regular part of a balanced diet – for example, one glass a day to increase the intake of essential substances – but certainly not as a weekly cleansing regimen. Observing extreme fasts, drinking only these juices and flushing the body with aggressive teas can lead to significant fluctuations in blood sugar levels, muscle loss or even intestinal irritation in some people,” he warns.
Therefore, be very careful with short-term treatments. Although they will help you, for example, by supporting insulin sensitivity, providing relief for the digestive tract or temporarily activating autophagy (i.e. the cell recycling system), thereby relieving the liver and improving metabolic settings, however, according to the expert, it is not advisable to attach too much weight to them: “These treatments do not remove toxins, rather they contribute to the overall regeneration of the organism.” It is therefore far more beneficial to focus on long-term sustainable habits that will actually benefit the detoxification system.
Comprehensively and long-term
The basis is actually simple and the same as should come with any “healthy” change. Quality sleep, regular exercise, a balanced diet with a representation of key nutrients and also sufficient hydration. You should not underestimate the importance of the intestinal microbiome either (you could read about how to nourish it in the March Recipe). If undesirable types of bacteria predominate in the intestines, the risk of inflammation or leaky gut syndrome increases, and thus the burden on detoxification processes.
“An analysis of the intestinal microbiome reveals which bacteria colonize the intestines. Based on the results, it is then easier for a person to adjust their diet and lifestyle so that the intestinal environment better supports the body’s natural detoxification processes,” explains Barbora Procházková.
And if you still want to support detoxification, bet on selected bioactive substances and nutrients that really target specific physiological processes in the body. For example, milk thistle, curcumin and choline, which contribute to better liver function, are suitable. Or antioxidants such as vitamin C and glutathione, or fiber. This, in turn, is useful for binding metabolites in the intestine. Even in this case, however, it does not pay to bet on just one card. Even quality supplements are not self-saving and will only work if they sensibly supplement a healthy lifestyle based on stable and sustainable habits.
You could find this article in the magazine Recipe No. 04/26.
