Body detoxification involves cleansing of harmful substances and toxins that accumulate in the human body throughout life. In the modern age, this process is enjoying increasing attention under the term "detox cure". Detoxification takes place through the regular intake of special foods, juices, plants or herbs.
In this article, we would like to introduce you to the most important household remedies and methods that can rid your body of toxins. We will show you cost-effective methods, especially from the point of view of increasing physical and mental performance.
the essentials in brief
- The body is usually detoxified through juice cleanses. Solid acidic food is avoided for a certain period of time and meals are replaced by juices, smoothies and soups. This promotes the elimination of harmful substances.
- Detoxification can boost your immune system and increase the body's physical and mental performance. It is also possible to lose significant weight.
- So far, there have not been enough studies that confirm the effectiveness of cures for detoxification of the body. However, individual clinical studies prove positive side effects after completion.
Definition: What does it mean to "detoxify the body"?
Understanding the process behind detoxification requires a basic understanding of the digestive system. This is always at work in our body and utilizes the food. The digestive tract is relieved by the intake of liquids and little solid food. The energy saved as a result is used to eliminate the pollutants.
Background: What you should know about detoxifying the body
Environmental toxins and heavy metals are dangerous substances. They influence our organism and affect our health. Mixing any different foods often proves unsuccessful. We explain to you which foods are best suited for detoxification, what actually happens in the body and how effective this process is.
How can I best detoxify my body?
In principle, the process of detoxification is very simple. First, you should completely empty your bowels. Appropriate tablets, which are available in every drugstore or pharmacy, can help here.
Once you have decided on the right cure, the further process is identical for all types of detoxification. You feed mainly on your juice. In addition to these, you should drink plenty of water to stimulate your metabolism. Otherwise, only fruit and vegetable smoothies and herbal tea are allowed. After your juice cleanse, you should slowly start to get used to solid food. It is customary to first eat fruit, vegetables and raw vegetables and after a sufficient waiting period to master the transition to normal everyday life. (1)
Juice diets are great for detoxifying the body. The liquid food stimulates the metabolism in particular with components such as lemon and ginger. (Image source: unsplash / Dominik Martin)
Which foods are suitable for detoxifying the body?
With a detox you can make your own juice or smoothie. The choice of food plays an important role in this. Some have properties that are relevant to the process of purification, while others do not. Fortunately, most of them can be found in every household. In the following list you will find the most important ones.
| Groceries | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| broccoli | Accelerates the elimination of harmful substances and promotes the detoxification process in the liver. |
| asparagus | Vegetables are one of the most well-known detox remedies. It stimulates the drainage and metabolism of the body. |
| artichokes | Support the liver and increase its efficiency. The liver is one of the most important detoxification organs. |
| avocado | This wonder drug is high in healthy fats and rich in antioxidants. The latter prevent pollutants from spreading in the body in the first place. |
| Parsely | In addition to numerous vitamins such as vitamin C, potassium and iron, it also accelerates detoxification. |
What happens when you detoxify the body?
Our body cells always process the substances that are present in us and those that we add to it from outside. When pollutants invade the human body, additional work arises. The organs must increase their performance.
The liver, intestines and kidneys form the main organs in the process of detoxification. The toxins are disposed of through these.
If the capacities of these are reached, the body tries other ways such as the mucous membrane. (2)
In general, it can be said that the amount of pollutants depends on the individual lifestyle. Accordingly, each organism reacts differently. However, the basic structure consists of the organs already mentioned.
How can I detoxify my liver
The liver is one of the most important human organs. It is responsible for the metabolism, produces the bile acid for fat burning and important proteins. Why is the liver so important? The blood vessels carry the harmful substances directly to her.
In principle, the liver does everything accordingly. However, you can support them to speed up the detoxification process. Nicotine, alcohol or greasy food are everyday habits that make it difficult for the liver. They increase energy expenditure and can lead to liver failure. According to studies, these toxins increase the risk of cancer and are very damaging to the organ. (3)
Which teas and herbs are suitable for detoxification?
Teas and herbs are healthy. For some time now, these two household items have been credited with detoxifying properties. You should note that this only applies to special types of tea and herbs.
Green tea is an all-time favorite when it comes to teas. Researchers have proven its effectiveness in a study. This contains the substance catechin, which has been proven to help with detoxification and could therefore be a reason why it protects against cancer. (4)
The following table should give you an overview of the different herbs and teas.
| Type | Designation | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| tea | green tea | Detoxifies the body and has an anti-aging effect. |
| tea | nettle tea | Stimulates kidney function, protects the urinary tract and flushes substances out of the body using the bladder. |
| Herbs | milk thistle | Can protect the liver from harmful substances and promote the recovery process. |
| Herbs | wild garlic | Contains a lot of sulphur, which can bind heavy metals and increases the elimination of toxins and other body waste. |
| tea | Lemongrass Tea | Cleanses the body, strengthens the immune system in infectious diseases and lowers blood pressure. |
| Herbs | birch | The kidneys and metabolism are driven. Elimination is increased. |
How do I make my own detox juice?
Once you have the right food ready, the principle of production is often the same. You can put herbs in a glass and add them to this boiling water. The substances are released and you have your tea extract. You can then pour hot water over it.
If it's smoothies or juices, you can put everything in a blender. However, cut fruits and vegetables into small pieces beforehand. You are also welcome to use the shell. Then pour through a sieve into a container.
Numerous suppliers already sell ready-made juices and entire sets. These make the preparation easier for you and provide you with enough bottles for the treatment period. With these, you should pay particular attention to the ingredients and instructions on the instructions.
Detox juices can be bought ready made. They are available in sets in different flavors. (Image source: unsplash / Dose Juice)
How long does it take for the body to detoxify?
Detoxifying the body takes a lot of time. The underestimated time in which one should take the juices proves to be a common mistake. Likewise, you should be careful not to switch to solid food too soon. According to doctors, the organism is only completely cleansed after 8 weeks of regular juice cleansing. (5)
Detoxify your body: The 6 best tips to detoxify your body
Nowadays there are numerous tips and tricks to detoxify your body. Whereas in the past only a small part of the population was interested in it, there are a considerable number more at this point in time. With interest, the number of ineffective or even wrong suggestions to free yourself from pollutants also increases. Below you will find the 6 best tips for this.
Tip 1: A glass of water every morning
You hear it every day and yet you don't often manage to stick to it. Water plays an important role in feeling good. Over the night the organism breaks down pollutants and these are washed out in the morning with a glass of water. In general, the metabolism is activated, the organs are energized and the digestive system is energized.
If necessary, you should also try out a water cure. With this you drink up to 3 to 4 liters per day. A glass after getting up in the morning, a glass every hour until noon and just before going to bed. The water cure promises a directly noticeable positive attitude towards life. (6)
Tip 2: Exercise stimulates the metabolism
The detox in our case is not really related to a toxin as a liquid. This would be removed with medication. We are dealing with substances that have a negative effect on our body. They have an enormous effect on our performance. There are only limited medications for this, which are not even necessary if you observe the following tip. To do sports.
It sounds so easy and is good for the body.
Scientists have found that people who exercise regularly live longer. Sport stimulates the metabolism and the body acts more actively.
In connection with a healthy diet, substances that we absorb from the environment stay in the body for a short time. (7)
There is no exact indication of how much exercise you should do in order to detoxify yourself in a healthy way. However, 2 hours a day is a minimum for basically everyone.
Tip 3: Detox days
A cure is not always necessary. Due to their duration, these are very difficult and many cannot cope with the permanent liquid food. In addition, it is difficult to integrate such a change into the stressful everyday life.
Plan special days for each month. You then carry out the detoxification on these. Eat only juices, smoothies, and soups. We have already introduced you to the appropriate foods for creating such juices. You can also buy ready-made juices.
Tip 4: Nutrition is the be-all and end-all
The most common reason why these unhealthy substances get into our organism is nutrition. You should eat a healthy, high-fiber diet. Vitamins should also not be underestimated.
- Dietary fibers : Foods that are high in dietary fibers have the property of being able to bind harmful substances in the body and increase the elimination of them. Whole grain products are particularly recommended here.
- Vitamins : Vitamin B2 can be recommended here. The enzymes in the body need them for metabolism. It is necessary for detoxification and its deficiency can lead to skin diseases as well as inflammation. Foods that contain a lot of vitamin B2 are milk and whole grain products. Meat and beer are also suitable. (8th)
Tip 5: Reduce stress
Stress is a factor that many do not perceive as a "poison". It is made by ourselves. Normally, stress is harmless. People are only endangered when chronic, i.e. long-term, stressful situations arise. A study shows that prolonged stress is very damaging to your body. Too much stress leads to an increased release of cortisol. Excessive levels of it are linked to heart disease, immune system dysfunction, and high blood pressure. (9)
Tip 6: Nicotine, alcohol and fast food are a no-go
When we talk about pollutants that we add to our bodies from outside, these three candidates are at the top of the list.
The nicotine in cigarettes is carcinogenic. The lungs in particular are stressed and damaged when smoking. Furthermore, researchers have found in studies that cigarette consumption increases the risk of heart and circulatory diseases. Sudden cardiac death in smokers compared to non-smokers is significantly greater and this was also proven in the study mentioned above. (10)
Alcohol has a significant impact on the liver. During the breakdown of alcohol and the general detoxification of the body, this is confronted with enzymes that promote cancer. In addition, the liver needs fatty acids for this process, which accumulate over the long term and lead to fatty liver. From this, damage to the important detoxification organ.
In principle, everyone knows that fast food is unhealthy for the body. As already mentioned, if you want to detoxify your body, you have to pay attention to a healthy diet. Frozen food made from chemical substances is not allowed.
Conclusion
Basically, it can be stated that the body can carry out all possible functions itself in order to initiate detoxification. Humans can support this process. The household and food products presented in this guide represent important components with the necessary properties. From green tea to wild garlic herbs, they all have a positive effect on our organism. In addition to diet, you should also pay attention to a lot of exercise.
If you follow these instructions, nothing stands in the way of an effective detoxification of your body. Important; How and if the body is really detoxified is not known. There are almost no studies on its effectiveness. Healthy caution is required, especially with juice cures, whereas teas and herbs are generally harmless.
References
- The German Society for Nutrition provides an overview of detoxification diets. The process, the effect and the scientific study situation are summarized.
- Angelica Maier. "Detox your body: 7 effective tips and tricks for your detox" published online on July 29, 2020
- Petrick JL et al. Tobacco, alcohol use and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: The Liver Cancer Pooling Project. British Journal of Cancer, online pre-publication 9 March 2018, doi:10.1038/s41416-018-0007-z
- Liu P, Zhang M, Xie X, Jin J, Holman CD. Green tea consumption and glutathione S-transferases genetic polymorphisms on the risk of adult leukemia. Pubmed.com, online pre-release 17 November 2017, doi:10.1007/s00394-015-1104-x
- In a step-by-step article, the editors of PraxisVita explain the process of detoxifying the body and answer all the important questions.
- Froboese I. "Clean the cells with water - try a drinking cure!", online publication on December 27, 2018
- Fernau L. "What just two hours of exercise really do for our health", n.d.
- In its series of articles, the Techniker Krankenkasse explains the importance and function of individual vitamins.
- Sapolsky RM, Uno H, Rebert CS, Finch CE. Hippocampal damage associated with prolonged glucocorticoid exposure in primates. jneurosci.org, published online September 1, 1990
- Aune D, Schlesinger S, Nora T, Riboli E. Tobacco smoking and the risk of sudden cardiac death: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. European Journal of Epidemiology, published online February 7, 2018