Everything about the 21st century is flooded with toxins, and it is no longer possible for the body to handle all the toxins it naturally encounters in day-to-day life without some occasional outside support. That’s where physician-guided metabolic detoxification comes in. Huntington Hospital, CA is proud to offer metabolic detox packages perfectly suited to your individual needs.
The Body’s Metabolic Detox Process
In human biochemistry terms, metabolic detoxification is a pathway by which the body processes unwanted, and often harmful, chemicals for elimination. Both foreign chemicals (xenobiotics) and chemicals produced within the body (endogenously produced endobiotics) are metabolized for excretion. In contrast, detox fads, such as fasts and juice cleanses, can leave your liver without many of the essential compounds it needs to properly do its job and cleanse the body. There are three phases of the body’s metabolic detoxification process:
Phase I—Enzymatic Transformation
- Chemical transformation of compounds from lipid-soluble to water-soluble
- Carried out by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes
Phase II—Enzymatic Conjugation
- Further increases water solubility and decreases the reactivity of compounds
- Carried out by glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), UDP-glucuronyl transferases (UGTs) and sulfotransferases (SULTs)
Phase III—Transport
- Excretes water-soluble compounds from cells
- Carried out by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters
The compounds produced in phase I often have more toxicity than the original compounds. In phase II, however, these products are neutralized to reduce their toxicity. However, several factors can cause phase II enzymes to be overwhelmed, including consuming alcohol, smoking, certain diseases, and advanced age.
Signs You May Need a Metabolic Detox Package
Our metabolic detox packages enhance the body’s natural detoxification processes. Effective detox involves adding important minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients to your diet. When the body experiences an excessive buildup of toxins, it can respond in a number of ways, including:
- Digestive discomfort
- Brain fog
- Trouble sleeping
- Mood swings
- Feeling bloated
- Irritability
- Low energy
The body’s enzymatic detoxification systems clear excess environmental toxicants, prescription drugs, and hormones, among other undesirable chemicals. Thus, this pathway is necessary to protect the body from external factors and maintain internal balance (homeostasis).
How to Minimize Exposure to Toxins
With over 80,000 synthetic chemicals existing on the market without being tested for safety, it’s important to take precautions to minimize your exposure to them. You can do this by:
- Opting for cleaning products free of volatile organic compounds
- Choosing tile, wood or other hard flooring instead of carpet
- Using phthalate-free and bisphenol A (BPA)-free plastic containers
- Avoiding warming food in plastic
- Choosing organic produce
- Washing fruits and vegetables and removing peels
- Limiting the consumption of processed foods
- Avoiding charring by cooking foods at lower temperatures.
The importance of these precautions extends to the womb, as there are 250 synthetic chemicals found in the average baby before it is born. Furthermore, studies have shown that toxic exposure is more closely related to the development of diabetes than is obesity. That is to say, if you are exposed to many toxins on a daily basis, you are more likely to have diabetes than someone who is obese.
Natural Interventions to Assist Metabolic Detoxification
- Vitamins: A, B2, B3, B9, C and E
- Minerals: Calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, and selenium
- Sulforaphane: Found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables
- Green tea extracts
- Milk thistle
- Artichoke
- Probiotics
Although it can be helpful to supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals, and detox-assisting foods, this is not always enough to restore your body’s internal balance. When this happens, you may experience negative effects that can be effectively treated only with a detox guided by a licensed physician and health coach.
Other Aspects of the Body’s Detox Process
There are additional mechanisms at work in conjunction with the three phases of detox that extend their functionality and improve their efficiency. Although these mechanisms aren’t officially categorized as part of the body’s metabolism, they are nonetheless essential for reducing toxin exposure. These include:
Bile Secretion
Helps to move toxins from the liver to the intestines for elimination.
Antioxidation
Helps to minimize damage from the free radicals produced in phase I.
Prevention of Absorption
This stops the uptake of toxins and their detoxification by beneficial microflora in the colon
Conventional Medicine vs Physician-Assisted Detox
Conventional medicine is characterized by reactive and response-based treatments for chronic illnesses, most often in the form of prescription medications. Although this approach may temporarily ease the symptoms of chronic disease, it doesn’t treat the root causes. Long-term illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes develop due to lifestyle choices that are made over the course of many years. Hence, we call them lifestyle diseases and believe that the only way to effectively treat them is to guide our patients as they learn to make healthier lifestyle choices.
Transforming Lifestyles for Optimal Health
Our FirstLine Therapy program involves personalized guidance from our licensed physicians and certified health coaches that helps our clients transform their health and make lifestyle choices that provide optimal health, prosperity and longevity. In terms of metabolic detoxification, we fully back the Metagenics Clear Change Program, which is designed to properly support your liver’s natural ability to flush toxins out of the body while also eliminating foods that tend to have more chemical toxins in them.
We believe that, with our guidance, each and every client is capable of making the necessary lifestyle changes to manage any chronic illness effectively. We will be happy to answer your questions about detox. Contact Huntington Lifestyle Partners in Pasadena, CA today to schedule a consultation.