Getting rid of the toxins we acquire through eating, breathing and living in our world is essential to a long, healthy and productive life. And there are some nutrients and phytonutrients – substances believed to be beneficial – that can help your body process and release toxins, including heavy metals.
Many experts recommend a plant-based diet, and that’s okay. But there are things that help with detoxifying in lean proteins that you can’t get from many plants. A diet without enough of the right kinds of proteins can impair the liver, meaning that something like a juice fast or diet low in protein could leave you feeling worse and less healthy overall.
Detoxification Basics
Detoxification is the name for how your body gets rid of certain wastes. If this process is inhibited or if you get so many toxins in your body that it can’t keep up, you get sick. The liver is your body’s main tool for detoxifying, and it works using enzymes that follow pathways called phase I and phase II detoxification. But the liver’s system needs phytonutrients and nutrients as well as antioxidants and protein to do its job effectively and change toxins, hormones and natural chemicals into water-soluble substances that can leave your body through the skin, kidneys or intestines.
Phase I comes first – a first line of defense, if you will. This mostly involves cytochrome P450 enzymes that turn fat-soluble impurities into less harmful substances that can be further treated in phase II. Free radicals are made in this process which are satisfied by antioxidants like vitamins C and E. If there aren’t enough antioxidants, there are too many free radicals and liver damage can result.
Phase II takes over and makes fat-soluble intermediate metabolites soluble in water through a process you may remember from science class: conjugation. This involves pathways that attach molecules to the toxins so they can pass from the body.
Glutathione is the main antioxidant and is crucial to detoxing. This substance is made of three amino acids and is made through a process known as methylation. But your body must have enough of vitamins B6 and B12 as well as folate and trimethylglycine for this process to work. This big process is the most important process in our bodies, according to some experts.
In phase III of the natural detox process, modified toxins are sent to the bile or urine and sent out through the skin, intestines and kidneys. That’s why a well-functioning gallbladder, gut and liver are essential in detoxing too.
Lack Of Protein Stops Phase II
Most cleanses lack protein, which means it’s very difficult for them to do their job of getting rid of toxins through phase II conjugation – since amino acids in protein are necessary for the six pathways of stage II detox. Protein, simply put, helps pull toxins from the body. Without it, lots of damaging free radicals can build up.
The most critical substance from protein for detoxingmethionine, which is found in beef, chicken and turkey as well as brown rice, lentils, chickpeas, sesame seeds and even soy. That means even highly processed soy products can help you detoxify.
Did you know how important protein is to detoxing? We don’t recommend trying to detox without adequate protein, which is necessary for healthy functioning anyway. A diet low in protein will leave you listless, mentally foggy and unable to detox as well as you should.
And don’t forget to include BodyPuredetoxifying foot pads in your detox routine to draw out impurities including heavy metals and other toxins while you sleep. They’re just one more thing to include in your life if you want to free yourself of toxins and live at the highest level.
