Detox – or Detox – is a popular buzzword.
This usually involves following a specific diet or using special products that claim to rid your body of toxins, thereby improving health and promoting weight loss.
Fortunately, your body is well equipped to eliminate toxins and doesn’t require special diets or expensive supplements to do so.
That said, you can improve your body’s natural detox system.
This article explains some common misconceptions about detox, along with nine evidence-based ways to rejuvenate your body’s detox system.
Detoxifying diets are said to remove toxins from the body, improve health and promote weight loss.
They often involve the use of laxatives,diuretics , vitamins, minerals, teas and other foods believed to have detoxifying properties.
The term “toxin” in the context of detox diets is loosely defined. It typically includes pollutants, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals – and processed foods – that negatively affect health.
However, popular detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins they aim to remove or the mechanism by which they are supposed to eliminate them (1Fonte confiável)
Furthermore, no evidence supports the use of these diets for toxin elimination or sustainable weight loss.
Your body has a sophisticated way of eliminating toxins that involves the liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin and lungs.
Still, only when these organs are healthy can they effectively eliminate unwanted substances.
So while detox diets don’t do anything your body can’t do naturally on its own, you can optimize your body’s natural detox system.
SUMMARY: While detox diets have a seductive appeal, your body is fully equipped to deal with toxins and other unwanted substances.
1. ALCOHOL LIMIT
More than 90% of alcohol is metabolized in the liver (4Fonte confiável)
Liver enzymes metabolize alcohol to acetaldehyde, a known cancer-causing chemical
Recognizing acetaldehyde as a toxin, the liver converts it to a harmless substance called acetate, which is later eliminated from the body.
Although observational studies have shown that low-to-moderate alcohol consumption is beneficial to heart health, excessive alcohol consumption can cause a myriad of health problems
Excessive drinking can severely impair liver function, causing fat accumulation, inflammation and scarring.
When this happens, your liver cannot function properly and perform its necessary tasks – including filtering waste and other toxins from your body.
As such, limiting or abstaining entirely from alcohol is one of the best ways to keep the body’s detox system running at full strength.
Health authorities recommend limiting alcohol intake to one drink a day for women and two for men. If you currently don’t drink, you shouldn’t start with Potential heart benefits associated with light to moderate alcohol consumption
SUMMARY: Drinking too much alcohol reduces the liver’s ability to perform its normal functions, such as detoxifying.
2. FOCUS ON SLEEP
Ensuring adequate quality sleep adequate qualityevery night is essential to supporting your body’s health and natural detox system.
Sleeping allows your brain to reorganize and recharge, as well as removing toxic waste by-products that have built up throughout the day.
One of these residues is a protein called beta-amyloid, which contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
With sleep deprivation, your body does not have time to perform these functions, so toxins can build up and affect many aspects of health.
Lack of sleep has been linked to short- and long-term health consequences such as stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
You should sleep seven to nine hours a night regularly to promote good health.
If you have difficulty staying or falling asleep at night, lifestyle changes such as following a sleep schedule and limiting blue light – emitted by mobile devices and computer screens – before bedtime are helpful in improving sleep.
SUMMARY: Adequate sleep allows your brain to reorganize, recharge and eliminate toxins that accumulate throughout the day.
3. DRINK MORE WATER
The water it does much more than quench your thirst. It regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, aids digestion and absorption of nutrients, and detoxifies the body by removing waste products.
Your body’s cells must be continually repaired to function optimally and break down nutrients for your body to use for energy.
However, these processes release waste – in the form of urea and carbon dioxide – that cause damage if they accumulate in the blood.
Water transports these waste products, efficiently removing them through urination, breathing or sweating. So, staying properly hydrated is important for detox.
SUMMARY: In addition to its many functions in the body, water allows the body’s detoxification system to remove waste products from the blood.
4. REDUCE INGESTION OF SUGAR AND PROCESSED FOODS
Sugar and processed foods are believed to be at the root of current public health crises.
High consumption of sugary and highly processed foods has been linked to obesity and other chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes
These diseases impair the body’s ability to naturally detoxify, damaging organs that play an important role, such as the liver and kidneys.
For example, high consumption of sugary beverages can cause liver steatosis, a condition that negatively impacts liver function
By consuming less junk food, you can keep your body’s detox system healthy.
You can limit junk food , leaving it on the store shelf. Not having him in the kitchen ends the temptation.
Replacing junk food with healthier options such as fruits and vegetables is also a healthy way to reduce consumption.
SUMMARY: Excessive junk food consumption is related to chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. These conditions can damage organs important for detoxification, such as the liver and kidneys.
5. EAT FOODS RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by molecules called free radicals. Oxidative stress is a condition caused by the excessive production of free radicals.
Your body naturally produces these molecules for cellular processes such as digestion. However, alcohol, tobacco smoke, a poor diet and exposure to pollutants can produce excess free radicals.
Because they cause damage to your body’s cells, these molecules have been implicated in a number of conditions, such as dementia, heart disease, liver disease, asthma, and certain types of cancer.
Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help your body fight oxidative stress caused by excess free radicals and other toxins that increase the risk of disease.
Focus on getting antioxidants from food rather than supplements, which can actually increase the risk of certain diseases when taken in large amountsFonte confiável
Examples of antioxidants include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin.
Berries, fruits, nuts, cocoa, vegetables, spices and beverages such as coffee and green tea have some of the highest amounts of antioxidants
SUMMARY: Eating a diet rich in antioxidants helps your body reduce free radical damage and can lower the risk of illnesses that can affect detoxification.
6. EAT FOODS RICH IN PREBIOTICS
intestinal health It is important to keep the detox system healthy. Your intestinal cells have a detoxification and excretion system that protects your intestines and body from harmful toxins such as chemicals.
Good bowel health starts with prebiotics , a type of fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut called probiotics. With prebiotics, your good bacteria are able to produce nutrients called short-chain fatty acids, which are beneficial to your health.
The good bacteria in your gut can get out of balance with the bad bacteria due to the use of antibiotics, poor dental hygiene and the quality of the diet.
Consequently, this harmful change to the bacteria’s health can weaken their immune and detox systems and increase their risk of disease and inflammation.
Eating foods rich in prebiotics can keep your immune and detox systems healthy. Good food sources of prebiotics include tomatoes, artichokes, bananas, asparagus, onions, garlic and oats.
SUMMARY: Eating a diet rich in prebiotics keeps your digestive system healthy, which is important for proper detox and immune health.
7. REDUCE SALT INGESTION
For some people, detox is a way to get rid of excess water.
Consuming too much salt can cause your body to retain excess fluid, especially if you have a disease that affects your kidneys or liver – or if you don’t drink enough water.
This accumulation of excess fluid can cause swelling and make clothing uncomfortable. If you’re consuming too much salt, you can detoxify the extra water weight.
While it may seem counterintuitive, increasing your water intake is one of the best ways to eliminate excess water weight by consuming too much salt .
That’s because when you consume too much salt and too little water, your body releases an antidiuretic hormone that stops you from urinating – and therefore detoxifies.
By increasing your water intake, your body reduces the secretion of antidiuretic hormone and increases urination, eliminating more water and waste products.
Increasing your intake of foods high in potassium — which counteracts some of the effects of sodium — also helps. Potassium-rich foods include potatoes, squash, beans, bananas, and spinach (54Fonte confiável)
SUMMARY: Consuming too much salt can increase water retention. You can eliminate excess water – and waste – by increasing your intake of water and potassium-rich foods.
8. BE ACTIVE
Regular exercise – regardless of body weight – is associated with longer life and reduced risk of many conditions and diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain cancers
While there are several mechanisms behind the health benefits of exercise, reducing inflammation is a key issue.
While some inflammation is needed to recover from infections or heal wounds, too much of it weakens your body’s systems and promotes disease.
By reducing inflammation , exercise can help your body’s systems – including your detox system – function properly and protect against disease.
It is recommended that you do at least 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise – such as brisk walking – or 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity – such as jogging
SUMMARY: Regular physical activity reduces inflammation and allows the body’s detoxification system to function properly.
9. OTHER USEFUL DETOXICATION TIPS
While no current evidence supports the use of detox diets to remove toxins from your body, certain dietary changes and lifestyle practices can help reduce the toxin load and support your body’s detox system.
Eat foods that contain sulfur. Sulfur-rich foods such as onions, broccoli and garlic increase the excretion of heavy metals such as cadmium
Try chlorella. Chlorella is a type of alga that has many nutritional benefits and can increase the elimination of toxins such as heavy metals, according to animal studies
Enjoy cilantro dishes. Coriander increases the excretion of certain toxins, such as heavy metals such as lead, and chemicals including phthalates and insecticides.
Glutathione support. Eating foods rich in sulfur like eggs, broccoli and garlic helps to increase the function of the glutathione , an important antioxidant produced by the body that is heavily involved in detoxification
Switch to natural cleaning products. Choosing natural cleaning products like vinegar and baking soda over commercial cleaning agents can reduce your exposure to potentially toxic chemicals
Choose natural body care. Using natural deodorants, makeup, moisturizers, shampoos and other personal care products can also reduce your exposure to chemicals.
While promising, many of these effects have only been demonstrated in animal studies. Therefore, studies in humans are needed to confirm these findings.
SUMMARY: Some lifestyle and dietary modifications can improve the body’s natural detoxification system.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Detox diets are said to eliminate toxins, improving health and promoting weight loss .
But these diets – while enticing – aren’t necessary because your body has its own highly efficient detoxification system.
That said, you can improve your body’s natural detox system and improve your overall health by staying hydrated, consuming less salt, staying active, and following an antioxidant-rich diet.