Detoxification is a process of neutralizing toxins in our system particularly in the lymph nodes and liver and then eliminating them through our lungs, colon, skin, and kidneys. This process is vital to our system as is nutrient intake, and it is a process that our system engages in as consistently as our heartbeat. Without these systems working properly, the toxins would then embed themselves in our tissues and trigger a host of degenerative diseases and inflammatory conditions which could include mental symptomatology such as anxiety and psychosis. When overloaded and if the body cannot neutralize and eliminate a toxin, it will sequester it away in fatty tissues including glandular, nerve, and brain tissue. In an effort to protect us from dangerous poisons; the body can accumulate mucous and fat to deposit these toxins in.
The scale of toxins we are currently exposed to put an unreasonable demand on our detoxification physiology. Industrial chemicals and the water treatment process pollutes the water we bathe in and often drink. Pesticides designed to poison insects are accumulating in our bodies, the concentration of mercury permeates the food chain along with other heavy metals, your household cleaners, solvents, the declination of our air quality, your hygiene products, and our environmental hormones all put an undue burden on our system, inevitably resulting in the breakdown of our natural body systems. Energy metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, addictive biochemistry, the disruption of normal hormonal production, interference of DNA and tissue repair, and other delicate biochemical systems are additionally adversely affected. The World Health Organization research has implicated environmental chemicals in 60-80% of all cancers today. We have seen this toxic load as correlatively and directly responsible for mental issues including psychosis, anxiety, hormonal disruption, addictive disorders, and underlying allergic and chemical sensitivities.
Our immune system serves the purpose of protecting us from infection. It does so by making a distinction between the self (the body) and the non-self (a foreign invader). When it detects an invader, such as a pathogen, - it will identify it closely. It will then send out the equivalent of a wanted poster to all the white blood cells, informing them of the invader. When the white blood cells come in contact with the pathogen, they set off an inflammatory process and begin the attack of the pathogen.
The immune system is being asked to distinguish self from non-self when it comes to toxin laden tissue. Often, the immune system mistakes this toxic tissue with “foreign invaders” and then proceeds to attack it. This is a likely mechanism for some cases of auto-immune issues such as Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Graves' disease, Psoriatic Arthritis, and a host of others. The immune system attacks tissues that are toxic without realizing the “attack” is on itself.
Signs of toxicity i
- Frequent unexplained headaches
- Chronic respiratory problems, sinus problems or asthma
- Abnormal body odor, bad breath or coated tongue
- Environmental sensitivities, sensitivity to odors
- Food allergies, poor digestion, constipation, intestinal bloating and gas
- Unusually poor memory, chronic insomnia, depression, chronic fatigue
- Brittle hair and nails, psoriasis, adult acne, unexplained weight gain
As different toxins debilitate different systems, different symptoms may present.
We commonly see Mercury toxicity create insomnia and anxiety. Arsenic toxicity has been known to contribute to pain killer abuse due to its effects on endorphin synthesis, and Mercury/Lead or Mercury/Aluminum combinations have been demonstrated in psychosis as they bind to neuronal receptor sites generally reserved for neurotransmitters and require chelation to restore normative functionality.
Additional signs of Heavy Metal and Pollution Toxicity ii
- Sensitivity to perfumes and cleaning products
- Low tolerance to alcohol
- Sensitivity to medications
- Sensitivity to certain supplements
- Usually bad breath and body odor
- Slow reaction time for your age
- Infertility, Impotency
- Memory failure, psychotic behavior, unexplained seizures
Removal Process
To remove these toxins, specific techniques need to be employed. Heavy metal toxins and many environmental toxins are neurotoxic and lipophillic. Neurotoxic means that they have a high affinity for and are destructive to nerve tissue. Lipophillic means love of fat, and therefore aggregates in fatty tissue such as endocrine glands, brain tissue and adipose tissue. These toxins are termed fat-soluble. In order to remove them, they must be addressed in specific ways:
Chelation- Chelation means “claw like.” This, put simply, is a protein that has a higher affinity for the heavy metal than does the fatty tissue, and as a molecule, will grab the toxin like a claw. A protein chelate such a DMPS binds the heavy metal toxin, and allows it to be escorted out of the body via the elimination pathways. Chelate are specific for metals only, and other methods much be employed in conjunction to address organic toxins.
Conjugation- Conjugation means “with joining.” For non-metal organic toxins, this is the method elimination. In order for these fat soluble toxins to be eliminated via sweat, defecation and via urinary routes, they must be converted to a water soluble form. This is done by adding something to the toxin such as a sulfur group, methyl group, acetyl group and others. This adding is chemically termed conjoining. The specific elements in our detoxification process take full advantage of this process so that the toxins can be liberated from the fatty tissue, and safely eliminated.
Sauna Therapy- Once the toxins have been rendered water soluble, one of the best methods of elimination it through the skin. The skin is a tremendous organ of elimination, with the capacity to eliminate even beyond the capacity of the kidney in some respects by virtue of the sheer surface area. By using the skin as a detoxifying organ, we therefore unburden the kidneys and the liver. It should be noted that the sauna is most effective in this way due to the fact that the conjugative process has converted the toxins into a water soluble form. The sauna as a standalone process would only eliminate the water soluble toxins in the same way the urination would, and would not specifically impact nuerotoxic and fat soluble toxins.
The specific elements employed in the Chelative Sauna Therapy can be seen here: Heavy Metal Chelative Sauna Process Defined
i. Adapted from Healthy Healing by Linda Page 12th ed page 173
ii. Adapted from Healthy Healing by Linda Page 12th ed page 178