Conditions such as asthma, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, and most other chronic symptoms are strongly influenced by exposure to toxic or allergenic substances in the environment. And the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that over 80-90% of all illnesses have environmental and lifestyle causes. This means that by addressing these environmental and lifestyle issues, over 80-90% of our health problems would simply...go away. Imagine that - it would literally end our great nation’s health care crisis.

Detoxification has also become a prominent method of treatment for chronic conditions as people have become more aware of environmental pollution. It is estimated that one in every four Americans suffers from some level of heavy metal poisoning and we see this all the time (possibly moreso) when we test for heavy metals with our private clients at EPIC Functional Medicine Center. Heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, are by-products of industrialization. 

Further, synthetic agriculture chemicals, many of which are known to cause health problems, are also found in our food, air, and water. American agriculture uses nearly 10lb (4.5 kg) of pesticides per person on the food supply each year (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946087/). These toxins have become almost unavoidable and it has been found that over 90% of the American population has dangerous pesticides in their system (https://www.thenation.com/article/pesticides-farmworkers-agriculture/). Pesticides that are used only on crops in the southern United States have been found in the tissue of animals in the far north of Canada. DDT, a cancer-causing insecticide that has been banned for decades, is still regularly found in the fatty tissue of animals, birds, and fish, even in extremely remote regions such as the North Pole.

The problem of toxins in the environment is compounded because humans are at the top of the food chain and are more likely to be exposed to an accumulation of toxic substances in the food supply. For instance, pesticides and herbicides are sprayed on grains that are then fed to farm animals. Toxic substances are stored in the fatty tissue of those animals. In addition, those animals are often injected with synthetic hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals. When people eat meat products of animals fed grains or these grains directly, they are exposed to the full range of chemicals and additives used along the entire agricultural chain. 

Detoxification specialists call this buildup of toxins “bioaccumulation”. They assert that the bioaccumulation of toxic substances over time is responsible for many physical and mental disorders, especially ones that are increasing rapidly (like asthma, cancer, autoimmunity, thyroid and hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue, and mental illness, among many others). As a result, detoxification therapies are increasing in importance and popularity.

Toxins in the body include heavy metals and various chemicals such as pesticides, pollutants, and food additives. Drugs (including prescription medications) and alcohol have toxic effects in the body. Toxins are produced as normal by-products in the intestines by the bacteria that break down food. The digestion of polluted protein also creates toxic by-products in the body.

The good news is that the body has natural methods of detoxification. Individual cells get detoxified in the lymph and circulatory systems. The liver is the principal organ of detoxification, assisted by the kidneys and intestines. Toxins can be excreted from the body by the kidneys, bowels, skin, and lungs. Detoxification treatments and strategies, like this EPIC Detox, become necessary when the body's natural detoxification systems become overwhelmed. This can be caused by long-term effects of improper diet, stress, overeating, sedentary lifestyles, illness, and poor health habits in general. 

When a buildup of toxic substances in the body creates illness, it's called “toxemia”. Some people's digestive tracts become unable to digest food properly, due to years of overeating and diets that are high in toxic fat, sugars, and processed “foods” and low in fiber (the Standard American Diet – or “S.A.D.”). When this happens, food cannot pass through the digestive tract efficiently. Instead of being digested properly or eliminated from the bowel, food can literally rot inside the digestive tract and produce toxic by-products. This state is known as toxic colon syndrome or intestinal toxemia.

Detoxification therapies try to activate and assist the body's own detoxification processes. They also try to eliminate additional exposure to toxins and strengthen the body and immune system so that toxic imbalances won't occur in the future.

Considerations:

Patients can assist analysis and personalized intervention by keeping detailed diaries of their diet, activities, symptoms, and contact with environmental factors that may be affecting their health. Reducing exposure to environmental toxins and making immediate dietary and lifestyle changes may speed the detoxification process.

Side effects during the detoxification process may include fatigue, malaise, aches and pains, emotional duress, acne, headaches, allergies, and symptoms of colds and flu. Detoxification specialists claim that these negative side effects are part of the healing process. These reactions are sometimes called healing crises (or Herxheimer’s Reactions) which are caused by temporarily increased levels of toxins in the body due to elimination and cleansing. As such, WATER intake is essential for detoxification. As Jesse Jackson always says, “The solution to pollution is dilution.” And water, during any detoxification period, is critical.

Research and General Acceptance:

Although environmental medicine is gaining more respect within conventional medicine, detoxification treatment is scarcely mentioned by the medical establishment. The research literature, however, that exists on detoxification is well-established and it is unclear as to why the conventional medical community has eschewed detoxification with this large and overwhelming body of evidence. 

In the Functional Medicine community, detoxification is an essential and widely accepted treatment for many illnesses and chronic conditions.

Additional Resources:

Alternative Therapies Magazine. P.O. Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715. (919) 668-8825. http://www.alternative-therapies.com;

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 1114 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60004. (847) 818-1800;

American Holistic Medical Association. 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27607. http://www.holisticmedicine.org/index.html;

Cancer Prevention Coalition. 2121 West Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612. (312) 996-2297. http://www.preventcancer.com;

Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 7510 North Forest Dr., North Charleston, SC 29420. (843) 572-1600. http://www.coem.com;

Northeast Center for Environmental Medicine. P.O. Box 2716, Syracuse, NY 13220. (800) 846-ONUS; and Northwest Center for Environmental Medicine. 177 NE 102nd St., Portland, OR 97220. (503) 561-0966;

A Citizens Toxic Waste Manual. Greenpeace USA, 1436 U St. NW, Washington, DC 20009. (202) 462-1177;

The Institute For Functional Medicine (IFM). 505 S. 336th Street, Suite 600, Federal Way, WA 98003. (800) 228-0622. http://functionalmedicine.org.

Additional Suggested Reading:

Detoxify Or Die, by Dr. Sherry Rogers, MD

Tox-Sick, by Suzanne Somers