Detoxification

Today, diet, lifestyle and environmental factors are considered to be the most important underlying causes of the chronic disease epidemic, which accounts for roughly 75 percent of our rising $2.5 trillion in annual heath care costs (2009) and is the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S.^1-2

It is sobering to note that most chronic disease is considered preventable.³ Chronic dysfunction such as diabetes, obesity, fatigue, arthritis and pain, certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, intestinal disorders, bone loss, hormone imbalance, autoimmunity, depression and loss of memory or mental/neurological acuity involves altered gene expression. Our genes govern how we function and many are flexible enough to be suppressed or activated by signals from diet, lifestyle and the environment. In fact, our present state of health is the outcome of many combined influences on genes—influences which we largely have control over and which should compel us to assume greater responsibility for our health.

Beyond the basics of healthy habits is the much-needed awareness of our own personalized load of toxins. Every day, environmental exposures to the quality of our food supply, air pollutants, microorganisms, toxic metals, pesticides, plastics, aldehydes, drugs, personal care products and a plethora of other chemicals, influence our genes in ways we are still discovering.

It is becoming more apparent that an increasing number of chronic health problems are being correlated with environmental exposure to many kinds of toxic substances, accompanied by a reduced ability to clear the toxins.⁴ Therefore, more focus must be directed at supporting human detoxification from the elements of metabolism, diet, lifestyle and the environment if we are to help alleviate our health challenges. This article presents an overview of detoxification, the process that reduces the negative impact of toxic and non-toxic substances on the body. Daily support for this process has become a modern necessity.

Inescapable Presence

Currently, the environment is ubiquitously contaminated with a vast number of chemicals, including pharmaceutical drugs in the water, food and air, and therefore the animal and human population. These relatively new chemicals that were intended to improve our lives are now accumulating inside of us. Many have been studied and shown to be toxic, threatening our intelligence, immunity, fertility and general well-being. Xenobiotic is the technical term for a toxin as a chemical or substance that is foreign to an organism or biological system (Webster). Since 1976 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted the National Human Adipose Tissue Survey (NHATS), which collects adipose tissue samples around the country from cadavers and elective surgeries to measure the levels of toxins.⁵ Ongoing assessments along with recent new studies reveal alarming results, clearly showing that the human toxic burden is much greater than previously thought, with many chemicals seen in 100 percent of people tested. Sadly, xenobiotics are also found in pregnant women, passing across the placenta, creating a body burden of chemicals for the vulnerable newborn. Furthermore, the underestimated, chemical “soup” or collective effects of these chemicals on the population is the subject of ongoing controversy and projected study, challenging the heretofore individually tested effects.⁶

Got Toxins?

It is nearly impossible to avoid exposure to toxins as each year billions of pounds of toxic chemicals, heavy metals and pesticides are released into the environment through manufacturing, agriculture, medicine and energy production.⁷ These toxins are present throughout the world and can travel by wind and commercial trade. Chemical over-exposure affects one’s ability to detoxify by depleting the necessary nutrients for detoxification or exceeding an individual’s genetic capacity to detoxify. Pharmaceuticals, negative emotions, high glycemic/junk food diets, food sensitivities, poor digestion, heavy metals, chronic stress and infections or anything that can “turn on” gene expression for systemic inflammation can impair detoxification. Not surprisingly, our individual detoxification profile is very relevant to our risk for dysfunction and chronic disease.

The fact that toxin exposure is cumulative may help explain why toxin-related environmental illness, which many physicians are not trained to recognize, is increasing. The very nature of most toxins, being fat-soluble, makes it easy for them to become persistent, passing through cell membranes and taking up residence in and around the body. Thus, toxins are primarily stored in fatty tissue such as cell membranes, the breasts, brain and adipose tissue. Many have long half-lives producing prolonged toxic effects. Although traditional healthcare systems worldwide have recognized that bio-accumulation of toxins cause or contribute to diverse health problems such as chronic diseases, public acknowledgement is now at an all-time high.⁸

Detrimental Effects

In a past article in this newsletter, I presented the toxic effects of acetaldehyde, representing one of the many thousands of different toxins in the environment. The environmental-cancer connection is seen in higher cancer rates for those born after 1940.^6,9 There are several metabolic targets for the injurious effects of xenobiotics. They may impair the synthesis of proteins, lipids and even glutathione. Secondly, toxins may alter the structure of the cell’s membranes, the energy-producing mitochondria or the cell’s nucleus and thirdly, they may disrupt endocrine (hormone) signaling (cytokine, eicosanoid, calcium channel, neurotransmitter).^6,10 Environmental pollutants are now recognized as a contributor to the rising diabetic-obesity or “diabesity” crisis in this country.^11-14 These disruptions to metabolism are magnified when they occur during fetal development and early childhood, inducing excess fat storage in the baby.^15-16 Among the explanations for how pollution interferes with metabolism is the notion that the body will create fat to store toxins as a defense mechanism against toxic poisoning.

As an example, the common pollutant Bisphenol-A (BPA), linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver enzyme abnormalities,¹⁷ is an endocrine hormone disruptor or xeno-estrogen. Major types of endocrine disruptors are widely present in land and aquatic environments. Being structurally similar to estrogen allows these toxins to bind and activate estrogen receptors causing a response even in the absence of estrogen. BPA interferes with human sexual development during puberty,¹⁸ and is associated with declining male sexual function,¹⁹ toxicity to the central nervous system, kidney, reproductive system (HPG axis), DNA and genes.²⁰ BPA has shown the ability to bind to the glucocorticoid receptor in the same manner as cortisol producing biologically similar effects.²¹ This has major implications for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity. BPA is found in plastics in small amounts (nanogram) but recently it was reported that most credit card and cash register receipts come from carbon-less paper that is coated with powdered BPA, delivering much larger amounts (milligrams) directly to the hands where BPA can be absorbed or contaminate other surfaces such as mucous membranes and food.²² As one report concluded: “Higher BPA exposure, reflected in higher urinary concentration of BPA, may be associated with avoidable mortality in the community-dwelling adult population.”²³

Detoxification 101

Detoxification of xenobiotics is critical in order to protect against toxic stress. Human detoxification is a complex, multi-reactive process that occurs primarily in cells of the liver and gastrointestinal wall and depends on multiple nutrients, cellular energy and a well-functioning body. Simply stated, most xenobiotics are taken from the bloodstream through a 2-phase transformation that makes them progressively less toxic and more water-soluble for excretion from the body. For successful detoxification, phase I and phase II must function in balance along with an intact gastrointestinal mucosal lining.

Phase I clears toxins from the blood. Here oxygen is needed to create a reactive site on the toxin by a group of at least 58 enzymes called the “cytochrome P450s.” It then becomes a bio-transformed “intermediate.” The reactive intermediate may become a free radical, more dangerous than the original toxin, exerting harmful effects within the liver or the entire body if it is allowed to escape the liver cell. Therefore, intermediates need to be promptly and efficiently moved into phase II of detoxification, which reduces toxic activity in preparation for excretion. Here a water-soluble carrier such as glutathione is added to the reactive site of the intermediate by a second series of enzymes called the “conjugases.” While phase I activity requires general nutritional support, the conjugation process consumes protein-derived amino acids such as taurine, glycine, glutamine, cysteine, methionine and acetyl or methyl groups. Ideally, the neutralized end-products of metabolism exit the body mainly through bile to the gastrointestinal tract or the bloodstream to urine. In reality, population studies show a wide range in metabolizing ability for all detoxification pathways including the phase I and phase II enzymes, with many significant, well-described, genetic variations called polymorphisms.^24-27 Nonetheless, most aspects of detoxification involve the modifiable factors of diet, lifestyle and the degree of environmental exposure.⁶

The quality of a person’s diet profoundly impacts detoxification. Food components affect gene expression including the genes that regulate detoxification. Poor diets contain more toxins and less nutrients to clear them. Adequate dietary protein is critical for proper phase II clearance of chemicals,²⁸ while high glycemic carbohydrate (sugar and starch) diets are known to down-regulate the P450 phase I enzymes thereby reducing the metabolism of several drugs and hormones.²⁹ Plant nutrients, including fiber, have been found to enhance detoxification. Sufficient dietary fiber is important for the final phase of detoxification, which is sequestering toxins for their elimination through feces. Fiber also decreases stool transit time and supports the friendly microbial balance that protects gut permeability. The effects of fiber keep the “conjugated” end-products of detoxification from becoming “un-conjugated,” reabsorbed through the gut wall and sent back to the liver again.³⁰

Coming Clean

A great way to prepare for the New Year is to focus on the goal of preventing new toxins from entering the body and getting the accumulated ones out. Cleaning up the diet, the immediate environment and adding specific support for detoxification should top the “to do” list. This plan may also be the secret to the success of all New Year’s resolution weight loss plans and to maintaining the ideal weight.

In addition to therapies that stimulate toxin release from the tissues such as sauna, exercise and massage, it is especially important to include nutritional therapy that supports all aspects of detoxification. However, any therapies that stimulate the cells to release stored toxins but do not support their elimination from the liver, gallbladder, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract can encourage the recirculation of toxins. Furthermore, fasting, without nutritional support, encourages the release of xenobiotics from adipose and other tissues. This may result in significantly increased phase I activity without a concomitant increase in phase II resulting in negative clinical reactions especially in an individual who is already experiencing chronic dysfunction. Ideally, detoxification support can be made an element of lifestyle, allowing a person to “cleanse” while performing the normal activities of their day. Gentle, daily detoxification may have greater, more lasting benefit than infrequent detox strategies. Most people cannot take time off for stringent, expensive or inconvenient detox programs. Incorporating detox support as a powdered drink mix for a meal or part of a meal is a way to gently help the body rid stored toxicity, avoid the risk of potentially overwhelming the system and at the same time, creating a healthy habit for life.

This concept of functional food has led to the creation of Detox Complex, a multi-functional, hypoallergenic, rice protein-based supplement that is micro and macronutrient fortified to support detoxification. Detox Complex contains a vast array of vitamins and minerals, amino acids, specific plant-based nutrients, multiple types of fiber, select probiotics and digestive enzymes. Other ingredients include calcium-D-glucarate³¹ for hormonal detoxification, Maca root for energy and adaptogenic support³², and essential fatty acids from chia seed and organic broccoli sprouts. The product also features Siliphos®, a patented and well-studied phytosome combination of milk thistle and phosphatidylcholine, which greatly enhances absorption of these two essential detox powerhouses,³³ and Pectasol® modified citrus pectin for toxin-binding and unique immune-protective qualities.³⁴ As a delicious meal addition, a snack, or as a meal for traveling or on-the-run, Detox Complex provides numerous supportive ingredients for detoxification mechanisms of phase I, II, and elimination, weight management, digestive and intestinal health, energy production and for decreasing systemic inflammation. Detox Complex is also a foundational product for deeper detoxification efforts and other plans such as weight-loss, athletic and recovery. Detox Complex complements the basic wellness plan of taking multivitamin/mineral, essential fatty acid, and individually specific supplements. To heighten the detoxification benefits, AL-CoFactors™ may be taken along with Detox Complex as a perfect detox companion product. A more detailed description of the many effective ingredients in Detox Complex is included with the product.

The toxic burden is metabolically expensive, costing energy and nutrient reserves that must be replenished daily. The fact that we are all toxic may be hard to swallow but the remedy isn’t. Detox Complex supports all aspects of detoxification, ensuring that toxins are escorted out of the body, allowing for optimal health.

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