How do detox cures help the body? Many nutrition-conscious people have asked this in recent years – detox cures are on trend. But how helpful are they really? What should you watch out for? Is there a yo-yo effect? How healthy is it to go without solid food? These questions and who […]
How do detox cures help the body? Many nutrition-conscious people have asked this in recent years – detox cures are on trend, after all. But how helpful are they really? What should you watch out for? Is there a yo-yo effect? How healthy is it to go without solid food? This post answers these questions, and explains who a detox cure is worthwhile for and when.
Defeating the toxins in our body
That's the main goal of detox cures. In plain terms, it means removing from the body the substances in food that we're exposed to every day and that can affect our health. Good examples of such "toxins" are food additives, artificial preservatives and traces of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides (special blockers of fungal and spore growth) on fruit and vegetables. Many substances outside food are also considered toxins, for example dental fillings (heavy metals) and various chemicals in cosmetics, cleaning products and medicines. The human body responds to these substances by sending them to the detox organs. The kidneys and liver coordinate their processing within the body and the excretion of the toxins.
The human detox process
When blood is transported through the body, it doesn't just carry important nutrients. Toxins are also carried via the blood to the relevant organs for further processing. In the liver cells, toxins are bound to enzymes and transported back into the bloodstream, where they're passed on to the kidneys. There, the bound substances are filtered out and excreted in the urine. That's how the body's normal detox process works.
Occasionally, though, problems arise – for example when water-insoluble pollutants can't be properly converted in the liver. For this case too, the liver has a solution: the insoluble substances are thickened with bile and stored temporarily in the gallbladder. At the next meal they're transported into the gut, where they're broken down together with the food and then excreted.
Why detox cures if the body has its own "detox plant"?
The answer is simple: overload. Because almost all foods and everyday products today contain harmful additives, the body's detox system is weakened over time. That's why it can make sense to give the liver and kidneys a little relief. When overloaded, the body reacts with various symptoms:
- Weight gain
- Skin problems
- Gut problems
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
How detox cures relieve the liver and kidneys
During a detox cure we go without solid food and consume only liquids. As a result, the liver and kidneys need much less energy to break food down into its components. Liver, kidneys and gut can then focus fully on processing and excreting existing toxins.
Besides purely liquid food, detox cures usually involve drinking a lot of tea, as many teas have a dehydrating effect and flush out pollutants faster. Fruit juice helps too, as some fruits contain lots of antioxidants. The relief also improves the health and rhythm of the gut – it gets time to recover.
How effective are liquid detox cures?
It's important to look at the type of cure. Many products on the market leave you with an empty wallet rather than any benefit. Detox cures lasting several days with special juices can quickly run into three figures, and so-called detox patches are truly overpriced. These products usually focus on only one part of the detox cycle – they don't offer the holistic system needed for a real cleanse.
The 3 factors of a natural detox cure
1. High-quality food
Regional and organic products are clearly advisable here, as is avoiding processed food. Of course, this doesn't just apply during the detox cure: afterwards too, it makes sense to choose unsprayed and unprocessed food.
2. Be careful with smoking and alcohol
Alcohol isn't forbidden as such, but should be consumed in moderation, as the liver also recognises it as a toxin. Tobacco and cigarette smoke are worse – they're among the most harmful toxins for our body.
3. Active movement and plenty of exercise
Exercise and movement stimulate the metabolism, and this carries over to the detox function of the liver and kidneys. So: move a lot during and after the detox cure. It's not only good for the detox system, it also boosts your well-being and keeps your body fit.
Are detox cures worth it?
When it comes to expensive products that are supposed to detox, the answer is no. If instead you keep a juice cure natural, it can certainly bring the desired result. A detox cure followed by a change in diet and plenty of exercise helps the liver and kidneys – and often leads to the desired weight loss along the way.
