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Detoxification & Cleansing Offer a Natural Fresh Start

by Janet Poveromo | December 1, 2012

Natural detoxification is not a new concept: the use of herbs, minerals and other organic ingredients as a means of cleansing the body has been practiced for centuries and by cultures worldwide. But detoxification has never been needed as much as it is in the present.

“The human body has evolved highly efficient mechanisms to dismantle toxins and remove them from the body. But these natural mechanisms, which send toxins out through the breath, feces, urine and perspiration, have adapted from a far different environment than we live in today,” said Mark Timon, MS, clinical nutrition and founder/formulator/ R&D for Connecticut-based manufacturer Vibrant Health. “Diets once supplied massive amounts of fiber swept the colon clean on a regular basis. Cleansing fasts were frequently imposed by intermittent periods of food scarcity, and toxic elements in the environment came from natural sources.”

Today, we are exposed to synthetic chemicals in our food, water and air that were never encountered before, Timon continued. “Dioxins, PCBs, PCAs, benzopyrene from tobacco smoke, cadmium from disintegrating tires running along our roadways are just a few examples of the substances that are now sequestered in the fatty tissue and vital organs of every human being on the planet,” he said. “Some of these materials are poisonous in their own right, while others are converted into carcinogens and toxins by our own enzymatic systems.”

Furthermore, the abundance of our food supply has eliminated those uncomfortable periods from the past when we were without food. “We are no longer subject to intermittent cleansing fasts imposed by the outside world,” Timon pointed out. “In order to remove the accumulated toxins and metabolic waste from over-consumption of food, it is wise in this day and age to engage in a cleansing fast of some kind at least twice a year.”

While James Gibbons, president of New York-based manufacturer Natural Organics Inc. (Nature’s Plus), said the top health reasons to detox are too many to list, he agreed that food is the primary culprit. “The very biological processes that allow us to continue living also generate toxic byproducts that accelerate aging, rob our health and destroy our quality of life,” he said. “The simplest physiological benefits to describe are those that involve the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The direct connection between the elimination of toxins from the GI tract and an improvement of the health of the GI tract is simple and pretty much straightforward. With a myriad of foods traversing the intestines, at a bacteria-friendly temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the propensity for spoilage and bacterial overgrowth within the intestines is enormous. In fact, intestinal food degradation and the countless toxic byproducts it produces are facts of life. But beyond that, the intestines are the body’s primary conduit for the elimination of metabolic waste materials, produced by the body itself.”

But cleansing is associated with many health benefits that go far beyond GI health. “Toxins, including free radicals, can inhibit the health of any part of the body,” Gibbons added.

Detox Methods

There are numerous ways that detoxification can be carried out: vigorous exercise or a session in a sauna can enhance expulsion of toxins through perspiration. However, most people turn their attention toward dietary modification when they begin to contemplate detoxification, said Timon.

“There is, of course, the strict water fast, in which no food is taken in at all,” he said. “In order to survive under these circumstances, one’s biochemistry begins to scavenge everything in sight that can be metabolized and discarded. Just two or three days of a water fast are usually sufficient.”

Most popular today are various fiber-laden fasts. The focus of these is to enhance cleansing through the primary excretory avenue, the GI tract, Timon explained.

“My preference is for a vegetable cleansing diet that is composed of 80 percent cooked and 20 percent raw vegetables, using herb teas and a few heavily diluted fruit juices as beverages in addition to mineral water,” he said. “The only seasonings used on the vegetables and salads consumed in this diet would be fresh lemon juice, garlic and maybe a touch of olive oil. These diets are quite effective and should be sustained for about 14 days.”

Gibbons sees detox cleansing in general as a personal matter, “although most people prefer a cleansing system that facilitates toxin elimination without gas, bloating or GI-upset. One must always pay attention to the balance between thoroughness and personal comfort,” he said, noting that a longer duration of cleansing is typically considered more thorough than shorter cleanses. “On the other hand, a product that requires months of cleansing clearly pushes the boundaries of convenience and comfort too far for most consumers. A good cleansing brand must offer consumers a variety of systems, ranging up to 15 days.”

Quick and powerful three-day cleansing systems can be helpful, and offer the convenience of getting cleansed quickly, Gibbons suggested. “But for a more thorough cleansing of bodily systems, a longer cleansing system is preferred,” he said. “Consumers need to be able to make the choice between intensity and duration for themselves.”

Ingredients, Products & Lifestyle

Though there is a range of products and ingredients that are recommended for detoxification, Dr. Benjamin Ershoff identified several excellent detoxifiers in his research more than 50 years ago, Vibrant Health’s Timon pointed out. “Among them were substances as innocuous as carrot root powder, locust bean gum and grass fibers, ranging to more molecularly pure materials such as potassium alginate. Perhaps some readers will recall a formula marketed by Plus Products back in the mid-1970s called Fyblend. It was designed by Dr. Ershoff, but was far ahead of its time, and sold poorly.”

The fact that research into dietary fibers began in the 1950s and continues today shows that certain types of fiber can be quite specific relative to the toxic elements they may remove, Timon added. “For example, locust bean gum is very effective at lowering serum cholesterol, but has no effect counteracting the toxic effects induced by sodium cyclamate. Therefore, it is nearly impossible to identify the most beneficial ingredients for detoxification, unless you know what substance, or what very narrow class of substances, is to be the target.

Vibrant Health markets Vibrant Cleanse, a convenient, powdered rendition of the classic Master Cleanse comprised of certified organic grade B maple syrup powder, certified organic lemon juice crystals and certified organic cayenne pepper. It provides enough nutritional value to keep metabolism running while most of each cell’s energy can be devoted to “taking out the trash” rather than burning off excess amounts of calories.

“Cleansing has many therapeutic benefits that are so profound that even people with unhealthy lifestyles will experience improvements from a high quality cleansing system,” Gibbons concluded. “However, for even greater noticeable, life-changing improvements, such as increased energy, improved digestion and digestive comfort, healthier elimination and a greater sensation of overall well-being, it is recommended that one adopt a healthier lifestyle, including moderate exercise and getting plenty of sleep.More importantly, one should avoid the very toxins he or she is trying to eliminate by cleansing in the first place. That means no smoking, eliminating artificial colors and preservatives, removal of junk foods and avoidance of saturated-fat-laden fast foods. The toxins resulting from such activities and foods completely undermine the very purpose of a detox cleansing program.

New Organic Cleansing Options

The popularity of cleansing is growing by leaps and bounds. That’s because cleansing is one of the few methods of nutritionally improving health that yields fast and noticeable results, said James Gibbons, president of Natural Organics Inc. (Nature’s Plus).

Nature’s Plus Cleansing systems have been certified by a fully licensed and accredited United States National Organic Program (NOP) certifying agency standards. The company’s three new organic cleansing systems are:

• Fresh Start Cleanse, a two-week morning and evening program featuring organic herbs to remove accumulated waste and toxins throughout the body. In easy-to-swallow vegetarian capsules, the Fresh Start Cleanse two-week program is designed for those new to cleansing.

• Quick Body Cleanse, a three-part, seven-day program targeted for more experienced cleansers. The product features an alkalizing colon cleanse fiber powder mix with a pineapple flavor, plus two vegetarian capsule formulas to detoxify and cleanse throughout the body. Part 1 (morning) supplies herbs, amino acids and antioxidant nutrients. Part 2, featuring acacia, is a morning and evening colon cleanse formula, while Part 3 (evening) provides magnesium hydroxide, rhubarb and soothing herbs.

• Complete Body Cleanse, a deep, revitalizing cleansing program. Part 1 (morning) detoxifies with prebiotic polysaccharides, organic marine algae, 19 allorganic herbs and organic oat bran (fiber). Part 2 (morning and evening) sequesters toxins from the large intestine with all-organic oat bran, flax seed, acacia gum fiber and prune. Part 3 (evening) provides prebiotics, probiotics and cleansing and soothing herbs for healthy elimination.

Gibbons noted when it comes to cleansing, cheap is certainly not best. “It pays to remember the very purpose of cleansing in the first place. Healthy cleansing employs Mother Nature’s elimination-enhancing herbs and nutrients to clear out the gastrointestinal tract, and start anew.”

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