The body toxin cleanse solution to rival all others

Do toxins build up? Well, yes - and no. You'll find plenty of information on so-called toxins and toxin build-up, but most of what you'll find out there is a bunch of crap, pun intended. When something goes wrong with your waste-elimination system, you will often know. Most healthy individuals do not need to worry about doing detox diets and special cleanses.

I believe we already have an appropriate vocabulary and theoretical framework for discussing "toxins" in the body and how to eliminate them. Medical science has defined exact symptoms to look for and treatments to cleanse illness. We have a system that has evolved to eliminate waste and keep our bodies functioning smoothly, in a clean and healthy manner.

Some main symptoms you should look out for and speak to your doctor about are constipation, diahrrea, abdominal pain, strange abdominal swelling, jaundice, and pain in the area where your kidneys are. Keep in touch with your body and note any changes that seem unusual to you. Normally you'll be able to notice them. If you know something is minor, still keep an eye on it or mention it to your doctor next time you see him or her.

Generally in the discussion on detoxing, what the toxins are exactly isn't mentioned. I can't find any scientific literature on the subject. It's a topic that makes sense when you hear it, but evidently has no solid basis in fact.

What really builds up in your body? It can't all be nonsense, right? Sometimes chemicals DO build up in the body. Alcoholics will feel effects of excessive drinking, resulting in swelling of the liver (sometimes visibly), for example. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs to detox from (http://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0315/p1443.html). Drugs such as heroin, cocaine, meth, and nicotine can build up in the system. Some anti-depressants and stimulants will stay in the body for about two weeks. These substances are all very highly concentrated.

You know you have a buildup if you're drinking excessively or doing drugs. You'll know you probably have something built up when you take medication, but that is on purpose, as with antidepressants. What you're probably most interested in knowing is how does your body tell you its systems to eliminate waste have malfunctioned? When the organs that take care of unnecessary substances in your body have broken down or are not doing their job, you have kidney stones, jaundice, gall stones, or swelling, for example.

If you have to go through drug or alcohol rehab, the clinic there will help your body do its cleansing. Your body does most of the work and it's hard and it's scary. But people get through it.

If your problem is different, say, kidney stones, drink more water!

If your problem is less serious, perhaps you feel that your digestive system is a big sluggish, eat more fiber! One way to get more fiber is through your fruits and vegetables. Whole grains are a good way too. Probiotics can help your digestive tract function at its best also. Taking probiotic supplements in capsule/pill form is a good idea when you're on antibiotics for an illness. Antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria, so replenishing it how you can is helpful. You can also eat foods that have probiotics in them, such as yogurt or frozen yogurt (the bacteria survive just fine in the freezer).

The main message is to watch your body, mainly the digestive system, for changes, stay away from drugs and alcohol, drink enough water, get your fiber in, and eat healthy! Exercise doesn't hurt either ;)

In the next few modules, I'll tell you more about the parts of your body that eliminate waste and how they do it. Check out my sources for more information.

If something is wrong with the kidneys, you may experience noticeable swelling in the body, pain in the area of your back where your kidneys are, or odd skin rashes and itching (1).

The spleen filters unwanted material in the blood and produces antibodies. Interestingly, it isn't absolutely necessary for survival. Some people have their spleen removed in special circumstances where keeping the spleen is more detrimental to health than removing it. Unfortunately, if there is something wrong with the spleen, symptoms tend to be vague: fullness or pain in the upper left abdomen or back. When you go for your annual wellness visit with your primary care provider (which you totally do, right?) and he or she pokes around on your stomach, your enlarged spleen will make itself known (2).

The intestines don't make a large appearance in this lens. They don't really eliminate waste from the blood or organs, other than the obvious carrying along to the anus. Often detox articles will talk about constipation and sluggish bowels causing toxins to leech into the system, but in reality, these do not appear to cause problems other than discomfort. Rather, constipation is often a symptom of something else going on. Treat that "something else," and you usually remedy the constipation. You may have to fix your diet, switch a medication, or overcome a fear of public restrooms. Issues with the structure of the colon itself may cause constipation, but these are more rare and a doctor can find them out.

The pancreas regulates your blood sugar via hormones and produces digestive enzymes for your small intestine. The pancreas can become inflamed with chronic alcohol use (sounds like a toxin to me), tumors or cysts, and having too much iron. Symptoms can be upper abdominal pain, usually severe, and can be felt in the middle back. Changes in the bowel may occur or jaundice may develop (3).

The gallbladder digests fat and concentrates bile. This organ doesn't necessarily eliminate waste from the bloodstream, but it can form gallstones under certain conditions. Gallstones can be considered a toxin of sorts. Research suggests that they form in a diet high in fats, starches, and cholesterol (4). Some suggest that melatonin levels are associated with gallstones (5).

The liver is a vital organ that produces a number of essential hormones and functions to filter blood that comes from the digestive tract. Drugs are metabolized and does the main work of detoxifying the blood. This organ is the powerhouse of detoxification in your body.

One of the coolest things about the liver is that it can regenerate itself (6; 7).

"Toxins" can build up in the liver with alcohol abuse and the effect is worsened with tobacco use (7).

Some diseases and illnesses can cause the liver to cease functioning properly, such as hepatitis, inflamed pancreas, and a certain type of hypertension. Since the liver is so essential, symptoms of liver problems can be severe: severe abdominal pain and feeling of fullness, jaundice, dark urine, easily bleeding, liver enlargement (even to the extent of being able to feel it when touching the stomach), and fluid build-up in the abdominal cavity (and resulting distension/swelling) (8). Symptoms of liver encephalopathy, or cognitive impairment attributable to toxins building up in the blood, are quite severe: impaired consciousness; changes in logical thinking, personality, and behavior; changes in mood; confusion; and and disorientation to name a few.

Sweat allows skin to secrete a little waste, but not much at all. Sweat's main function is to cool you down. I also find that my skin stays much clearer when I workout and sweat a ton. I noticed the correlation, but I'm not sure if the main mechanism is sweating or the exercise or feeling better and taking better care of myself.

So about these cleanse diets and products. Notice they want you to buy something. Of course, to get quality products, you gotta pay money. That keeps things in business. But, if a product uses lots of bold, flashing letters, promises to cure all your woes, or is the "secret" to anything, watch out. The best weapon you have against toxins is your brain. Use it to stay away from people and products that want to take advantage of your down moments. Everyone wishes from time to time that scams and too-good-to-be-true products actually work and do good, but then they wouldn't be called "scams."

Also use it to keep bad things out of and away from your body.