The death of Michael Jackson has highlighted the problem of toxicity of the drugs that people regularly take without a thought about the impact on their livers or immune systems.  Many people regularly take over the counter (OTC) drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, (known as paracetamol or Panadol in the UK)  for colds or aches and pains without being aware of the dangers.

Virtually all drugs need to be detoxified by the liver and the side effects experienced by some is due to the damage caused directly buy the chemical to the liver or their effect on the metabolism of other drugs. Adverse side effects are experienced by 15 – 30% of those taking both over the counter medication and prescription medication. Some research has found that 8 million people (28% of all admissions) are hospitalized each year for conditions caused by prescription drugs. A frightening thought.

The liver detoxification tests that are used by some laboratories use aspirin and acetaminophen (paracetamol) as the agents to determine how the detox pathways are working.  Drug companies who produce these drugs always study how the drug is detoxified so the way aspirin and acetaminophen are detoxified is well known.

The Two Step Detox Process

The liver converts drugs in a two step process called Phase 1 and Phase 2 pathways into substances that can be more easily excreted in the urine. For most drugs the liver uses the route that will get rid of the chemical as rapidly and safely as possible but in cases where the preferred pathway is not working efficiently often other pathways can be used with the danger that it is not eliminated so quickly or efficiently. The result here is that toxin stays in the system longer, may get turned into a more toxic form or may not get completely detoxified so it can cause damage to health.

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We all know that you can tell a lot about your health from the state of your hair but did you know that a simple hair mineral analysis using a few strands of your hair can reveal more about your health than many expensive blood tests?

When we talk about minerals we usually refer to the nutrients that are vital to your health and are essential to your detox system. But some minerals that get into your body such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum are toxic.  These toxic metals can interfere with or block your detox system. Your hair can reveal all the minerals present in the body so hair mineral analysis is an ideal way to assess their levels in your body.

Why are minerals so important?

Minerals cannot be made by the body and must be obtained from your food or supplements. They are needed for many biochemical functions  including digestion, metabolism (the rate at which your food is turned into energy), detoxification, muscle response, transmission of messages through the nervous system, and the production of your hormones.

They are the constituents of your bones, teeth, muscle, blood, your soft tissue and nerve cells. In fact every cell in your body needs minerals to function. Vitamins tend to get all the attention but minerals are known as the spark plugs of the chemistry of life. Your cells need energy to detox and minerals as well as vitamins are involved in the process that produces energy from the food you eat. They also nourish your thyroid that helps regulate energy production and drives detoxification.

Minerals are essential for detox

Your liver transforms harmful toxins into substances that can be released through the kidneys and bile by a two step process known as Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase I detox relies on 50 to 100 enzymes to break down a wide variety of toxic chemicals from food and water, alcohol, drugs, nicotine, toxins absorbed from the intestinal tract as well as numerous other substances that result from normal body metabolism. These enzymes are dependent on minerals such as magnesium, zinc and copper to function and can be blocked by toxic minerals.

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Since Oprah Winfrey started raving about the benefits of  Acai Berries that she included in her detox and weight loss regime many companies have rushed to launch their own products. There are sites all over the internet offering free trial bottles and these are some of the outrageous things that they claim this latest superfood can do for you:

• Flush out Excess Pounds!

• Break Up and Remove Harmful Toxins!

• Have More Energy! Fight Fatigue!

• Reduce Gas & Boating, while Flattering your Tummy!

• Risk Free Trial!

Wow! Sounds like a miracle to me. I was intrigued to know how a few capsules filled with an extract of Acai Berries (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) could do all this or is it just another elaborate scam?  What is it about this little berry that has suddenly got the media into a frenzy?

Here are some facts:

The Acai Berry grows in the rainforests of the Amazon and has been known for it’s health benefits by the local people for thousand of years. The berries are said to contain twice as many antioxidants as blueberries, 10 times more than red grapes, are rich is fiber, minerals and omega 6 and 9 fatty acids.

Dermatologist and skin care expert Dr Perricone rates Acai berries as the number one superfood in his latest book overtaking both pomegranates and blueberries. There is no doubt that it’s a great food if you can eat enough of it but here’s the problem:

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For years we have been told that we should apply plenty of chemical sunscreen before any exposure to sunlight. We are urged to slather our children with it too. Cosmetic manufacturers and doctors have warned us that we could get skin cancer unless we used these sun cream  despite any adequate safety testing of the chemicals used in them. So it will probably come as a shock to you to learn that if you use sunscreen you are applying toxic chemicals that are absorbed into your body and could in fact cause cancer.

Some new research from the US shows that 97% of all Americans are contaminated with benzophenone-3 (BP-3), a toxic chemical that is used in sunscreens.The toxic ingredient that absorbs UV radiation is widely used in sunscreen products worldwide so people in the UK and other countries are very likely to have the same problem.

You may have assumed that you do not absorb significant amounts of chemicals from applying products to your skin but studies have shown that BP-3 goes on being excreted long after the last use of the sunscreen indicating that it accumulates in the body.

Estrogen mimic

The chemical and a derivative called oxybenzone are  linked to a number of adverse effects. Studies show it is an estrogen mimic and can disrupt several hormone systems, damage cells as well cause allergic reactions to sunlight. It can also increase absorption of other chemicals.

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Sugar is one of the most addictive substances in the world and it has a devastating effect on your health. Excessive use contributes to long term health problems and diseases. It seems to be in just about every product you pick up in the supermarket so it is hardly surprising that people are asking how to detox sugar?

A sugar detox simply means avoiding sugar to improve your health but because it is in so many foods it is hard to do so. Because it is so addictive you might not realize how much you were depending on it for a quick energy or mood boost. Shocking statistics reveal that the average American and British person consumes about 150 lbs of sugar a year.

Why do you need to detox sugar?

Your body is designed to use glucose that it obtains from carbohydrate as a fuel for energy. Protein and fat can be used as well but they have to be turned into glucose first. When you eat whole grains, vegetables, beans or lentils the carbohydrates they contain are broken down and the sugars are released slowly into your blood stream. These foods contain the minerals and vitamins that are needed by your cells to convert the glucose into energy.

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Scientists have been warning us that Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that is used for the production of drink and food containers, food can linings and babies bottles, is toxic for a number of years. They are concerned that it leaches from the plastic into our food and water. Researchers have linked BPA to serious health risks but the manufacturing industry maintain that the amount the average person consumes is not enough to cause any harm.

Estrogen mimics and your health

Bisphenol A is classified as an estrogen mimic also known as gender benders and hormone disrupters. They interfere with the way your hormonal system functions and are not easily detoxified from the body naturally. US researchers found that Bisphenol A actually remains in the body much longer than experts previously believed.

It is thought that these hormone mimics contribute to conditions such as endometriosis, infertility, ovary dysfunction, miscarriage, excessive menstrual bleeding and cancers that are sensitive to estrogen. In high doses given to laboratory animals it causes bad behavior and insulin resistance which is linked to Diabetes 2 (late onset) and Metabolic Syndrome.

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Since the green smoothie revolution some people are asking if blending is better than fruit and vegetable juicing for detox. When you juice fruit or vegetables you extract the juice from the produce leaving a lot of pulp behind. Unless you add this to other dishes you lose the health benefits of the fiber and possibly some other nutrients like flavanoids and anthocyanins. With blending on the other hand you use the whole fruit or vegetable. So which is best for detox?

Fresh fruit and vegetable juicing has been used as part of detox regimes for many years. Proponents argue that the fresh raw juices without the fiber are easy for the body to digest. The vitamins, minerals and other nutrients released from the produce are easily absorbed. In cases of cancer and serious illness the person can consume many more nutrients through juices than he/she can by eating whole fruit and vegetables.

Force out toxins

By flooding the body with these concentrated nutrients it is believed that toxins are forced out of the cells and tissues and damaged tissue is repaired. People with poor digestion or bowel problems like Ulcerative Colitis get all the nutrients without the added digestive burden or irritation of the fiber. Unless you are juice fasting the high intake of whole fruit and vegetables in detox diets provides enough fiber to make up for that lost in the juicing.

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The ancient India healing system Ayurveda recommends  detox at every change of seasons to clear the body of toxins that may have built up over the previous season.

Ayurvedic cleanses are prescribed by Ayurevedic practitioners after taking a detailed history and are chosen for your particular “dosha” -mind and body type.

A complete Ayurvedic cleansing program includes 15 days of preparation and 45 days of actual cleansing but here is an Ayurvedic light vegetarian mini detox that is suitable for all “doshas” and can be followed for 2 or 3 days a week to help flush out toxins.

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Do you like your steak well done? If so you may be increasing your risk of pancreatic and colon cancer. According to a nine year study if you eat a large quantity of well done meat you increase your risk of pancreatic cancer by 70%. Previous studies have shown that your risk of  breast cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer and prostate cancer is increased if you eat charred red meat.

Fried, grilled and barbequed meat is toxic!

Toxic cancer causing chemicals can be formed when you fry, grill or barbeque red meat. These chemicals do not occur when you stew or roast meat. Two potentially toxic substances known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are formed when high protein foods are cooked at high temperatures.

When you barbeque over hot coals, PAH’s are formed when fat drips onto the charcoal. They get deposited onto the meat when the flames flare up which also blackens it.  Burnt toast also contains PAH’s.  Scientists often use PAH to cause cancer in laboratory animals for their experiments!

Cancer researcher Professor Le Marchand says. “But before these compounds can damage DNA and act as cancer-causing agents, they need to be transformed by enzymes in the body to more active forms.”

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With accusations that the media is whipping up unnecessary fear and frenzy and shocking hints that this outbreak of swine flu has been deliberately engineered by an American pharmaceutical company and amounts to bio-terrorism, we cannot deny the fact that people have already died from it. What we really want  to know is how we can protect ourselves against it and is regular detox enough to strengthen our immune systems against swine flu.

As you have not been exposed to this virus before you will have no  immunity against it but there are many things you can do besides detox to strengthen your immune system and to protect yourself against being infected by this and other viruses.

The internet is full of good practical advice like washing your hands with  soap and water and sneezing into a tissue but if you think that antibacterial soaps are the answer then think again. Many contain triclosan which kills the good bacteria on your skin as well as the bad. Yes, you have bacteria on your skin just like the good the bacteria in your gut. They are your fist line of defense. Once you use antibacterial products you destroy your own protection as well as the germs.

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