Cleansing and detoxifying

The processes of internal cleansing or detoxification, helping the organs to remove toxic substances or stagnation from the system, is a part of almost all traditional medical systems, and is an important part of natural healing.

Every living cell in the body (with perhaps a few exceptions) has the means of ridding itself of substances that it doesn't need. These may be substances that are produced as part of the functioning of the cell-- like carbon dioxide-- or they may be foreign substances that are acquired from the environment or from microorganisms. Either way, these toxins can be stored in tissue, or they can be transported through the blood and lymph system. They can then be filtered from the blood and expelled from the system by one of the major organs of elimination, such as the lymph system ,kidneys, liver, and bowels. The lungs and skin are also organs of elimination, and the stomach can be under some circumstances..

Problems arise when too much toxic stuff builds up in the body at once. This can happen suddenly, like when your spouse poisons your coffee, or when someone overdoses on drugs; or it can happen gradually, from a long period of bad diet and not enough exercise. Exercise is very important to the cleansing processes, because it increases the rate of exhalation (clearing toxins like carbon dioxide from the blood), moves the blood and lymph, and helps facilitate the movement of the bowels. It also raises the body temperature and induces sweating, another cleansing process. Additionally, it oxygenates the blood and raises its pH (alkalinity), both of which help to prevent the production of toxins inside the cells.

Many, many disorders-- including heart disease, arthritis, indigestion, diabetes, parkinson's disease, some cancers, allergies and chemical sensitivities-- are or can be caused by toxins and the body's inability to get rid of them.

Many more conditions-- including mental illnesses, parkinson's disease, autism, and perhaps even the ageing process-- may be caused in part by the accumulation of toxins in the body.

Besides breathing and exercising, which should be a part of any attempt to purify and cleanse the body, there are some things that can be done to help the process along.

One thing is to improve circulation and the flow of fluids in the body. Hot, spicy herbs are useful for this, such as cinnamon and ginger. These help to open up blood vessels and get everything moving in the system.

The second step is to stimulate the kidneys. This requires plenty of fluids (as does the entire process; 1 gallon a day is not too much), and can include the use of sour-tasting substances such as lemon juice or cranberry. This will help to get minerals out of the system that are there in excess, and also help in the removal of some toxic substances. In more extreme cases, when a very strong, acrid herbal is used, or when the cleanse is going to continue for a long time, I like to include
marsh mallow or hibiscus, which are soothing to the kidneys.

The third step is to stimulate the liver and spleen. Liver-stimulating herbs are often bitter, like gentian or astragalus. Spleen-stimulating herbs do not have any particular taste associated with them. Sarsaparilla is the one I use most often in my practice. Melon, as food, is also useful in a mild sort of way. Both of these will continue the stimulation of the kidneys as well.

The final step is to cleanse the bowels. This process will have already bgun by stimulating the liver and spleen, and usually little more is needed to keep it going than a diet with lots of fiber, and of course plenty of fluids. Aloe juice (not gel or distilled aloe water) can be helpful in this step as well. In some individuals it might be helpful for a day or two to use herbs that actually stimulate the bowels directly, such as (in increasing order of potency) licorice, senna or cascara sagrada fluidextract.

A relatively gentle cleanse of this sort is safe for a healthy adult. Someone on medication or with existing health conditions would probably do well to seek professional supervision to make sure that any cleanse they were doing fit their needs and would not cause them unforeseen complications.

For the vast majority of people, doing a cleanse of the body following this general outline, once in a while-- say for one week every six months or a year-- is useful for improving and maintaining good health.