Detoxification & Heavy Metal Testing

Increased toxicity and pollution in our natural environment has begun to play an increasing role in our health. In addition to nutritional therapy, I recommend a detoxification regimen specific to my patients’ personal needs. Because we are exposed to ever-increasing amounts of chemicals and toxins, we need to regularly facilitate the body’s clearance of its toxic burden. Heavy metals can be particularly dangerous. New testing now also helps us determine the presence of heavy metals that may cause or contribute to illness. If heavy metals are present in toxic amounts, I can provide an individualized detoxification program that aids in the neutralization and safe removal of these toxins from your body.

Let’s explore the reasons we should consider doing a detox every 6 months (or at least annually):

In medical school, I learned about detoxification that occurs in the body to remove waste—a part of normal bodily processes. We also learned about how the body metabolizes drugs and other foreign invaders. The assumption seemed to be that the body had a system that would readily get rid of whatever it needed to, when it needed. Not much was taught about augmenting the process of detoxification. In medicine, it is referred to as a metabolic process. To your average physician, drugs and toxins are metabolized (not detoxified), so detoxification in the sense of patient treatment is not something necessarily familiar or of interest to  all physicians.

Toxins can be classified as inner toxins, which are generated within the body, or outer toxins, which are toxins that enter the body from the outside. Inner toxins come from the body’s normal metabolic processes and from invaders, such as an infection. So where do outer toxins come from? Cosmetics, food, consumer products—the list goes on and on. Read this article from the Environmental Working Group about a study where they tested volunteers for 210 chemicals (San Francisco Chronicle, 2004).

We are living in a sea of toxins, and there is good evidence that this is affecting our health in a major way. Many chronic conditions such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, depression and on and on are related to our toxic world. These chemical toxins are stored in fat in the body and are likely a major contributing factor to the obesity epidemic in the US and the world.

We are living in a different world from our parents and grandparents. Clearly, regular augmentation of the body’s detoxification process is essential for us to remain healthy and vital. Even though it’s not easy, I am putting regular detoxification into my health regimen and encourage you to do the same.