This blog covers some of the main detoxification substances and the data that supports their use.
Complete gut rehab program
Niacin and bitters to improve Kidney function
Spirulina
Vitamin C
Chlorella
Clay
Zeolites
Various herbs/spices/phytonutrients
Carbon black
Gut rehab. The list below covers what I adapted from the 4Rs program into an 8R program. To get more details on this program, please contact jlaird@healthrevivalpartners.com
Remove, Reduce, Replace, Reinoculate, Ruminate, Rate, Repair, Reinvigorate. This is the 8R program, a comprehensive approach to gut rehab that we'll be discussing further. It's a lot to take in, but we'll break it down for you.
2. Niacin for Kidney cleansing. This is a powerful tool, but it's crucial to use it with oversight. Dr. Steven McConnell provides detailed insights in this video. Dr. Carter and the team stress the importance of this oversight, especially for individuals with a GFR of less than 60.
We have created a comprehensive protocol for this treatment. Here is the overview.
3. Spirulina to detox from the spike protein and co-infections.
What is spirulina, and who takes a lot of it regularly?
"Spirulina has been consumed as food by humans for a long time, and it is currently widely used as a food supplement, especially in Asia. In the history of Spirulina consumption, it has been generally considered nontoxic to humans."
Note: The population in Asian countries outlives Americans by many years. The Japanese outlive us by 9 years, on average.
"Spirulina is used widely throughout the world as a dietary supplement. Today, it is considered a potential solution for combating malnutrition, oxidative stress, cancer, viruses, bacteria, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory allergic reactions, heavy metal/chemical-induced toxicity, radiation damage, and anemia in clinical and preclinical research. It seems to offer significant health advantages to the consumer."
14.5.4 Spirulina
"Spirulina, a blue-green alga (cyanobacteria), is considered the food of the future. Spirulina is a good protein source with an average protein content of 60% which is much higher than any other natural food. It makes spirulina a good dietary supplement for people on vegetarian diets. It is also a good source of vitamins A and B12, minerals, and other unusual nutrients. A spirulina farm is an environmentally sound green food machine. Cultivated in shallow farms, the algae can double its biomass every two to five days. Spirulina can flourish in ponds of brackish or alkaline water usually built on unfertile land."
"Spirulina can be used in the diet of health-conscious people, and malnourished children and adults. Commercial products in the form of capsules, tablets, and similar pharmaceutical products are available. However, the limitations of such products lie in apparent medicinal use rather than using as foods that we use every day. Though nutritionally excellent, spirulina possesses two serious problems – the dark green color and the strong fishy off-odor."
4. Vitamin C in detoxification. This is what AI says about removing lead with high doses of vitamin C. I believe the solution is continuous long-term vitamin C treatment for those exposed to high lead concentrations.
Vitamin C has chelating properties that can increase lead excretion. When combined with thiamine, vitamin C can accelerate lead excretion through urine, reduce lead accumulation in the liver and kidneys, and reduce lead's effect on blood's delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase action. Vitamin C is also used in naturopathic lead treatment based on chelation therapy. However, experimental results on vitamin C's ability to increase lead excretion are inconsistent, especially at higher lead levels.
Here is a summary of the failures or shortcomings of some commonly used chelating agents that make Vitamin C more appealing.
The most commonly used therapeutic strategy for heavy metal poisoning is chelation therapy to promote metal excretion. However, chelators for Cd and Pb toxicity are themselves reported to have a number of different safety and efficacy concerns. None of the chelation therapies for Cd toxicity have yet been approved for clinical use thus far [2,28].
Chelators such as CaNa2EDTA and meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) have been reported to have protective effects against Pb toxicity. However, CaNa2EDTA can cause renal toxicity (at the proximal tubule particularly), especially during repeated high doses treatment (above 75 mg/kg) and in subjects with previous history of kidney damage [29]. Because of its relative lack of specificity, other essential metals such as zinc, iron and manganese are also reported to be excreted and depleted following CaNa2EDTA therapy [30].
DMSA also has side effects such as appetite loss, nausea and diarrhea [31]. A study of children being treated with DMSA showed that 12% had mild gastrointestinal symptoms and 5% experienced general malaise [32]. The development of safe and efficient strategies against Cd and Pb toxicity is therefore an area of ongoing research. Dietary supplements have been reported to play important roles in the alleviation or prevention of Cd and Pb toxicity.
Dietary strategies are advantageous, as nutritional ingredients can easily and affordably be added to the daily diet and can overcome the negative side effects of the chelation therapy.
Some really important points are made in this conclusion:
We have summarised the literature on potential dietary supplements for Cd and Pb toxicity. Based on these published reports, we recommend that people who are at risk of exposure to toxic metals ensure a sufficient intake of essential elements and vitamins and enhance their consumption of vegetables and fruit.
Some edible plants, such as
tomatoes (rich in iron, calcium, selenium, zinc, vitamins B and C, quercetin and naringenin),
berries (rich in essential elements, vitamin C, anthocyanin and catechin),
onions (rich in selenium, quercetin and vitamins B and C),
garlics (rich in sulphur-containing compounds, essential elements and vitamins C and E) and
grapes (rich in vitamins, essential elements and anthocyanin)
are of special importance as natural antagonists to Cd and Pb toxicity and should be consumed on a regular basis.
These dietary supplements are an affordable option, with fewer side effects than chelation therapy, for the billions of people around the world who are inadvertently exposed to toxic metals on a daily basis [118].
In addition, with the increasing contamination of the food chain, the accumulation of Cd and Pb in edible animals can present an indirect route of heavy metal poisoning in humans [1]. Therefore, providing livestock and farmed fish with the above-mentioned food interventions may also be helpful in reducing Cd and Pb exposure in humans.
5. Chlorella. Chlorella is a genus of green algae (family Chlorellaceae) found either singly or clustered in fresh or salt water. The whole chlorella plant is used to make nutritional supplements and medicine. There are several species of chlorella, with Chlorella vulgaris being one of the most commonly used in supplements. Chlorella algae is a cousin of spirulina.
The name “chlorella” is derived from the Greek word “chloros,” which means green, and the Latin diminutive suffix “ella,” meaning small. In the wild, chlorella can reproduce rapidly through the process known as photosynthesis. All it needs to grow and multiply is water, sunlight, carbon dioxide, and a small quantity of minerals.
In the 1960s, scientists realized that it was impossible for humans to digest chlorella in its natural state due to its tough cell walls, which encapsulate its beneficial nutrients. This is why chlorella supplements are labeled as “cracked cell wall chlorella.”
Detoxification from Heavy Metals: If you have mercury fillings in your teeth, have been vaccinated, eat fish regularly, have been exposed to radiation or consume foods from China, you may have heavy metals lurking in your body. It is important for your overall health and wellness to be proactive in detoxing heavy metals and toxins.
One of chlorella’s most significant health benefits is that it wraps itself around stubborn toxins residing in our bodies, such as lead, cadmium, mercury and uranium, and keeps them from being reabsorbed. Regular consumption of chlorella can help keep heavy metals from accumulating in our bodies’ soft tissues and organs in the first place.
According to researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College, “Cellular components and functions of the immune system remain at or near normal levels and are less adversely affected when patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or taking immunosuppressive medications such as steroids are also taking chlorella.”
6. Bentonite Clays.
Background: Bentonite is a natural clay composed mainly of montmorillonite with other associated minerals such as feldspar, calcite and quartz.
Owing to its high cation exchange, large surface area and ability to form thixotropic (thickening - like flour) gels with water and to absorb large quantities of gas, it presents a large medicinal application.
Objective: This review focuses on the promising potential of bentonite clays for biomaterial design and for therapeutic purposes.
Methods: PubMed, ACS publications and Elsevier were searched for relevant papers. We have also evaluated the references of some pertinent articles.
Results: Healing properties of bentonite are derived from the crystalline structure of the smectite group, which is composed of two octahedral alumina sheets localized between two tetrahedral silica sheets. This structure is behind the ability to intercalate cationic bioactive agents and undergo interaction with various toxic species and exchanging in return species such as Fe3+, Cu2+, Al3+ Ca2+, or Na+, presenting antibacterial activity and providing essential minerals to the body.
Furthermore, due to to its layered structure, bentonite has wide application for the design of biomaterials providing, thus, the stability of bioactive agents and preventing them from aggregation.
Conclusion: Numerous publications have cited bentonite's extensive applications as an alternative and complementary treatment for numerous health conditions, as a detoxifying agent, and for the preparation of several bionanocomposites.
7. Zeolites
Properties of Zeolite
Zeolite comes from crystallized aluminosilicate minerals found in rock deposits worldwide. It is formed when lava is naturally mixed with fresh or salt water. The volcanic ash becomes crystalline over the course of millions of years. Zeolite crystals emit steam when they are heated. The word "zeolite" comes from the Greek words for "boiling stones." The molecular composition of zeolite is a honeycomb structure made of silicon and aluminum oxides. The negative electric charge created by these honeycombs supposedly attracts positively-charged particles.
Medicinal Uses of Zeolite
Zeolite is used medicinally to remove heavy metals and other free radicals from the body. It is also used to relieve acid reflux and to balance and establish optimal pH levels. It is also believed to help lower blood sugar in patients with serious cases of diabetes. Zeolite is typically available in liquid form. People take zeolite mix and drink between three and 15 drops of the liquid with water three times a day, depending on their cleansing regimen.
8. Bitters
The use of bitters as a therapeutic tool can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Eventually, around the 1800s, these combinations of medicinal herbs became a popular cocktail. Today, there is a resurgence of interest in bitters as both a custom cocktail addition and a powerful supportive aid to digestive health.
When it comes to digestive health, ingestion of bitter herbs acts along two proposed pathways:
Binding of receptors that act reflexively to increase saliva and vagal tone of digestive organs.
Stimulation of local receptors to increase digestive secretions.
Strong bitter herbs like gentian, for example, stimulate stomach acid and other digestive secretions, while slightly milder bitters, like sweet orange essential oil, calm digestive upset and balance the central nervous system. In fact, the health benefits of bitters go far beyond the digestive system and have been shown to positively impact liver, kidney, immune, and detoxification functions.2
Bitter taste receptors exist throughout the digestive system and are located in other areas of the body.3 These bitter receptors have been shown to trigger a whole host of biological processes, including blood sugar regulation and immune stimulation in response to infection.4
From a clinical perspective, to get the full range of benefits from bitters, bitter herbs should be selected that impact digestion and support the liver and kidneys. Some examples of bitter herbs that do just that are milk thistle, dandelion, burdock, and goldenrod. In addition to providing digestive benefit, this will also ensure efficient detoxification.
After an exhaustive review of the vast amounts of research on individual bitter herbs, I have found that nine herbs rise to the top of the list when it comes to effectively supporting the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract, and subsequently promoting efficient detoxification. Those nine herbs are
dandelion,
milk thistle,
goldenrod,
gentian,
burdock, and essential oils of
sweet orange,
myrrh,
uniper, and
clove. When these bitter botanicals are delivered in liposomes, detoxification is enhanced even further.5
The liposomal delivery system also provides phosphatidylcholine, the primary phospholipid of which cellular membranes are comprised. These phospholipids form the external sphere of the liposomal package, and facilitate cellular delivery by fusing with the cell’s phospholipid membrane.6 By bathing the cell in phospholipids which are necessary for membrane repair and communication, we ensure proper function for absorption of nutrients and excretion of cellular waste products and toxins.
Bitters are a powerful tool that integrative practitioners can use to support healthy digestion, positively influence liver and kidney function, and thereby promote optimal detoxification. Integrating a comprehensive bitter with a liposomal delivery system is a perfect example of how innovative technology can take a historical home run and make it even better.
9. Activated Charcoal / Carbon Black
Activated charcoal is a black powder made from superheated natural sources like wood and is often used as a detoxifying supplement. It works by binding to toxins in the stomach, preventing them from being absorbed, and then the body excretes the toxins through feces. Activated charcoal can also be used to remove specific poisons from the body shortly after ingestion.
So, how does activated charcoal work? It traps toxins and chemicals in its millions of tiny pores. However, it’s not typically a remedy for the ingestion of corrosive poisons like petroleum, alcohol, lye, or acids.
It doesn’t absorb the toxins. Instead, it works through the chemical process of adsorption. In the body, absorption is the reaction of elements, including nutrients, chemicals, and toxins, soaked and assimilated into the bloodstream. Adsorption is the chemical reaction where elements bind to a surface.
The porous surface of activated charcoal has a negative electric charge that causes positive-charged toxins and gases to bond with it. The nooks and crannies that enhance toxin elimination inside the body are the result of a heating process, which allows the charcoal’s “activation.”
Detox Science! - Part 1
Whoa! Where do I start with detox? Do I do a quarterly purge? Is it all about herbs, chelating agents, vitamin C, zeolites, and clay?
Amidst the myriad of options, it's crucial to delve into the fundamental science of the detox process, empowering you to make informed choices.
As always, the beauty of detox lies in its simplicity. Our bodies are equipped with natural detox pathways, a gift from nature and God. Remember, in our body, detox is not a one-time event, but a continuous, natural process.
Now, let's delve into the two primary detox approaches that can significantly enhance our natural detoxification processes.
Support and augment our body's existing detoxification- Liver, kidney, etc.
Complement existing detoxification pathways. That is, mimic the actions of these organs.
Supporting organ function and copying their actions ARE two different things.
Existing detox pathways:
THE HIGH-LEVEL ONES
The big ones are the liver, kidneys, spleen, and other organs in the digestive tract. At the highest level,
the kidneys are your master filter
the liver is your chemical manufacturing plant that can turn a toxin into a metabolite that the kidneys can remove
the spleen is your natural blood filter
These organs remove a substantial amount of toxins. Thus, a priority for optimal detoxification is to ensure their efficiency. Lab tests can be a barometer of their activity. For example, you want an optimal GFR of 90 - 120 mL/min. This indicates your kidneys are healthy and efficient.
Your liver's enzyme activity should be in an optimal range. Too many people have elevated liver enzymes due to fatty liver disease or infections, particularly viral types. Those jabbed and who have had severe cases of Sars-CoV-2 frequently have elevated liver enzymes from the spike or the upregulation of latent viruses.
Spleen function is harder to test, but red and white blood cell counts may be an indicator. The spleen removes toxins from infection, so measuring for and treating chronic infections will take the burden off the spleen's activities. Other tests for spleen function include physical exam, ultrasound, CT scans, MRI, and a bone marrow biopsy since the spleen is involved in blood cell production.
The best way to manage the liver and kidneys - and every organ, for that matter - is to optimize gut health. I have modified what is known as the 4Rs of gut health to an "8R" program provided to clients only. The more basic 4R program stands for Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, and Repair/Rebalance.
Gut health IS detox health.
SIMPLER PATHWAYS
Calling them simpler does not imply they are less important, but they are easier for you to manage and optimize. Here is a list.
Perspiration: Sweating—the better we sweat, the better we move toxins out of the body. A sedentary lifestyle, where we stay indoors in air conditioning, limits our ability to move toxins. Get outside, exercise regularly, and use infrared or sweat saunas.
Urination: The more we pee, the more toxins we remove from the body. Lack of water intake reduces our ability to move toxins out of our system.
Respiration: The better we breathe (deep and often), the more we move toxins out of the body. A sedentary lifestyle reduces this form of detoxification and stress, and forward head posture forces us into short, shallow breathing habits that aren’t effective at moving toxins.
Excretion: The more we defecate, the more toxins we move out of our bodies. Constipation stagnates potent toxins that inflame us. We should move our bowels 2-3 times daily, as our body should naturally eliminate what it consumes within 12-24 hours after eating it. Your stool MUST be optimal daily per the Bristol Stool Chart. https://www.continence.org.au/bristol-stool-chart
Sinus: Clear your nostrils and cleanse them regularly. This filter collects particles laden with organisms. The cool temperature of the nose is a nice petri dish for pathogens besides being a "dust collector." Options are saltwater flushes or a ~1% iodine rinse. My preferred cleanse is a liquid mask.
Perform oral care. Oil pulling is a great way to detox from biofilms. Dioxi Rinse, a chlorine dioxide gas solution, is a treatment that "denatures" many pathogens in the mouth, making them easier to eliminate, for example, by oil pulling. The chlorine dioxide gas penetrates more deeply than many liquid or solid oral treatments.
Skin: Your scalp and the rest of your skin can hold on to toxins and pathogens. Washing, scrubbing, and brushing are detox methods. In addition, different essential oils and castor oil can purge the skin of nasties.
Now let's discuss MECHANISMS of detoxification. How does your detox protocol work? What is it effective against?
Here is a not-so-simple diagram of a "not-so-simple" organ - the Liver. You can beyond this figure below for the key points that one should consider for inclusion in your detox protocol. In essence, the best detox methods will mimic what your natural systems are doing.
Your liver performs a variety of chemical reactions. Many convert foodstuffs into vital nutrients. However, others detox.
The list to the left is important. Here are some definitions.
Proteolytic Cleavage—aka Hydrolysis. This reaction occurs when acid, such as very strong stomach acid, cleaves a protein into smaller peptides or amino acids. Proteolytic cleavage is catalyzed by peptidase enzymes, which are proteases, proteinases, and proteolytic enzymes. This is why supplements like betaine HCl and digestive enzymes are helpful in someone with a sub-optimal gut.
The reactions in the figure above are critical to providing nutrients to the body. However, when these reactions occur on "non-self" toxins, they are converted to either inert substances or are otherwise metabolized for easy removal through normal kidney pathways.
Other mechanisms that may occur in the gut include:
Absorption
Chelation - a form of absorption
Adduct formation - also a form of absorption
Sequestration
Our monocytes and macrophages sequester toxins. In addition to their ability to detect and signal the presence of pathogens, macrophages sequester and digest microorganisms using the phagolysosomal and autophagy pathways or, ultimately, eliminate themselves through the induction of programmed cell death.
I suspect the C-60 molecule works, in part, by sequestration.
Immunoglobulins also appear to work by sequestration. For example, Immunoglobulin IgG is noted to remove "LPS." I suspect sequestration in the pathway because of the definition of LPS.
LPS: "One of the most studied bacterial surface molecules is the glycolipid known as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), produced by most Gram-negative bacteria. Much of the initial attention LPS received in the early 1900s was owed to its ability to stimulate the immune system, for which the glycolipid was commonly known as endotoxin. It was later discovered that LPS also creates a permeability barrier at the cell surface and is a main contributor to the innate resistance that Gram-negative bacteria display against many antimicrobials."
Here is what immunoglobulin IgG is noted to do. Note that I have shown a substantial reduction in chlamydial organisms as well. However, in all cases the Brownstein Protocol was combined with the IgG.
Another mechanism of detoxification not often considered is competition. Our body tightly regulates concentrations. For example, you can eat a lot of salt, yet your sodium level stays in a tight range. The excess is excreted. Using this concept of competition, the medical literature suggests that adding harmless or beneficial substances where there are toxins may facilitate the removal of the toxins along with the excess of the beneficial materials - when they are closely related biochemically.
An example of this mechanism is saccharomyces boulardii. This yeast is known to reduce harmful yeasts like candida and C. diff.
The concept of competition is not discussed, but the mechanism is possible. Currently, there is no established mechanism for why boulardii lowers candida.
When I recommend a probiotic, I always recommend taking several different types on separate days. This approach appears to be better than taking many at once. I believe even good strains have to compete for their "turf." The "bacteria in a Petri dish" experiment is a strong scientific inference. When the same bacterial strains overwhelm their environment, most die off in mass.
REMEMBER—EVERYTHING IN NATURE IS LOG-LINEAR. Although the upward trending line looks linear, the term "log" is on the chart to indicate that it is log-linear. Sorry to inform you, but there is not quick fix - only log-linear fixes!
In the biochemistry of detox, there are many sophisticated intermediary reactions. The ones in the blue figure above are the most critical because they can "neutralize" a toxin, making it more easily excreted.
Oxidation—thus oxidizing agents—may be the most important detox pathway. Why? Both our innate and adaptive immune systems use oxidation, which is often coupled to sequestration. Oxidation breaks down proteins and/or breaks apart cell membranes. Immune cells recognize "self," but other oxidizing agents may not. However, a risk/benefit decision must be made.
I don't believe any of the oxidizing systems used in functional medicine are completely harmless. God did not design them to be harmless to "self." Examples include;
methylene blue
hyperbaric oxygen
ozone therapy
chlorine dioxide
other oxidizing agents.
On the other hand, I do not think taking excessive amounts of antioxidants is without consequences. Since innate and adaptive immunity uses oxidation to protect us from toxins, does it make sense to flood our bodies with anti-oxidants? Years ago, I wrote several blogs about the harm associated with antioxidant supplementation. Some day, I will republish these with updates. The data and personal experience are clear - the dose makes the poison and the cure. Tread gently. Get your antioxidants from food - NOT PILLS.
Rather than make this blog too long, I will stop here and write another one focusing on detox agents. Thanks for reading!
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