by John K. Wilson

Created on: February 09, 2009

Thousands of unnecessary particles end up in the human body during a typical day. Many are harmless, however, many impair or prohibit normal body functions, so we call them toxins. There are very few scientifically proven natural ways to remove these toxins from the body. When we talk about these toxins, we need to consider their solubility. There are water soluble toxins, and there are fat soluble toxins.

We can generally flush out the water soluble toxins within a week or two by simply avoiding the source of the toxins and making sure we stay hydrated. Many people recommend a number of herbal substances that supposedly aid in the detoxification process. The truth is, most of these substances are mixed with water for ingestion, and it's the water doing the work.

Removing fat soluble toxins is more complicated. Many toxins become lodged in fat cells and simply stay there, occasionally released as fat is burned during stressful activity. This can be a big problem for someone who is overweight to a particular degree. The more fat a person carries, the more room they have to store fat soluble toxins, and no two week diet change is going to rid them of these toxins.

Fat soluble toxins are removed from the body in 3 ways. They will, over a long period of time, exit the body as fat stores are turned over. This can take up to 10 years or longer. Low stress exercise will burn fat cells, causing the toxins to release into the bloodstream and eventually flush out through urine and feces, provided there is an adequate amount of water and fiber in the body. Sweating removes water and fat soluble toxins and is a good way to speed up the process if you don't want to wait until you are zero percent body fat.

Another source of toxins is mucoid plaque in the colon. Toxins in this plaque easily enter the bloodstream from the colon and may contribute to health problems. Eating a diet low in fiber and high in red meat is generally thought to be the largest contributor. Increasing fiber and drinking prune juice for a few weeks will clear up most of this plaque, provided the consumption of red meat is halted. Having a colonic procedure is another way to clear this plaque from the body.

Many products are available that claim to aid in detoxification. Unless these products have something to do with exercise and a healthy, balanced diet high in fiber and water, they will not likely have a substantial effect.

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