Detox page

[quelsen]

Communication is a two way street. the only way we ever communicate includes making certain we agree on terms.

de·tox·i·fi·ca·tion   [dee-tok-suh-fi-key-shuhn]
noun
1.Biochemistry . the metabolic process by which toxins are changed into less toxic or more readily excretable substances.
2.the act of detoxifying.
3.the state of being detoxified.
4.a period of medical treatment, usually including counseling, during which a person is helped to overcome physical and psychological dependence on alcohol or drugs.

There is a lot of talk about belief in "detox". Well belief (confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof) is an emotional state and that tells a lot about how you view something.

by definition number 1 we as human organisms detox any toxin that we excrete... period... if it came out (tears, sweat, piss, shit, breath) it was at some point toxic to our bodies. we also have a limit on the rate of excretion as well as the ability to excrete.

What i am curious about is what are the definitions that skeptics attribute to the word detox.

i am fully skeptical of the pseudo-medical use of the word detox as mush as i am the methods used to "encourage" detoxification.

i think the common man or woman on the street somehow marries the concept of definition number 4 with number 1 and thinks they required some "snake oil" to make them clean as a whistle... bullshit except in certain cases.

so lets the games begin. lets debunk detox

[sbhikes]

I'm not sure the water in my tears was ever toxic, but yeah, detox is probably bandied about a little too often as an explanation of other kinds of adjustments the body has to make to changes.

[paleo-bunny]

Communication is a two way street. the only way we ever communicate includes making certain we agree on terms.

de·tox·i·fi·ca·tion   [dee-tok-suh-fi-key-shuhn]
noun
1.Biochemistry . the metabolic process by which toxins are changed into less toxic or more readily excretable substances.
2.the act of detoxifying.
3.the state of being detoxified.
4.a period of medical treatment, usually including counseling, during which a person is helped to overcome physical and psychological dependence on alcohol or drugs.

There is a lot of talk about belief in "detox". Well belief (confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof) is an emotional state and that tells a lot about how you view something.

by definition number 1 we as human organisms detox any toxin that we excrete... period... if it came out (tears, sweat, piss, shit, breath) it was at some point toxic to our bodies. we also have a limit on the rate of excretion as well as the ability to excrete.

What i am curious about is what are the definitions that skeptics attribute to the word detox.

i am fully skeptical of the pseudo-medical use of the word detox as mush as i am the methods used to "encourage" detoxification.

i think the common man or woman on the street somehow marries the concept of definition number 4 with number 1 and thinks they required some "snake oil" to make them clean as a whistle... bullshit except in certain cases.

so lets the games begin. lets debunk detox

Lucky you, if you don't have to detox to get healthy. What's your excuse for poor health?

[quelsen]

Lucky you, if you don't have to detox to get healthy. What's your excuse for poor health?

Can you explain your comment?

[Paleobird]

I think there are a lot of pseudo-sci peddlers of potions out there who will sell you something toxic and then tell you that the reaction you are having to it is a "normal detox reaction". Examples, mega does of iodine, clear symptoms of iodine poisoning explained away as bromine detox. Also there is a guy on the net selling something called MMS or Miracle Mineral Supplement purported to cure everything from herpes to hangnails to cancer. It is pool disinfectant. (Not making this up.) So you take this stuff and, surprise surprise, end up in the bathroom puking and pooping your guts out. But this is good. It is "detoxifying". Yeahright.

This is the kind of nonsense that comes to mind when the term "detox" gets tossed around.

I do think that there are toxins that are stored by our bodies in our fat cells that may be released as we lose weight. If someone lost a LOT of weight in a VERY short amount of time, as you did Honey Badger, I can see that there might be some detox symptoms as you have described. I don't deny that those experiences are real. I just think that they are not something that is going to be experienced by the average person looking to lose 30 pounds on Primal. There would not be a big enough quantity of toxins hitting the metabolism all at once to be a problem.

There would probably also be some variation from person to person in this depending on the health of the liver involved.

[joelwlcx]

I think when people hear "detox", they think laxative/diuretic based "herbal blends" that "purify" the body and "increases physical, mental, and spiritual energy". Bunch of pseudo medical woo.

In terms of substance use, abstaining from use until the body is no longer influenced by the said substance... I agree, but this is dependent on your original biological process: metabolizing compounds and excreting them though waste products while repairing affected cells.

I guess my point is, I agree... ...?

[Paleobird]

I think when people hear "detox", they think laxative/diuretic based "herbal blends" that "purify" the body and "increases physical, mental, and spiritual energy". Bunch of pseudo medical woo.

In terms of substance use, abstaining from use until the body is no longer influenced by the said substance... I agree, but this is dependent on your original biological process: metabolizing compounds and excreting them though waste products while repairing affected cells.

I guess my point is, I agree... ...?

Don't forget the coffee enemas
You're right, detoxing is a normal natural process that the body is fully capable of doing on its own if you just quit putting the toxic junk in.

[quelsen]

That is not what this thread is about. this thread is about finding a definition of the work Detox that we can all agree to.



solutions for smokers are down the hall to the left. :-)

[otzi]

I have been oil pulling for over a year...daily 20 minute swishing sessions of sesame oil. This is often touted as a detox program. I never believed the detoxification claims, but it has made my mouth (teeth and gums) healthier as confirmed by regular dental checkups.

Now, in the grand scheme of things, oral health correlates pretty closely with whole-body health, so maybe reducing toxins in the mouth can be called 'detoxification' when used in this context. But to think that the sesame oil is pulling toxins from the bloodstream and concentrating them in the oil to be spit out is kinda crazy.

Hope this helps.

[PaleoCowgirl]

I have tried everything from fasting, to oil pulling, to aloe vera juice, to epsom salt baths, to activated charcoal and D. earth. I guess that means I drink the detox Koolaid. I think our body holds onto lots of toxins in lots of different ways and clean eating and avoiding modern-day poisons is the best way to be healthy, but how to rid the body of those toxins? I'm not sure what's best. How long, for example, does gluten stick around after an exposure? Do you have to "start over" when eating clean and having a cheat?

This is a discussion I hope others chime in on. What works? What doesn't? Is there any real way to detox the body?