It is a fact that technology and science have brought us many benefits, but have also led to a highly polluted environment. Many are now suffering from the effects of toxic substances produced as a by-product of our desire for endless growth and prosperity. It is becoming clearer and clearer that this strategy is affecting the human body on many levels.
There are many sources of information on the build-up of toxic pollution – such as this very informative site. What we aim to do on the WhyDetox site is to provide background on ways in which toxins can affect our health – and on some of the potential solutions to the toxic body burden we are now carrying.
Different types of detoxification have been practised in traditional societies worldwide for thousands of years. In the West the history goes back at least as far as Hippocrates, in ancient Greece. This is the current Medical Dictionary definition, but there are many aspects which we aim to help you discover more about here. We hope you enjoy discovering more about this fascinating subject on this site.
Everyday, our body is bombarded by harsh toxins and chemicals from our surrounding environment. Chemicals, pesticides, hormones and other pollutants are found in all the processed foods we eat, and often in the water we drink and the air we breathe. Although our bodies do have some inbuilt means of expelling toxins, there are now so many different substances passing into our bodies that the toxic burden is proving too great for many to deal with properly. These harmful substances have accumulated to such an extent in many of us that chronic illnesses are proliferating at both the physical and mental levels.
Under natural circumstances, the body is able to eliminate many of these toxic substances safely provided that is getting proper nutrition in sufficient quantities and the organs of detoxification are functioning at optimal levels. The main organs of detoxification are the skin, bowels, liver, kidney and lungs. In a natural habitat the human body will eliminate environmental toxins through perspiration, urination and bowel elimination.
Unfortunately we live in an environment and society that have made it more and more difficult for our bodies to detoxify efficiently. Whatever we ingest that the body cannot use nutritionally and is not excreted naturally will remain circulating in the blood and lymph systems, and longer term will be sequestered in the surrounding tissues. We therefore need to give our bodies some assistance in eliminating these harmful substances – and that is where the many forms of detox now available can help.
