Cleansing and detoxing has been gaining popularity over the past decade. With the natural health market being flooded with new detoxification products, it is a challenge as a consumer to make educated decisions. Many cleanses boast weight loss, clear complexion, better energy and a body free of toxins. Though scientific studies are limited, media celebrities and top Naturopathic experts agree that detoxing the body is paramount to attaining optimal health levels.
Liver Cleanse
Liver cleansing products claim to remove toxins from the body and increases bile production, thus stimulating the body's own detoxification process. The idea behind liver cleansing products is that the liver can become congested with toxins on a typical Western diet of excess fats and carbohydrates. Over time, the liver becomes clogged, failing to function properly and detoxify naturally. With the combination of herbal supplements, liquid extracts, tinctures and teas, liver-cleansing products say you can have a clean body free of toxic residue. Typically, most liver cleanses contain milk thistle, burdock root, dandelion, red clover, licorice root and garlic. These and many other herbal cleansing supplements allegedly cleanse the liver of questionable substances found in food, environmental pollutants and personal care products.
Colon Cleanses and Flushes
Colon cleansing and detoxing products on most commercial shelves consist of a balance of fibers, such as psyllium, flax, apple pectin and other fruit fibers, which are meant to regulate bowel movements so the body can detoxify regularly through elimination. Colon flushes are usually a mixture of herbal laxatives, causing immediate irritation to the bowels to clear them. Many Hollywood cleanses contain harsh laxatives and concentrated fruit juices to shed extra poundage in a short amount of time. Although short-term use may produce weight loss initially, they are not recommended for long-term use.
Candida Cleanse
Candida is an excess of yeast in the intestines, and more commonly in the vagina. The excess of candida yeast is thought to cause other unwanted particles to be absorbed into the body, resulting in symptoms such as depression, mood swings, poor memory and fatigue. Cleansing and detoxing to rid the body of candida not only includes the use of potent herbal cleansing supplements such as caprylic acid, bentonite, olive leaf and oregano oil, but also include the recommendation that users eliminate all forms of sugars, pastas, vinegars and grains from their diets.
Heavy Metal Detoxification
The Environmental Protection Agency declared in 1989 that amalgam tooth fillings are a hazardous substance . Since then, dental practices using amalgam fillings have been scrutinized and questioned. Heavy metal detoxes are very popular for people who are replacing amalgam fillings or are fearful of heavy metals in environmental toxins found in pesticides, fish, gasoline and paint. These cleanses mostly consist of sea vegetables, algae as well as high doses of antioxidants and other herbal cleansing supplements.
Parasite Cleanse
Parasites are organisms that derive food and nutrition by living in or on another organism. Intestinal parasites can be caused by undercooked or raw foods, insects, bacteria from beaches and lakes, and pets. Parasite cleanses are mostly available in herbal supplements such as black walnut, wormwood, clove, grapefruit seed extract, garlic and pau d'arco.
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