Methods For Colon Cleansing & Liver Detoxification

Your liver is the most important detoxification organ in your body. It uses a two-phase detoxification system that depends on specific nutrients, according to Brenda Watson, author of "The Detox Strategy." Despite its lofty role, your liver needs backup from other parts of your body for detoxification, including the colon, which eliminates toxins from your body. Normally your liver and colon are effective detoxifiers; however, with exposure to the modern diet, environmental pollution and medications, they can become overwhelmed and require additional help.

Chelation

Heavy metals your body doesn't need---such as lead, cadmium and mercury---come from sources such as the air, water, food, cosmetics and household products. Once they enter your body, it's difficult to release them from cells and tissues and flush them out, Watson explains. However, she points out that chelation is a process that's long been used to force metals out of the body. It involves using a chelating agent---a substance that binds with the metals to remove them from your body.

Natural chelating agents you can take regularly include glutathione and milk thistle, according to Watson. Glutathione is the key antioxidant on which your liver relies during detoxification, and milk thistle heals your liver and increases its detoxifying powers. Watson warns that chelating agents also bind to metals your body needs, such as zinc, copper and iron, so it's important to eat foods rich in these nutrients when you're detoxifying.

Increasing Fiber Intake

Food you eat should leave your body within 12 to 18 hours after eating it. However, Ann Louise Gittleman, author of "The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet," points out that in most American adults, food waste remains in their colons for two to seven days. The effects can be damaging to your health as toxins in waste seep back into your bloodstream, adding to the toxin load in your body and overworking your liver. Eating more fiber is essential for cleansing your colon. According to Gittleman, it literally scrubs out fecal matter from your colon and your intestinal walls.

Drinking Water

Water plays a vital role in nearly every function in your body, including blood circulation and transporting nutrients into and taking waste out of cells. It also helps to prevent toxin build-up in your liver, as well as in your colon, where it facilitates bowel movements. Watson recommends drinking half your body weight in ounces of filtered or distilled water. For example, if you're 160 lbs., drink 80 oz., or 10, 8-oz. glasses of water daily. By adding lemon to the water, you also increase your liver's ability to break down bile and metabolize fat.