Detoxing and Why It's Good For Your Gastrointestinal Tract

Every day, plenty of toxins and unnecessary substances enters into our body particularly through the gastrointestinal tract. The gastrointestinal tract is composed of the mouth, teeth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and the large intestine.

Digestive organs like the salivary glands, pancreas, gall bladder, mucous glands, and liver are also part of the gastrointestinal tract. In the book, The New Detox Diet: The Complete Guide for Lifelong Vitality With Recipes, Menus, and Detox Plans
Elson M. Haas and Daniella Chace it was mentioned that the absorption of most nutrients happens in the small intestine. The colon assimilates water while the bile salts.

Minor disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract may cause abnormal absorption of nutrients and increased barrier permeability. One of the best ways to get rid of toxins and unnecessary substances in the body is through detox diet.

But what are these toxins and unnecessary substances that are harmful to your gastrointestinal tract?

The GI tract is adversely affected by:

• ·         refined foods and sugar;

• ·         excess fatty and rich foods;

• ·         overeating and failing to chew more than once or twice per mouthful of food;

• ·         drinking too much;

• ·         food chemicals,

• ·         pesticides, and environmental toxins;

• ·         persistent use of alcohol,

• ·         caffeine, and nicotine;

• ·         use of prescription, over-the-counter, and recreational drugs;

• ·        lack of fiber and whole foods, specifically lacking fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes in the diet.

Detoxing your body can aid in healing ulcerations and other tissue problems in your body.  It also helps in maintaining the tone and shape of your small and large intestines. Detoxing also maintains the PH balance and eliminates bad bacteria like candida and harmful yeasts. What many people don’t know is that even minor metabolism disruption like constipation can lead to a big threat in your health. Constipation also causes stress and discomfort and limited physical activity. This is why regular elimination is very crucial to overall health and maintaining the level of toxins in the body.

One way of detoxification is eating fiber rich foods and increasing water intakes. A special type of herb called Dandelion Root
is one of the popular medicinal plants that aids detoxification. It is a natural diuretic that increases urine production by propping up the excretion of salts and water from the kidney.

The Chinese uses this herb in treating digestive disorders and appendicitis. Dandelion now already comes in the form of teas Dandelion Root Tea
. However, extra precaution must be taken in taking this herb as it may increase stomach acid and heartburn. Patients with gallbladder and gallstones are also prohibited to take this herb.  I personally drink Smooth Move Tea. Organic Smooth Move® Senna provides gentle, overnight relief from occasional constipation. Senna leaf promotes bowel movement by direct action on the intestine.* A single serving provides an effective dose of sennosides from senna leaf, which have proven stimulant laxative action. It includes additional digestive support with fennel, orange peel, cinnamon, coriander and ginger to ease discomfort and reduce cramping.

Senna is very powerful and is easy to abuse.  Use sparingly and with caution.  If you do use it, please follow the directions of the manufacture.

I will address this in another post.