Body detox or detoxification has become increasingly popular. Although, the concept itself is nothing new.
What is a body detox?
A research study in the Journal of Drug Metabolism & Toxicology defines detoxification as the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism.
The main organ in charge of this process is the liver.
In plain language, when you choose to detox your body, it means you aim to cleanse out unwanted substances from the body.
A body detox can help boost your energy levels, reduce inflammation, and boost your immune system, and promote healthy skin.
But here’s the kicker (before we continue):
Don’t fall for any of those dubious schemes or “cleansing” diets or “flushes” programs that claim to have a magical way to rid your body of perceived toxins.
This article is not about a quick fix.
We believe nature is your best answer to most human problems. And overall, eating healthy foods is the best way to way go.
In this article, we go over several great sources of foods that help to detox your body.
Add them into your regular healthy eating habits and you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on any diet.
1. Fresh Fruits – Citrus Fruits
We find fruits around us in all varieties, tastes, and colors. The amazing thing is almost all fruits offer powerful health benefits.
Fruits are packed with fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that help cleanse, rejuvenate and even help to detox your body.
Be sure you to add acid fruits (grapefruits, oranges, pineapples, etc) to your fruit pack because they do the most when it comes to detoxifying.
Citrus fruits are rich in glutathione, vitamin C and other antioxidants. They play a major role in the production of detoxification enzymes by the liver and the cleansing of it as well.
You could start your day with some fresh fruit smoothie. Or you eat them as healthy snacks when hunger strikes during the day. Keep your fruits colored and your body detoxified.
2. Green Tea
Though Green Teas are not food per se, it is a good agent when it comes to the issue of detoxifying.
It helps in the generation of detoxifying properties by the liver, boots its performance and helps to promote the general health of your immune system.
Green tea also comes along with antioxidants that do the body a lot of good.
To get the whole offering green tea comes with, brew it from loose leaves. This makes it possible for more antioxidants to be released.
3. Beetroot and Carrots
Flavonoids which can be found in fruits, especially in Beetroots can be ascribed to their antioxidant activity.
They also help greatly with liver disorders. You could either add them to your salads or make a great beetroot juice from them.
Carrots contain beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that also helps in the cleansing of the liver and protecting it against toxins from the external environment.
These two antioxidants help the liver with its cleansing activities and rejuvenation.
4. Garlic
How does garlic smell like? Pungent? Strong? You guessed right.
But this off-putting spice is great for detoxification.
It contains antiviral and antibacterial properties that help the body fight against infections and other toxins that are unwanted in the body.
Garlic contains certain compounds that make it perfect to help in the detoxification process. This compound is the Organo-Sulfur Compound.
Garlic is best eaten raw if you want its full benefits. Make sure you add some crushed or grated garlic to your salad dressing to help detox your body.
5. Ginger
Ginger is a root stem that has been used in the traditional medicinal culture of the Chinese and Indians to cure nausea, inflammation and so on.
It provides antioxidants to the body. Ginger is infused in detox remedies, and as a result, it helps to:
“cleanse the body by stimulating digestion, circulation, and sweating. Its digestive actions may serve to cleanse the build-up of waste and toxins in the colon, liver and other organs.”
Ginger is rich in antioxidants that help keep the immune system is a healthy state and aids in digestion. Don’t forget to add ginger to that salad dressing.
6. Apples
Apples are rich in a soluble fiber called pectin. Pectin helps in body cleansing and releases toxins from the body.
Just imagine, with fewer toxins in your body, the liver has little or no problem in managing the toxin load present.
Thus, it can do a thorough cleansing of the body. This pectin also helps to lower cholesterol.
A study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that pectin can aid in the excretion of toxins such as mercury and lead.
7. Cilantro
Some plants do a good job binding themselves to some metals that may have found themselves in the food we eat.
When this binding occurs, the plants help the body to excrete them. A plant that does this is called Cilantro.
A study published in The Scientific World Journal, states that cilantro enhances the excretion of mercury too.
8. Turmeric
This yellow spice has been used for medicinal purposes for over four thousand years and it is still in that trade.
There is a review that turmeric has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, radioprotective and digestive activities.
That’s a lot of work for some golden powder.
But that is what nature is good at. Be sure not to eat turmeric alone; nothing happens. But mixing it in your salad and vegetable soups make the most out of it. You can also drink turmeric tea.
9. Leafy Green Vegetables
Leafy green vegetables are wonderful to add ups to foods of all kinds. Some fruits rank high on the list such as spinach, kale, moringa leaf, parsley, etc.
These vegetables contain minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and certain vitamins that come together to help in the detoxification process.
10. Broccoli
“Eat your broccoli!” a lot of parents argue with their kids over this vegetable. If only they knew what broccoli had in store for them.
Broccoli has a unique chemical in it called sulforaphane which aids in detoxifying the body of cancer-inducing chemicals before they get a chance to wreak havoc in the body.
Some studies show that broccoli and other greens have positive effects on the body, especially when cooked before eaten.
11. Chlorella
This freshwater algae, native to Taiwan and Japan top the list of highly nutritious foods.
Chlorella has amino acids, chlorophyll, beta carotene, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and many more nutrients.
One of its primary functions is to help to detox your body of lead, cadmium, mercury, and uranium.
Even more, chlorella also reduces the chances of these reabsorptions.
12. Spirulina
This is closely related to Chlorella. It offers detoxification support to the body. The powerhouse of Spirulina is a compound called phycocyanine.
It contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which helps to oxidize and detox your body.
13. Salmon
This fish is rich in omega 3 oils and astaxanthin that help with detoxification and inflammation respectively.
14. Blueberries
Blueberries are nature’s gems to us. They contain fiber and are an excellent source of vitamin C, K, and manganese.
Research suggests that phytochemicals in blueberries give them their detox qualities. Phytochemicals help to regulate certain key activities that help to detox your body.
15. Omega- 3 Oils
In detoxifying, you can also use flaxseed, avocado, olive and hemp oils in the process. This helps to lubricate the intestinal walls. It absorbs the toxins and removed from the body.
16. Watermelon
As bulgy as it is, watermelon has a bulky amount of goodness. It contains lycopene.
Researchers found that lycopene can raise glutathione levels in the body.
Lycopene also has the ability to reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancers. Glutathione helps in the detoxifying process.
17. Water
In addition to the liver in the detoxification process, the two kidneys also support the liver in discharging its duties.
Kidneys flush out a lot of unwanted substances including toxins from the body and water helps greatly in this.
Drink lots of water to flush out all the unwanted substances from your body.
18. Tomatoes
Here’s something about tomatoes: it leads the pack of fruits (yes, fruit) that contain powerful antioxidants.
And one of those antioxidants is lycopene which helps you to detox your body.
Lycopene protects the liver from damage thereby allowing it to function fully.
19. Almonds
A few handfuls of almonds a day can go a long way to help clear the fats and toxins that have built up around your liver over time.
With these fats and toxins present, the liver does not work at optimal capacity.
Cleansing your body with almonds sends your liver back to its natural healthy state.
20. Yogurt
For a toxin-free body, you’ll need a healthy digestive system.
Toxins kill certain healthy bacteria in our guts known as probiotics which help in effective digestion.
Yogurt provides a good source of probiotics which help to fight these toxins in the body. With a good amount of it in our bodies, toxins stand little chance at survival.
21. Watercress
Watercress helps in releasing certain enzymes that provide cleansing benefits and rids the body of toxic blocks.
Takeaway
The list is endless. But these are a few foods that do a great job of detoxifying the body.
Eat well to detox your body. In doing so, you’re making your body a haven for growth too.
