Healthy Detoxification Starts With A Healthy Microbiome
Everybody’s into detox these days, because there are some real benefits when it’s done right. But before you jump into detox, a very important thing to consider is the health and integrity of the gut. Remember, all the toxins drawn out of the tissues have to go somewhere, and where they eventually end up is the intestinal tract. So before you decide on your detox protocol, the first question to answer is “How healthy is your gut?”
Adequately preparing your body to handle the increase of toxins that will be mobilized during a detox often requires a bit of preparation in terms of making sure the gastrointestinal system is functioning optimally with healthy GI flora and a strong barrier. Ensuring the integrity of the gut is optimized prior to embarking on a cleanse or detox program will decrease the avenues for toxin reabsorption and help ensure toxin elimination. The goal is to decrease the overall body burden of toxins, not recycle them!
We know that environmental toxins can disrupt bacterial balance for sure. But detoxification protocols have their own additional impact on intestinal microbiota. That’s why a week or so of good GI support and robust bacterial replenishment with good probiotics, can improve the efficacy of a detoxification program.
We each have nearly 10 pounds of bacteria in our gut that serve to support the digestion of food, synthesize B vitamins and Vitamin K, inhibit non-beneficial bacteria, stimulate and modulate the immune system, maintain mucosal barrier integrity and metabolize toxins of all kinds. A healthy microbiome does an awesome job of detoxification. (an unhealthy one…not so much)
Probiotics can help support the natural detoxification processes during any specific protocol, as well as on an ongoing basis. In addition, probiotics help support healthy bacterial balance which helps reduce the risk of the occasional intestinal disturbances that may take place during detoxification. And, did you know that there are special probiotic formulas specifically designed for detox?
According to a 2013 review featured in the journal Current Nutrition and Food Science, “A significant body of evidence indicates that probiotics regulate intestinal epithelial homeostasis by promoting cell survival and barrier function, improving intestinal microbial ecology and regulating mucosal immune function.” This is especially important during a detox.
A 2014 randomized open label pilot study published in the journal mBio demonstrated that a probiotic yogurt product infused with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 (LGR1), had a positive health-supporting effect in pregnant women exposed to mercury. A 2018 study published in Gut Microbes also used LGR1 with similar results. The researchers concluded that LGR-1 “…may offer a simple and effective means to reduce the amount of heavy metals absorbed from foods in contaminated regions of the world.”
Whether you advocate for a periodic cleanse or daily detoxification, a healthy GI system and a healthy microbiome are step one, and probiotics can play a supportive role in healthy detoxification.