Detoxification & Elimination: A Quick Overview

As a Naturopathic Doctor with a focus on Environmental Medicine, one of my favourite subjects to discuss is Detoxification and Elimination, because of how important each of these functions are to the body’s ability to stay healthy.

I find that conversations around the body’s functions of detoxification and elimination are often minimalized and oversimplified, if not overlooked. I’ve had patients who were surprised to learn that having a bowel movement only two or three times per week was NOT normal, nor was it healthy for them. Some didn’t seem to realize that the inability to sweat was also not normal. A number of them reported feeling unwell (or even MORE unwell) when they attempted to “detoxify” on their own after feeling ill, tired or sluggish for some time, or if they tried to lose weight in the past.

Optimizing the body’s ability to eliminate through feces, urine and sweat prevents the storage and re-distribution of waste products throughout the body, where they may contribute to further impairment of function and health. This support can be provided in various ways, which I will discuss in some detail.

Step 1: Avoidance

The first approach to successful detoxification (and elimination) is avoidance. From a dietary standpoint, this will look like consuming organically grown fruit and vegetables to reduce the amounts of pesticides your body will have to neutralize and detoxify, avoid canned foods that will contain BPA from the can lining, consuming pastured, free-range and grass-fed meats and poultry and avoiding plastic food and beverage containers. I will often (almost always) recommend food sensitivity testing in order to further narrow in on their unique health needs, and really address manageable causes of chronic inflammation.

Other ways to practice avoidance include minimizing and simplifying skin and personal care products being used in your daily routine. This means reducing the number of products being used, as well as examining and overhauling the actual cosmetics and personal care products. Many conventional personal hygiene items contain chemicals that act as hormone disruptors, and/or are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). Also, the filtration of air and water used for consumption and bathing/showering will also reduce the overall chemical burden your body has to manage.

The main benefit to practicing avoidance is in reducing the body’s need to put so much effort into detoxifying and neutralizing these harmful chemicals, which frees up resources that can be put towards healing, recovery as well as building and maintaining health. For those who have been exposed to many chemicals throughout their lifetime and are now struggling with chronic and complex health issues, this becomes of paramount importance in the management of their health.

Step 2: Supporting Elimination

When it comes to supporting elimination, a nutrient-dense and fibre-full diet will help to provide the resources required to keep things moving along. A diet that includes whole and fresh (and frozen) fruit, vegetables, and select whole grains and legumes (if tolerated) with adequate and regular water consumption will help to keep the bowels moving regularly. Ideally, one should be having 1+ bowel movements per day that are formed and easy to pass. A great reference that I often use is the Bristol Stool Chart (a Type 3 or 4 is ideal) when I talk to patients about their poop. Regular, daily bowel movements reduce the amount of time that the feces spends in the body, where it can contribute to “autointoxication” which occurs when waste products are reabsorbed through the walls of the large intestine due to naturally-occurring gut bacteria modifying the bonds of chemical compounds, decreasing their affinity to the fecal material and increasing their absorption back into the body.

When it comes to urine, adequate water intake is important. Urine should be light yellow or “straw”-coloured during the day. If you take a B-complex vitamin, it will often appear a noticeably brighter yellow. A diet rich in important trace minerals, and mainly plant-based will help to make the urine slightly alkaline, which improves the kidney’s ability to eliminate wastes by optimizing pH levels and their effects.

Sweating serves as a way for our body to regulate temperature, and also serves as a lesser (but still important) elimination pathway. Studies have shown that certain toxic chemicals that accumulate in fat have been found in sweat produced during sauna treatments. For those who do not sweat easily and/or who do not tolerate heat or saunas, it is recommended that you seek medical guidance and supervision prior to attempting any sort of sauna therapy. There may be medical reasons that are contributing to your difficulty sweating that will need to be addressed before starting any sort of protocol, especially if you are experiencing chronic health issues or have had significant toxic exposure in the past.

A Final Word

I have briefly discussed a few general starting points around detoxification and elimination, that many in the general population may find useful in the maintenance of their own health. For those who are experiencing more severe or long-term health issues (i.e. chronic fatigue, multiple chemical sensitivities, etc.) and/or do not tolerate medications, or even supplements in recommended doses- they may require a deeper investigation into their health issues and an health plan that takes into account their unique health needs. If that sounds like you or someone you know, I would be happy to get on a quick call to discuss my approach to managing your health challenges!

If you have any other questions regarding lab tests, nutrition, supplementation, or your complex health challenges as it relates to detoxification or elimination and how Naturopathic Medicine can help, please feel free to reach out and book an appointment or a complementary meet-and-greet!