“Our bodies have developed and adapted to live in our environment,” explains Lewis Nelson, M.D., chief of the division of medical toxicity at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “Everything can be toxic at high doses, even things that we need to function normally, so the body has developed to maintain a normal level of compounds that may be toxic if allowed to accumulate.” You may be wondering, what are those organs, exactly, and how can you help them eliminate modern toxins? Here’s a breakdown of the biggest systems that help you detox regularly: It’s also a transformational organ. “The liver is generally responsible for transforming compounds—toxic or otherwise—into water-soluble compounds that can be eliminated through the kidneys,” Nelson says. There are several ways your liver does this, Nelson says, including enzymes in your liver tissue and bile, which is released directly into your GI tract. McNeely calls the liver a “mighty organ,” noting that it filters out substances such as bacteria, medications, alcohol, food, and toxins like ammonia—a natural byproduct of metabolism—from your blood before returning it to the heart. Help support your liver’s ability to do its job1 properly by being mindful of how much alcohol you drink. With so many compounds to filter through, it’s best to limit your exposure to toxins—including alcohol. For reference, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends capping your alcohol intake at two drinks or less a day for men and one drink or less a day for women. “[The kidneys] have delicate networks of cells and blood vessels that control fluid and electrolyte balance and absorption into the body,” McNeely says. “They filter through proteins in the body with delicate sieve-like structures that can discriminate a variety of substances, keep what the body needs, and let go of what it does not—including medications, environmental toxins, and other byproducts of metabolism or molecules the body doesn’t need or want,” she adds. Individuals that have overweight or obesity are more likely to deal with health issues3 that can interfere with the kidneys’ ability to work properly. As Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, mbg’s vice president of scientific affairs, explains: “Achieving and maintaining healthy body composition—through a nutrient-dense and plant-centric diet, movement, hormonal balance, quality sleep, robust gut health, and more—is an important way to help support all critically important detox organs, especially your kidneys.” Nelson says that while some volatile compounds can be exhaled in the breath, most compounds in the blood are not volatile. A 2017 study from BMC Pulmonary Medicine shows that exercising regularly—i.e., doing moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 10 consecutive minutes a day—can help increase your lung capacity and keep your lungs in good working order. (And healthy lungs promote effective detox pathways!) Your lymph nodes and other organs in your lymphatic system (e.g., the spleen, thymus, tonsils, mucous membranes, and bone marrow) filter the lymph to remove foreign particles and unwanted microbes. Then, lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) latch onto and eliminate them. “The lymphatic system is known as the sewer system of the body,” McNeely explains. “This system takes fluids that are bathing cells and tissues and returns them to the blood vessel system. While the lymph system doesn’t exactly work like a filter, it does return blood to places it can be filtered—like a delivery system for the kidneys and liver.” Talk about a synergistic detox system! Drinking plenty of water can help you stay hydrated to allow lymph to move more easily2 through your body. While everyone’s hydration needs are different, the U.S. National Academies5 recommends that women drink 11.5 cups of fluids a day and that men have 15.5 cups of fluids daily. To help support your skin’s natural detoxification, it’s important to keep it well moisturized and use sunscreen regularly, says Gary Goldenberg, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. Ferira adds that “collagen is the architectural strength of our skin barrier, so supporting production of collagen daily is another prudent strategy to nurture our skin, a pivotal detox organ.” The stomach continues this coordinated task “by producing acid, which eliminates any unwanted microbes,” McNeely says. The intestines absorb water and nutrients and protect you from toxins “by just not allowing them into your bloodstream in the first place and passing them out in the stool,” she says. “This, of course, assumes robust integrity of your gut lining,” adds Ferira. A healthy GI tract promotes well-being throughout the entire body—including the detoxification system! Taking a high-quality probiotic regularly can help elevate your gut microbiome, bolster your body’s immune response, and support healthy detox pathways. One way to promote universally healthy detox pathways is to bolster your body’s antioxidant activity. “Just like we network for our careers, it’s super important to network—expand your antioxidant network—each and every day for the sake of your health,” says Ferira. Why? Your detox organs become taxed not only by a burden of toxins but by regular influxes of free radicals as well (from normal, daily cellular activities and metabolism). Antioxidants neutralize free radicals to help maintain oxidative balance in your cells, tissues, and organs. And as an important reminder, Ferira warns, “We can’t assume antioxidants are just hanging around. That requires intention from your diet and via targeted supplementation strategies.” Eating antioxidant-rich foods and taking a high-quality detox supplement (such as mbg’s daily detox+, which features “master antioxidant” glutathione, vitamin C from acerola fruit, NAC, selenium, and milk thistle extract) can help your detoxification system combat oxidative stress with focused intention so your organs can work optimally to filter and clear out stressors like metabolites and toxins.* Win-win!
