NATUREMED CLINIC

DETOXIFICATION 

Naturopathic Medical Detoxification

Background:

The concepts of internal cleansing and detoxifying have been integral to naturopathic philosophy since the profession’s inception over a century ago. The problem of "toxicity" has grown as the number and quantity of poisonous compounds in the air, water, and food have increased. A substantial and growing body of research now supports the significant impact on health of acute and chronic exposure to endogenous and exogenous toxins and the efficacy of an individual’s detoxification mechanisms.

Toxins damage the body in an insidious and cumulative way. Once the detoxification system becomes overloaded, toxic metabolites accumulate, and sensitivity to other chemicals, some of which are not normally toxic, becomes progressively greater. This accumulation of toxins can wreak havoc on normal metabolic processes.

What are Toxins?

A toxin is defined as any compound that has a detrimental effect on cell function or structure. The discussion of toxins in this chapter is organized into the four areas:

heavy metals

chemical toxins

microbial compounds

breakdown products of protein metabolism

Conditions which may improve with our detox program:

1. Chronic fatigue and Fibromyalgia have been linked to environmental toxicity. Studies support role of detoxification in improvement of symptoms. J Adv Med 1998 11(4) 247-262.

2. Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS): MCS occurs as a result of low level chemical exposure coupled with a genetic predisposition to this.

3. Pancreatitis: exposure to solvents can cause this.

4. Parkinson’s disease: Evidence has accumulated to support the view that Parkinson's disease can originate from long-term, subclinical damage to the nervous system caused by environmental chemicals (Cooper 1991; Farina et al. 1994; Calne et al. 1986, 1987a,b). Pesticides and herbicides used on farms and in households have also been the subject of studies to investigate the possible link to Parkinson's disease (Zuber et al. 1991; Butterfield et al. 1993; Linazasoro et al. 1995; Veldman et al. 1998). Because toxic chemicals are commonly fat-soluble, they are therefore stored in lipid structures such as those present in the brain. Aluminum mercury and copper may also play a role.

5. Lupus may be caused by impaired detoxification of toxic agents such as mercury or man made, synthetic drugs

6. Fatigue: General fatigue often improves considerably.

7. Acne: When the liver is stressed skin conditions often result.

8. Autism: Autistic individuals often have an impaired ability to metabolize environmental toxins

Typical symptoms of impaired detoxification or toxic overload are:

Headache, Joint pain, Fatigue, Irritability, Depression, Flu-like symptoms, Allergic reactions, Runny nose, Sneezing, Confusion/ brain fog

NatureMed 3-week detoxification program:

First visit includes: Nutritional intake, environmental exposure evaluation, and Medical history and labwork

Labs vary depending upon the patients health history and detoxification needs and may include any of the following:

Blood work [CBC, chem-22]; 6 or 24 hour urine toxic metals after provocation with EDTA orally or with DMSA; Detoxification profile; Various other tests to determine toxic load; Stool test to screen for yeast and unhealthy bacteria; Dietary analysis

Week One: begin dietary changes, reduce total body inflammation on a physical and cellular level, begin liver, gallbladder, colon, skin and kidney cleansing