Detoxification: Overview, Benefits, Considerations, and Risks
- Sasha Elizar, M.S.
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 22 hours ago
Every day, modern life leaves a residue. City air, scratched pans, polyester leggings, pesticide-laden produce, dusty heating systems, microwaved plastics—layered onto nights of excess and hours of doomscrolling. What we absorb, we eventually express, and symptoms are often the first signal: food intolerances, headaches, brain fog, thinning hair, dark circles, joint pain, fatigue.
Our exposome—our total environmental imprint—is individual, dynamic, and complex. Thriving amid modern demands necessitates discernment, restraint, and deliberate choices in both thought and behavior.
The aim of detoxification is to restore optimal cellular, organ, and systemic function. Building structures and habits that support embodied living helps translate that aim into measurable gains in health, resilience, and appearance.
Outline: Detox Overview, Benefits, and Risks
What is detox?
Detox is concerned with the sphere of choice of what enters our body and home. It has two basic principles:
1. Making space and clearing out.
The body's vitality depends on its ability to maintain its compartments and resist entropy. This requires removing blockages and healing leakages.
To achieve this, we engineer our environment to minimize environmental sources of harm, open drainage pathways, and support the body in metabolism and elimination. Typical strategies involve modulating liver and mitochondrial enzymes and organ function, such as that of the intestines, kidneys, and skin.
2. Supporting homeostatic cellular processes.
The next step is to promote function and repair. Promote resilience or adaptation by supporting DNA and cell repair, phagocytosis, autophagy, and other processes.
What are the detox processes in the body? How does the body detox?
The body already has natural processes in place to detoxify from deleterious compounds resulting from exposures (e.g. infections, chemicals, radiation, etc.). How does detoxification work in the body?
The body employs multiple methods to detoxify on a molecular, cellular, and organ level.
On a molecular level, through enzymes found in mitochondria (e.g. cytochrome p450 enzymes) and the liver (e.g. glutathione)
Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes are a large class of enzymes that metabolize pharmaceutical drugs, drugs of abuse, and other xenobiotic substances. To date, of all the 57 CYP450 isozymes (enzyme isoforms) studied, 90% of all drugs are metabolized by 6 of these enzymes [1].
Glutathione is the chief antioxidant enzyme of the liver. (Learn more about antioxidants.)
On a cellular level, through autophagy and apoptosis
Autophagy is a process whereby the cell breaks down worn-out organelles and misfolded proteins and recycles them for parts (e.g., amino acids).
Apoptosis is programmed cell death.
On an organ level, through the functions of the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, g/lymphatics, skin, and other systems
The glymphatic system is the brain's waste clearance system that is mostly active when we sleep.
In scientific literature, these detoxification practices have also been categorized into phase I, II, and III detoxification.
Detox is about releasing what's limiting you and making space for receiving more out of life. It's clearing out what's draining your energy so you can allocate more of your energy to showing up how you're meant to in the world. It's about maximizing bodily function so that you can live a fuller, more meaningful, more present, peaceful, and easeful life. It moves you into flow, consciousness, and resourcefulness. It's a key component of functional medicine and holistic health, as it helps people self-regulate and tends to orient people towards externally-focused pursuits, such as relationships and purpose. That is, centering on a physiological level, due to the connectedness of the universe, tends to align us with a higher mission in our family, community, and beyond.
Modern detox basic principles:
Eat whole, unprocessed foods. Start incrementally and build supportive systems.
Buy as local and organic as possible.
Focus on pleasure that nourishes, rather than numbs. That is, use technology intentionally, instead of dissociatively. Avoid excessive added sugar or substance (e.g. alcohol, drug) use.
Prioritize self-regulation, especially at the beginning and end of the day. Spend time cultivating elevated emotional states, including joy, peace, and love, to open yourself to receiving insights about empowering actions you can take and practices you can cultivate to further optimize your body.
Simplify and systemize. Build systems that automate new, positive habits so that they can become automatic and easy.
Optimize your sleep. Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Set blue-light and EMF boundaries (e.g., no screens after 10 pm).
Move your body for at least 180 minutes a week, through moderate exercise.
What are the major organs involved in detoxification?
Liver
Gallbladder – bile
Small and large intestines
Kidneys
Lungs
Lymphatic system
Glymphatic system (brain lymphatics) – cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) / interstitial fluid (ISF)
Skin
Why detox?
Accumulation of toxins and toxic chemicals hinders function. Unaddressed, these exposures result in disease. In fact, toxic compounds can pass through the placenta, and both maternal and paternal DNA damage affect offspring health. Detoxification can break generational cycles and help people live longer.
Basically everyone can benefit from detox, if done properly. If you deal with any of the following problems, you may benefit from detox:
Headaches
Low energy - excess daytime sleepiness, napping, or great difficulty performing basic tasks
Skin conditions
Lapses in judgment
Brain fog
Depression
Strong or prolonged emotional state that is personally distressing: overwhelm, dissociation, anger, irritability, sadness, stress, ruminating, etc.
Difficulty focusing, working towards goals, or finishing projects
Conflicts in relationships
Excess weight and difficulty losing weight
Signs of skin aging, e.g. fine lines, wrinkles, skin dullness, puffiness, dark circles
Excess hair shedding
Joint pain, inflammation, swelling, redness
Autoimmune disease
Endocrine disruption, hormonal imbalances, irregular menstrual cycles, or infertility
The benefits of detox
Over the last 200 years, lifespans have increased and quality of life has improved thanks to hygiene, running water, electricity, and healthcare. However, despite modern comforts like Uber, DoorDash, and ChatGPT, longevity has plateaued in America. This is likely due to a high toxic burden and poor lifestyle in a society that prioritizes convenience and entertainment over meaning and quality.
The benefits of detoxification are manifold:
Buffers against stress, enhances resilience (allostasis) and homeostasis
Improved brain executive function: attention, processing speed, learning, memory, and cognitive flexibility
Increased fertility, healthier offspring, balanced hormones
Radiant skin, thicker hair, stronger nails
Decreased chronic inflammation
Strengthens immunity, fewer colds, improved ability to fight infection
Prevent, delay, and even cure disease by addressing the root cause
Lengthened lifespan, decreased biological age
More ease and ability to enjoy life
Decreased likelihood of food sensitivities and reactions
Enhanced absorption and nutrient status
Facilitates loss of excess weight
Decreased risk of cancer
70-90% of all cancer is caused by environmental factors like diet, lifestyle, infectious diseases, and pollution, according to a 2015 Nature paper [2]. For the lung, it can be driven by smoking and air pollution. 100% of myeloma, lung, and thyroid cancers are caused by mutations that were generated by environmental factors, i.e. exposure to carcinogens.
Another paper from the University of Texas published in Pharm Res in 2008 estimates that 20-25% of all cancer-related deaths are linked to diet [3].
Considerations: What to Keep in Mind
The Exceptional Longevity Paradox
A lot of us have heard anecdotes, for example, of a man who smoked cigarettes for 30 years and ate to his heart's content and still lived to the ripe old age of 90. However, there's usually more to these stories.
They might have won the genetic lottery, with genes that resist DNA mutation, metabolize fat and sugar more easily, and detoxify smoke in their lungs more readily. Their epigenetics may serve as a buffer, if they or their ancestors lived somewhere where most people have had a high quality of living and emotional well-being for generations—a different pace of life.
There's also survival bias at play—you only hear the stories of those who lived long, not the same ones who lived an unhealthy lifestyle and died early, which is the norm simply due to cause and effect.
Other behaviors such as a thriving social life, low stress, and sufficient sleep, also offer a longevity buffer.
For these reasons, we can't rely on anecdotes about people that lived long despite their poor lifestyle, which could have prevented them from living even longer. We have to lean on what we know about lifestyle and functional medicine: too much of a bad thing does not indeed make us stronger, and there is a fine line between hormesis and exposure accumulation.
Increased Sensitivity of an Optimized Body
Over time, eating healthy reinforces a mode of function the body is accustomed to operating at. A deviation in the direction of unhealthy behaviors can trigger a pronounced reaction. This sensitized reaction and symptom flare isn't necessarily indicative of a "weakening" of the body; rather, that it is functioning as it is supposed to, and that the channels are clear for what's coming to leave. We need a major mindset shift as a society whose medical model is based on pathologizing and suppressing symptoms. Symptoms aren't necessarily bad; they're an indicator of a process of returning to alignment.
Risks and Detox Reactions: Redistribution
The old saying "things get worse before they get better" rings true in some circumstances, including detox. Some detoxification processes such as chelation or cleanses "get things moving" and distribute toxic exposures to different organs.
For example, parasites release inflammatory substances, toxins, and pathogens when they die, termed "die-off reactions." They can harbor and release bacteria, heavy metals, mycotoxins, neurotoxins, viruses, and more. These then travel to the lymphatic system to be filtered and detoxified in the lymph nodes, spleen, and liver, and then they are drained through the bladder, colon, kidneys, lungs, and skin.
The goal is to distribute the toxins out through the most direct path out of the body. That usually involves some combination of the lymphatic system, liver, GI tract, and kidneys. However, if a toxin is in the brain, and detox gets those compounds moving, other symptoms can result.
According to Dr. Jay Davidson, symptoms of die-off reactions include:
Aches and pain
Acne
Bitter taste in mouth
Brain fog
Cravings
Fatigue
Flu-like symptoms
Headaches
Insomnia
Mental and emotional issues
Skin problems
Stuffy nose and mucus
Worsening of GI problems
If done properly, these symptoms are temporary. That is why it is so important to work with an experienced and knowledgeable healthcare provider.
Ways to target detox—modulating cell function
Each toxin and toxic chemical changes gene expression and/or protein function, often pleiotropically (that is, via multiple biochemical signaling pathways). Most therapeutic approaches will try to upregulate enzymes involved in metabolism, convert toxins and toxic chemicals into less toxic metabolites, or inhibit enzymes that generate reactive intermediates. Progress can be measured through biomarkers and functional testing.
Most toxins and toxic chemicals are lipophilic and not easily eliminated—they enter cells and membrane-bound organelles (nucleus, mitochondria, ER, etc.) easily. Particularly in these instances, it becomes necessary to improve cellular function.
This series will focus on natural physiological processes and lifestyle practices that enhance detoxification, biohacking modalities and methods of detox, supporting organs and systems, the phases of detox, and how to address specific exposures (e.g., parasites, mold, viruses, bacteria, industrial chemicals, air pollution, radiation, etc.) with dietary compounds, herbs, nutraceuticals, and other interventions, such as sauna use and cold immersion.
Join our mailing list to be notified of future articles in this series, as we explore detox from an evidence-based lens and sift the peer-reviewed science from the more spurious claims.
Key Takeaways
The body uses a variety of enzymatic (e.g. CYP450 and glutathione), cellular (autophagy, apoptosis), and organ-level processes to detoxify the body. We can support these processes through evidence-based lifestyle practices.
The major detox organs are the liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs, g/lymphatic systems, and skin.
Common exposures include infections (e.g. parasites, mold, viruses, bacteria), chemicals (e.g. plastic, air pollution), and radiation.
Start with the foundations, including self-regulation, diet, movement, and sleep.
Dopamine detox: Discern between pleasure that nourishes (e.g. self-care, aromatherapy, tidying up your living space, etc.) and pleasure that numbs (e.g. laying in bed, watching TV, or snacking). You have to be "in it" and aware of the level of consumption and whether it's being channeled into higher pursuits in your life.
The goal of detox is to support elimination, repair, and metabolism, and ultimately to move beyond "just getting by," towards peace, vitality, connection, relationship, and purpose.
Evidence-based: with any detox modalities, it is essential to focus on ones with real-world evidence of safety and efficacy. We will also share which one's we've found to have insufficient evidence, to make individuals aware of interventions that may do more harm than help, or at the very least, ones that require more peer-reviewed research data to corroborate.
If you found this article—or any others on our platform—informative, leave us a comment. If there are any topics you want covered in the future, share them below.
Further Reading
NCCIH: "Detoxes" and "Cleanses": What You Need to Know
Patient First: 9 Foods to Naturally Detox
References
Gilani, B. and M. Cassagnol, Biochemistry, Cytochrome P450, in StatPearls. 2025: Treasure Island (FL).
Wu, S., et al., Substantial contribution of extrinsic risk factors to cancer development. Nature, 2016. 529(7584): p. 43-7.
Anand, P., et al., Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes. Pharm Res, 2008. 25(9): p. 2097-116.
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