While it’s easy to think about a detox as something you occasionally do to push the “reset” button, it’s important to remember that we are bombarded with toxins every single day, and our bodies are working constantly to remove these toxins—every single day. Detox is not a once or twice a year event, or “reset,” but an ongoing process that our bodies are designed to do, day in and day out, and can only be done effectively and efficiently if you provide it with the nutrients it needs to do so. Our own built-in detox system works hard to filter out the toxins every day, but with the modern overload of various pollutants and contaminants we’re exposed to, it’s more important than ever to provide our bodies with the nutrients they need to keep our detox machinery running smoothly, not just once or twice a year, but all year long. 

Take Care of Your Liver, It’s Doing the Hard Work

The skin, lungs, digestive tract, lymphatic system, and kidneys all play a role in detoxification, but the liver is the real powerhouse. This hardworking organ has more than 500 vital functions, and breaking down toxins and readying them for removal is one of them. Our livers filter more than 250 gallons of blood every day, with much of it coming directly from the digestive tract, carrying nutrients, hormones, medications, alcohol, caffeine, and environmental toxins.¹ The liver uses a two-phase process to break down and then neutralize toxins: During phase I, toxins are broken into smaller fragments by specialized enzymes, and in phase II, the toxins are bound to other molecules, creating a neutralized substance that can be excreted in the urine or stool. 

In order for this process to effectively work, your body must have adequate nutrients to support the production of the enzymes and antioxidants required in both phases. If not, the phase I and phase II processes may not work efficiently, which can leave toxic substances to build up, leading to serious inflammation and oxidative damage, in the liver and beyond. This is particularly true during phase I, when the breakdown of toxins can create even more toxic or reactive substances before they move on to phase II. A basic way to support your liver’s job of detoxifying your body is to ensure you are getting optimal amounts of nutrients that provide antioxidant protection, like vitamins C and E, minerals like selenium and zinc, and other nutrients that support the overall detoxing process, like the B vitamins.^{2 3} A high-quality multivitamin is a good place to start to cover the basics, then consider adding more specific liver-supporting supplements, all of which will help support healthy detoxification.

NAC

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a building block for the body’s most powerful endogenous (internally made) antioxidant, glutathione. Glutathione is especially concentrated in the liver, where it has critical roles in detoxification: it directly neutralizes free radicals, protecting the liver from oxidative damage; it regenerates the antioxidant vitamins C and E; it neutralizes free radicals produced during phase I detoxification; and it plays a role in conjugating (binding) the intermediaries produced by phase I detox to make them water soluble and ready for excretion in phase II.⁴ While small amounts of glutathione is found in some foods, it is not very bioavailable, so does a poor job of increasing tissue levels. This is where NAC comes in—NAC contains cysteine, one of the building blocks of glutathione, and has been shown to effectively increase glutathione levels in the body.^{5 6}

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle contains silymarin, a group of flavonoid compounds that are known to promote optimal liver health. Silymarin provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection to liver cells, reduces fat accumulation in the liver, and promotes liver regeneration, allowing the organ to produce new cells.^{7 8} Silymarin is particularly important for neutralizing the toxic by-products that are formed during detoxification and also helps increase levels of the body’s own antioxidant enzymes, glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD), powerful protectors against oxidative damage caused by overindulging and exposure to modern-day pollutants.⁹

Sulforaphane

Sulforaphane, a compound that is especially concentrated in broccoli sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables, also supports phase II detoxification, and in fact, has been called “the most potent naturally occurring inducer of phase II enzymes.” It increases glutathione synthesis as well.¹⁰ Both sulforaphane and broccoli sprout extract are available in supplement form, but it is also important to regularly include a variety of cruciferous foods, like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, in your diet.

Quercetin

The flavonoid quercetin has proven to have a liver-protective effect in animal studies, reducing both inflammation and oxidative damage. One study specifically investigated quercetin’s effect on the livers of rats after exposure to a commonly used fungicide. The fungicide resulted in increased liver enzymes (a sign of liver injury) and decreased antioxidants, including glutathione and vitamin C, in liver tissues. But when the test animals were given quercetin along with the fungicide, the researchers reported “a significant liver protective effect,” with increases in antioxidant activity, vitamin C levels, and decreases in liver enzymes.¹¹

Fiber

We all know dietary fiber is a keystone for good health, but most of us fall woefully short, so much so that health experts call it a “public health concern.”^{12 13} And it is concerning, because fiber positively affects so many aspects of health, including healthy detoxification, especially when it comes to elimination. Once the liver has processed and bound up toxins, to get rid of them, they are then excreted into the digestive tract, via bile, where fiber binds to it, allowing for final elimination—without enough fiber in the diet, these toxins can be reabsorbed and go back to the liver to be processed again. This overloads the liver and can result in more toxins being released into the bloodstream. 

Fiber also provides food for beneficial gut microbes and promotes overall gut health; this is important because “…poor gut health is increasingly recognized as an important contributor in regulating the physiology and biochemistry of nutrient management and detoxification…”¹⁴ Aim for at least 28 grams of fiber each day (according to research, the average American only eats an average of 8 grams)¹⁵ from organic vegetables, legumes, and whole grains if tolerated and make up the difference with a fiber supplement. And be sure to drink plenty of purified water—this not only supports healthy elimination, but will prevent constipation when taking a fiber supplement.

Reduce Your Toxic Exposure

While our bodies are equipped to handle a certain level of toxins, reducing unnecessary exposure can lighten the load on our detoxification systems. 

• Choose organic whenever possible. Studies have shown that blood levels of pesticides are drastically reduced in as little as one week of eating mostly organic produce, in both children and adults.^{16 17}
• Swap your chemical-laden cleaning products for natural alternatives—the natural formulas are just as effective and go a long way in reducing toxic exposure in your home.
• Be mindful about what you put on your body. Conventional body care products, cosmetics, perfumes, and colognes contain a laundry list of chemicals that the body has to detoxify.
• Avoid using plastic wherever possible, especially in the kitchen where you prepare food (e.g., plastic cutting boards, plastic utensils).
• Clean up your diet. Eliminate foods that add to your body’s burden and overload the natural detoxification process. Avoid highly processed omega-6 fats from ultra-processed foods; high omega-6 cooking oils like corn, soybean, and safflower oils; high-fructose corn syrup and other processed sugars; and limit alcohol consumption.

Reducing your exposure to toxins where you can, supplying your body with the nutrients it needs to properly carry out its daily detox functions, and increasing foods that optimize detoxification go a long way in reducing your toxic load—not just once or twice a year, but every single day, year round.

References

1. Rivera, W. (2023, September 6). Understanding your liver: location, function, and complexity. American Liver Foundation. https://liverfoundation.org/about-your-liver/how-liver-diseases-progres…
2. Traber, M. G., & Stevens, J. F. (2011). Vitamins C and E: beneficial effects from a mechanistic perspective. Free radical biology & medicine, 51(5), 1000–1013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.05.017
3. Hodges, R. E., & Minich, D. M. (2015). Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2015, 760689. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/760689
4. Pizzorno J. (2014). Glutathione!. Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.), 13(1), 8–12.
5. Kerksick C and Willoughby D. “The Antioxidant Role of Glutathione and N-Acetyl-Cysteine Supplements and Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress.” J Int Soc Sports Nut. Dec 9, 2005; 2(2): 38-44 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129149/
6. Atkuri KR, Mantovani JJ, Herzenberg LA, and Herzenberg LA. “N-acetylcysteine—a safe antidote for cysteine/glutathione deficiency.” Curr Opin Pharmacol. Aug 2007; 7(4): 355-359 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4540061/
7. Dannon S. “Milk Thistle Promotes Liver Detoxification.” Jan 2019. Life Extension Magazine https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2019/1/milk-thistle-promotes-liv…
8. Balch Phyllis, CNC. Prescription for Herbal Healing, Avery 2002. Pgs 95-96
9. García-Muñoz, A. M., Victoria-Montesinos, D., Ballester, P., Cerdá, B., & Zafrilla, P. (2024). A Descriptive Review of the Antioxidant Effects and Mechanisms of Action of Berberine and Silymarin. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 29(19), 4576. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194576
10. Yoshida K, Ushida Y, Ishijima T, et al. “Broccoli sprout extract induces detoxification-related gene expression and attenuates acute liver injury.” World J Gastroenterol. Sep 21, 2015; 21(35): 10091-10103. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i35.10091
11. Kasmi S, Bkhairia I, Harrabi B, et al. “Modulatory effects of quercetin on liver histopathological, biochemical, hematological, oxidative stress and DNA alterations in rats exposed to graded doses of score 250.” Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods. 2018;28(1) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15376516.2017.1351507?journ…
12. Quagliani, D., & Felt-Gunderson, P. (2016). Closing America's Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 11(1), 80–85. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827615588079
13. Over time, racial and ethnic gaps in dietary fiber consumption per 1,000 calories have widened | Economic Research Service. (n.d.). https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/chart-detail?char…
14. Kieffer, D. A., Martin, R. J., & Adams, S. H. (2016). Impact of Dietary Fibers on Nutrient Management and Detoxification Organs: Gut, Liver, and Kidneys. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 7(6), 1111–1121. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.116.013219
15. Over time, racial and ethnic gaps in dietary fiber consumption per 1,000 calories have widened | Economic Research Service. (n.d.). https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/chart-detail?char…
16. Lu C, Toepel K, et al. “Organic Diets Significantly Lower Children’s Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides.” Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Feb; 114(2): 260-263 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367841/
17. Oates L, Cohen M, et al. “Reduction in urinary organophosphate pesticide metabolites in adults after a week-long organic diet. Environ Res. 2014 Jul; 132:105-11