The theory of detoxification, elimination of toxins in the body, is one of the theories of health to create the most popular and at a time bizarre creed, particularly among alternative therapies and more particularly in the world of naturopath, gathered behind a battle cry heralding the slogan of mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a sound body). Piles of books exist on this subject, seminars are sold and an abundance of websites claim to provide objective information on the hunt for toxins.
This is based on the notion that we take and absorb a lot of toxic substances from food, drink and air we breathe, so much that our bodies become toxic themselves, the only way to go perfect health is to ban these poisons. Curiously, these poisons have not yet been identified, which do not prevent supporters of detoxification to create and promote programs to get rid of these toxins unfathomable. Like any creed, the main object is unknown or misidentified, everyone talks about but nobody knows what it is. However, the war to "toxins" is declared to do so hunters have several methods of getting rid od toxins.
Fasting
The idea that fasting can cleanse the body of toxins is thousands of years old. The detoxifying defends the modern idea of total fasting (no food or drink) for some period. Most recommend drinking water or fruit juice or even to indulge in a diet only of fruit and vegetables, juice and tea in order to optimize a passage on the toilet to a maximum empty, and at the same time expel nasty toxins from the depths of the intestine.
Fasting can last several days or weeks although health professionals argue that a regime long term (over several days) can be dangerous, the body can begin to "nibble itself". That does not retain some fanatics who even say that fasting is good for people with kidney problems, liver problems and pregnant women or even for infants!
Proponents of fasting say that fasting allows the body, especially the liver to "rest", the latter disguising liver functions into a container of toxic substances absorbed and deposited there by the power, increasing their mass on "clean" stocks of toxins that are stored there and can be causes of diseases. Unfortunately, the body does not differentiate between "fast" and "be hungry".
Contrary to what is being taught by these people, the body is never at rest during a fast, but work feverishly and continuously to prevent famine and death. The liver is especially put to work during a fast, converting fat into energy for use of the body. During a long fast, the liver is working overtime to redistribute the harmful by-products from the muscles and tissues in order to address the body's need for protein.
According to some, "the young increases the elimination process and release toxins from the colon, kidneys and bladder, lungs, sinuses and skin." This "unloading" toxic is supposed to be so powerful that it could cure and prevent disease, as well as slowing the aging process. Certain conditions would be warning signals to indicate the need for the body of a detoxifying fast: frequent migraines, coronary artery disease, diabetes and mental illness.
Ironically, fasting can actually exacerbate or not to be the source of such health problems. Fasting often results in headaches or depression, heart problems can occur, and glycemic control in diabetic patients will be more difficult or impossible.
Other quacks even further state that fasting can prevent certain diseases such as cancer, cleansing the body of its poisons before they do have time and opportunity to cause damage. Of course, these claims are not based on any scientific or medical information, and are merely wishful thinking of naturopaths in search of designated enemies to defeat. Toxins have been done as a scapegoat.
People who fast regularly often experience irritability, have nausea, fatigued, have headaches and dizziness. Others have nightmares, have low voltage and vomiting. The specialists claim that these detox negative symptoms are a sign that drain blood poisons. In fact, the real causes of these symptoms are well known. Dizziness for example, are caused by a voltage drop of blood to the brain, nausea can be caused by hormonal changes due to hunger maintained by fasting.
Finally, if the fast frantic supporters describe it as a way to have clearer ideas providing emotional disposition and mental state above, studies have shown instead that cognitive abilities declined over a period of fasting.
Full interior cleaning
The notion that the putrefaction of feces would be the ultimate cause of disease dated of Ancient Egypt. It does not seem to have changed since. The belief was that the fecal matter and would be absorbed by the body and thus the poison causing diseases (like in terms of fasting, these intrusive poisons were never identified or measured). This idea was refuted long ago. But some fanatics persist in asserting that a settler "slow" or "messy" would cause all sorts of ills, from colds to heart disease. In fact, many of them say that 90 or 95% of diseases come from the colon.
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