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Toxins are everywhere. No matter the effort, people cannot completely avoid exposure to or ingestion of potentially harmful chemicals. While the body has its own methods of filtering out or neutralizing toxins, many bodies are overwhelmed. Numerous natural detox and cleansing products focus on helping the body handle these toxins and return to a less toxic state.
“In the United States, there are between 75,000 and 100,000 chemicals in use today, with an additional 1,000 introduced into the environment each year,” said Brenda Watson, Renew Life Formulas. “Even more terrifying, less than 10 percent of these chemicals have been tested for long-term health effects.”
An overload of toxins in the body can trigger numerous health problems including fatigue, nutrient malabsorption, organ malfunction, weight gain and mental dysfunction. “When the body becomes bogged down with harmful compounds, normal physiological processes can become chronically disrupted, resulting in persistent illness,” explained Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, Yogi Tea, who added a person will experience difficulty healing as the body’s ability to absorb and distribute nutrients becomes severely limited. “Signs that the body needs to detox include fatigue, swelling, masses, skin disorders, headache and joint pain, among other symptoms.”
Khalsa noted the importance of knowing the origins of the toxins causing the symptoms. Endogenous toxins are normal byproducts our bodies create in the process of working through normal functions. for example, uric acid is a byproduct of muscular effort. on the other hand, exogenous “toxins” come from outside the body and include environmental pollutants such as lead from leaded gasoline or mercury from fish.
“Toxins can be found in our food, water and air, as well as in common household items like makeup, air fresheners and cleaning products,” said Jon Wright, Enzymatic Therapy. “As more people become aware of their exposure, they’re concerned about how environmental toxins affect their health.” he said based on the modern environment, everyone can benefit from detoxification. “Our diets don’t help either,” he added, noting most people eat too much sugary, high-fat foods and don’t eat enough fiber or drink enough water. “A cleanse can also jump start a diet or help refresh the body after holiday or vacation excesses.”
In fact, Sunil Kohli, Health Plus inc., reported the mainstream health media has been increasingly placing emphasis on cleansing and detox as a necessary first step in embarking on a new lifestyle of regaining and maintaining health, fitness and wellness. “The more responsible fitness and health centers, as another example, are now recommending their clients engage in a practice of internal cleansing and detox to help kick-start an effective weight management routine.”
Kohli said it makes sense to clean up first before you do anything else. “In general, after years of consuming processed foods and/or high-fat foods, the body essentially becomes clogged and inefficient in its operations,” he explained. “Taking the time to engage in internal cleansing and detox programs helps remove built-up toxins and other irrelevant matter.” for those customers who are already engaging in a healthy diet, exercise and supplement regimen, Health Plus advises the occasional “seasonal” cleansing/detox helps keep the body fit and on track to maintain homeostasis.
Target: Toxins
Among the body’s natural defenses to toxins are sweating, exhaling and excretion; the primary detoxifying organs are the kidneys, which filter out waste for expulsion through the urine; and the liver, which carries the bulk of the detoxification workload in the body. Supporting the body’s natural detox systems and processes is crucial to clearing out the deluge of toxins prevalent in modern life.
Health Plus’ cleanse products focus on the digestive system. Kohli reminded retailers that customers are what they digest. “If they are not digesting properly—in this case, effectively eliminating (the final part of digestion)—fecal matter builds up and the toxins borne and festering from it, when it decays in the colon due to stagnation, become reabsorbed into the bloodstream; those toxins are floating in the body and can cause sickness.” this is why he contends the colon is one of the most important body areas for internal cleansing.
Because food takes about 24 hours to go end-to-end in the digestive system, he said adults should ideally eliminate their bowels twice per day, after major meals. “Just like you and your customers, your body does not want to collect and store rotting garbage,” he advised. “Internal cleansing with our psyllium-based Colon Cleanse and Super Colon Cleanse formulas teaches the body to get rid of that hoarding tendency.”
In many cases, experts recommend starting with a whole-body cleanse. Enzymatic Therapy offers a Whole Body Cleanse program, which it said provides comprehensive support for the body’s major detoxification organs: liver, intestines, blood and lymph. Wright explained the three products in the kit offer a gentle, yet comprehensive, detoxification program: Super Milk Thistle® liver cleansing formula to stimulate bile flow and enhance the liver’s detoxification processes; Fiber Fusion™ daily cleansing fiber to bind toxins and promote digestive regularity; and Whole Body Cleanse Laxative Formula to safely and gently promote bowel movements to rid the body of toxins.
“This program emphasizes gentle detoxification, so you won’t see recommendations for drastic measures, such as drinking only lemon water for two weeks,” Wright noted. “On the other hand, we’d like to make sure the cleanse is as effective as possible. so during our program, we emphasize drinking plenty of water, eating fresh produce, and avoiding or cutting back caffeine, alcohol and processed foods.”
For ReNew Life, total body cleansing is also the first step in its specialized cleanse line, which provides specific steps to targeted cleansing that can help consumers narrow down their cleansing options. “It’s best to begin with cleansing the body’s seven channels of elimination—the liver, lungs, lymphatic system, kidneys, skin, blood and colon,” Watson suggested. “Deciding which total body cleanse to complete depends on a variety of factors, including how long the consumer wants to cleanse and how regular their elimination is. After total body cleansing, we typically suggest moving on to a microbial cleanse such as ParaGone or CandiGone, then completing the cycle with targeted cleansing with Liver Detox, and adding Heavy Metal Cleanse or Kidney Detox if needed.”
Yogi’s detox teas— includes DeTox, Peach DeTox, Berry DeTox and Skin DeTox —are also designed to assist the organs of elimination: liver, kidney and large intestine. Khalsa said the teas are based on ancient principles of natural medicine as well as culinary traditions from a variety of cultures, and they purposefully combine herbs, spices, flowers, roots, seeds and tea to enhance holistic well-being. “For example, the DeTox tea is made with a traditional cleansing blend of ginger, black pepper and long pepper to enhance circulation while juniper berry and dandelion flush toxins from the body,” Khalsa explained, noting the teas are safe to use regularly and for extended periods of time.
Uckele Health and Nutrition has based its products on nutrigenomics, the theory that nutrients interact differently with each person’s unique genetic profile. this approach can reveal how individuals utilize nutrients, how much they require, their particular rate of detoxification and their genetic risk for specific health issues or problems. the company’s 7/21 Detox Kit offers consumers two options. first is a 7-day Intensive Detoxification Program, whereby each meal is replaced with GNX Cleanse MRP replacement and a full packet of 7/21 supplements; this offers a heavier release of stored toxins and a quicker restoration to more balanced organ system function. for the 21-day option, consumers replace only one meal daily with a serving of GNX Cleanse MRP and a supplement packet for a gentler approach to detox.
Uckele’s Jack Grogan said toxins send metabolically disruptive, pro-inflammatory data through the cellular environment to the genetic material. “With this type of messaging, toxins essentially generate information that prevents a less than optimal expression in metabolic function,” he explained, noting well-balanced detoxification programs improve the cellular environment by removing the disruptive pro-inflammatory influences or messages to the genetic material. “Also, because supplementation is incorporated as a part of the detoxification protocol, there is a nutritional improvement within the cell that then allows for a more optimal expression of genetic influence. this combination of detoxification and nutritional support can serve as a solid foundation to enhance optimal gene expression in the nutrigenomic model.”
Retailing Detox and Cleansing
The detox and cleansing category is wide-ranging, presenting retailers a challenging array of products to match up appropriately with their customers. given the rampant sources of toxins, experts contend everyone needs some level of detox.
Consumers owe it to themselves to cleanse often, according to Watson, who suggested a good average is four times per year, or with each season change. “It helps to think of good detoxification in terms of good dental hygiene—brushing after meals and flossing daily is important, but it’s still necessary to see a dentist twice each year or more,” she said. “While cleansing should be done two to four times per year, consumers are also advised to avoid toxicity whenever possible, consume healthy, cleansing foods daily such as organic fruits and vegetables, and drink at least 64 ounces of purified water each day to flush the system.” she noted many consumers claim to feel an increase in energy, clearer skin, better regularity and even minor weight loss after completing a cleanse.
Most consumers will want to start with a complete cleansing program, with the intensity determined by the extent of detox needed. those with concerns about a specific organ or system will want a targeted product, such as milk thistle and dandelion for the liver, nettle and uva ursi for the kidneys, and psyllium for the digestive system. Still, Amy Fitzpatrick, Natrol, noted more frequent intensive detoxification regimens may be indicated for individuals that are regularly exposed to hazardous chemicals, heavy metals and other environmental toxins on a regular basis through their work environment, geographic location, chronic medication use, etc.
For Grogan, the biggest way health food retailers can help their customers in addressing detoxification programs is giving sound advice on the type, duration and intensity of a detoxification program. “The more complete the program, typically, the more effective it will be,” he said. “Also, many programs that are marketed as detoxification systems don’t amount to much more than a combination of herbal laxatives and diuretics. these can be disruptive and may actually generate greater imbalances that ultimately do more harm than good by reducing the vitamin and mineral reserves that are available to the tissues of the body, certainly if a balance supplementation program is not also incorporated.”
Many companies offer a range of cleansing products to service the range of consumer detox goals, from acute to long-term. They also provide support, including information about detoxification/cleansing and each product’s suggested use, potential benefits and target consumer(s). this information, whether brochures or verbal, would be useful also to customers.
“We always encourage customers to read the labels and our literature to select the specific Colon Cleanse or Super Colon Cleanse product, including our teas, to try what is most suitable for their lifestyles,” Kohli said, adding HealthPlus introduced a 30-count size that encourages category entry and trial. “We encourage retailers to stock up on this for the many customers new to the category.”
Khalsa commented, “We think it’s important for retailers to be a part of the education process to help consumers understand the detox concept and use the products effectively and safely.” to address the range of toxicity concerns and growing popularity of the category, he recommended retailers stock a range of detox aids, from intensive aids to more mild aids, such as Yogi tea. “As the concept of detox becomes increasingly popular, we expect the demand for detox products to increase.”
On growth and the need for continued education at the retail level, Wright agreed: “The cleanse and detoxification category will continue to grow as people learn about the many benefits of cleansing—for healthy digestion, immune system support, weight loss, etc.—and complete the program feeling cleaner, lighter and more energized.”