What Are Toxins And How Do They Work In Your Body?
In recent years, the media has been talking about toxins, the famous detox diets or the best way to exercise to eliminate them. However, few people really know what toxins are and why you should cleanse your body.
Toxins are harmful substances produced by cells, whether they are plants, animals or bacteria. In our case, they can be produced by the body or come from outside.
The problem with toxins is that when they accumulate, they cause damage to cells and tissues. Therefore, we explain where these substances come from and what we can do to eliminate them in this article.
What are toxins?
As mentioned , toxins are substances that can be potentially harmful to your cells and tissues. They can be small molecules, proteins or other elements that come from both the outside and inside of the body.
First of all, you should know that your body produces toxins all the time, due to the metabolic processes you need to survive. For example, the mechanism by which your cells acquire energy produces free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that are considered toxins, as they can cause damage to cells if they accumulate. You also produce many toxins when you eat, breathe or ingest substances such as tobacco.
What happens is that you have mechanisms that allow you to neutralize all of these toxins or eliminate them. Once neutralized, they can not reach very high levels, and that is what is very harmful to tissues.
The two most important organs in the neutralization and elimination of toxins are the liver and the kidneys. Through urine and feces you expel a large part of them.
It is important that these organs function properly in order for them to cleanse your body properly. Kidney and liver diseases alter the detoxification process and delay the elimination of free radicals, which, for example, affect aging.
Other important toxins
As we mentioned above, food is an important source of poison. Not only because of the reactions that take place inside the body to process food, but also because they can come from the food itself.
In fact , foods rich in additives and fats contain a higher percentage of toxins. The same applies to fried foods or foods that are processed at high temperatures. Substances such as tobacco or alcohol are also extremely harmful.
Pollutants such as heavy metals, which are found in some animals we eat, are also a source of toxins. Nor can we forget that toxins from animals such as snakes or insects are also toxic.
Ultra-processed foods, common in today’s food industry, accelerate the release process for toxins due to the number of steps taken to produce them. When you go to the grocery store, you should be careful to choose the food you buy to minimize the health risk.
How can you remove toxins from your body?
Although there are advertisements for many diets and detox products, there is no scientific evidence for their benefits yet. However, it is true that in order to eliminate harmful substances from your body, you need your organs to function properly. Especially liver and kidneys.
Therefore, it is very important to maintain fluid balance and drink between 1.5 and 2 liters (6-8 glasses) of water a day. This helps the kidneys to produce more urine and cleanse themselves more often.
Logically, if you reduce the harmful substances you get in you, it will also be beneficial to your health. You can do this, for example, by eliminating alcohol, tobacco or processed and high-fat foods. In addition, you should add more fruits and vegetables to your diet.
Diet is not the only way to remove toxins in the body
We recommend that you live an active life and do moderate exercise several times a week. Through sports, you also eliminate harmful substances and in addition you reduce the stress level, which seems to be related.
What you should remember is that toxins are substances that are harmful to your tissues. However, before embarking on a diet or taking detox products, it is important to be informed and consult a professional.
