Your blood plays a vital role in your health by transporting nutrients in and waste out, as well as protecting against invading microorganisms, and regulating the body’s pH, water level, and temperature. These responsibilities are affected when there is an overload of toxins in the body.
Toxins come in various forms, through the air, the food we eat, medications, and numerous other sources. But, how do toxins leave the body? Fortunately, the body has a natural detox treatment process made up of organs that filter these toxins and keep the body functioning in a healthy way. The liver, kidneys, intestines, and lymphatic system are all responsible for filtering the blood and ridding the body of toxic elements.
One way to help the body function as it should is by filling your diet with blood cleansing foods.1
There are certain foods that boost your organs’ ability to cleanse and filter the waste from the blood. When viewing your health holistically, looking at what you’re eating is often a good place to start. To learn more about this topic, we’ve also written an article answering the question, “what is blood purification?”
Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous refers to vegetables that come from the cabbage family, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. Each cruciferous vegetable is high in antioxidants and has been shown to reduce the risk of certain types of cancers, including kidney disease and kidney cancer.
They are high in minerals and vitamins A, C, and K. Plus, they contain phytonutrients, which help lower inflammation. Adding them to a daily detox diet is easy since they’re available year-round and can be eaten in various forms. Roast, saute, or eat them raw. The more you work them into your diet, the better it helps clean the blood.
Blueberries
Blueberries are also high in antioxidants and can help keep the liver healthy by protecting it from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals in the body, which can result in cell and tissue damage. It can also lead to certain symptoms like headaches, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, and susceptibility to infections.
Since the liver is the main organ in the body’s natural detoxification process, it’s important that it functions at its best. Adding blueberries to your morning cereal or afternoon smoothie are easy ways to get more of these powerful liver cleanse fruits into your daily diet.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit contains specific antioxidants, naringenin and naringin, that protect the liver from liver disease, inflammation, oxidative stress, and harmful side effects of alcohol. It’s also been known to improve heart health and prevent insulin resistance.3 The tart fruit is low in calories but high in nutrients and can be eaten on its own as a light breakfast or used as a refreshing component to salads.
Garlic
Research has found garlic reduced lead levels in the blood by 19% as well as signs of toxicity such as headaches and blood pressure. The active components are garlic’s sulfur compounds. In high amounts, they’ve been shown to protect against heavy metal toxicity. Since garlic can be added to nearly any kind of savory dish, adding more to a daily diet is convenient.
Garlic is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties and helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Since high blood pressure can directly harm blood vessels in the kidney, garlic can help keep the kidney functioning smoothly. There are also certain compounds found in garlic that aid in boosting the immune system, digestive tract health, and detoxify heavy metals in the body.4
Fish
Certain fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to decrease blood triglyceride levels and lower blood pressure. This helps boost liver and kidney functioning. Tuna, salmon, and sardines are the most common in this category, though they are also high in protein. It’s important to establish a well-balanced diet as too much protein can make your kidneys work even harder.
Beet Juice
Though not a common food, beet juice has been used as a remedy to activate liver enzymes and increase bile to boost liver detox functioning. Beet juice is high in betalains and other compounds that reduce inflammation and protect against oxidative stress and liver damage. Many add beets to their daily juice combined with apples and ginger for sweetness.
Coffee
Everyone’s favorite morning pick-me-up has been proven to have beneficial effects on the liver. Research has shown it can lower the risk of cirrhosis and may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer. Coffee helps to reduce inflammation and the accumulation of fat in the liver, keeping it healthy and working well.2
Cranberries
Cranberries are popularly known to help with urinary tract health. They may help bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract, which prevents your kidneys from being infected. Fresh cranberries added to salads, smoothies, or oatmeal are the best way to go since drinking cranberry juice can add unnecessary sugar and preservatives to your diet.
These are a few of the many healthy blood cleansing foods that can aid in health for your organs responsible for filtering out harmful toxins. They each benefit liver function or the kidneys in a significant way, which allows the natural detoxification process to take place more effectively. Adding several of these foods to your regular diet can help improve functioning and allow your body to detox as it should.
Signs of Toxin Overload
These types of foods can help the organs responsible for cleansing the body, but they do not directly clean the blood. And sometimes diet alone can’t remove the build-up of toxins that enter your bloodstream every day.
There are symptoms that may arise if your organs are having trouble doing their job because of toxin overload. If you’re experiencing any of these consistently, it may be time to discuss treatment options with your doctor.
Feeling Fatigued Constantly
Feeling tired now and again is normal. However, if you feel sluggish throughout the day, all the time, there may be something internal going on. Though it could be the result of several things, such as lack of sleep or dehydration, it could also mean your immune system is being weighed down by too many toxins.
Irregular Bowel Movements
Bowel movements are one of the body’s natural ways of releasing toxins. If you have irregular bowel movements or experience constipation often, it could mean your intestines aren’t working as they should due to a buildup of toxins. An influx of processed foods, constant exposure to heavy metals and chemicals from household items, beauty products, and environmental factors can all wreak havoc on your system and slow down the normal filtering functioning your body is used to.
Skin Reactions
When your body is experiencing stress from toxins, one of the first ways it reveals itself is through the skin. Skin inflammation, acne flare-ups, and rashes are all indicators that something isn’t quite right beneath the surface. Toxin overload manifests itself in many ways, but if you’re experiencing unexplained breakouts, it’s possible your organs aren’t filtering as fast as they need to be.
Weight Fluctuations
Unexplained changes to your weight could be the result of hormone disruption caused by toxin buildup. Making adjustments to your diet by adding blood cleansing foods is a good start to bring balance to the body and filter out excess heavy metals and chemicals that make their way into your system.
These are a few of the many symptoms that may occur when there are too many toxins in your system. It affects how you look, feel, and function. Starting with a healthy diet of good-for-you foods is a smart way to start, but depending on your symptoms and your specific health situation, an alternative detoxification treatment may be the best route of care.
Detoxification Treatment Options
The body is an amazing thing but sometimes the natural filtration system needs further detoxification to help cleanse the blood and filter out remaining toxins that are doing damage. Fortunately, there are detox treatments that can promote cleansing the blood, liver, kidney, and lymphatic system.
IV chelation therapy is an alternative form of detox treatment that can remove excess heavy metals and toxins in the bloodstream and eliminate them from the body. This detox process can be achieved through taking an oral supplement of vitamins and minerals. An IV infusion is another method, which introduces nutrients and other healthy substances directly into your bloodstream. Or, an IV drip containing a synthetic amino acid can help remove heavy metal poisoning and cleanse the blood.
These types of alternative detox methods are administered based on your specific condition and symptoms. Your needs are taken into account to decide which is the best method to result in the most successful results. It can be difficult to get the health support you need from diet alone, which is why there are alternative ways to ensure you’re getting what you need to flush out the toxins from your body regularly.
A treatment plan should be customized based on your current health and what’s sustainable moving forward. Protecting your organs and immune system as best as possible through how you take care of your body puts you in a good place to filter out the bad and process the good.
Written By: Dr. David Alvarez
Dr. David Alvarez is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Xochicalco and Certified by the American Heart Association (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support).
Dr. Alvarez has been collaborating with Dr. Bautista as an Assistant Medical Director at the Immunity Therapy Center for over 6 years. He provides daily on site patient care and participates on the medical board on research and development of patient treatment plans and programs. Dr. Alvarez is a knowledgeable and compassionate Doctor committed to helping patients get to where they want to be health wise through a more holistic and comprehensive approach.
Sources:
- Healthline.com. Blood Purifier: Can You Cleanse and Purify Your Blood Naturally? https://www.healthline.com/health/blood-purifier#foods-to-eat
- Better Nutrition. 7 Foods That Cleanse Your Liver. https://www.betternutrition.com/healthy-eating/7-foods-strengthen-liver/
- National Library of Medicine – National Center for Biotechnology Information. Role of naringin supplement in regulation of lipid and ethanol metabolism in rats. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12798418/
- Healthline.com. 11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.