Page 37 - Spring2015

Reviving Health through

Gentle Detoxification

by Kim Schuette, CN

ften when one thinks about detoxification, images
of a rigid three-day juice fast or grueling days of

Odrinking nasty pre-packaged concoctions come to
mind. Detoxification is the physiological removal of meta-

bolic waste and exogenous toxins from the body. It is in fact
a process, and not an event.

Detoxification is an ongoing function carried out by the numerous emunc-
tories of our very complex body. Emunctories are organs of elimination; the
word has its origin in the Latin emungere which means “to cleanse” and refers
to tissues and organs that excrete toxins from the body. These organs include
the liver and gallbladder (bile excretion), the kidneys (urination), the lungs
(carbon dioxide), the colon (defecation), and the skin (perspiration). Our
1
sovereign organ for detoxification is the liver.
The liver is the chief organ responsible for breaking down both endogenous
and exogenous toxins every second of our lives. It works in concert with the
kidneys and colon as well as the lungs and skin to ensure that toxins leave the
body as quickly and efficiently as possible. The liver filters blood, removing
chemicals, excess hormones, viruses and bacteria. Additionally the liver is
called upon to metabolize drugs and chemicals and to break down alcohol. It
also plays a key role in the digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, and
acts as a storehouse for vitamins, minerals and sugars.
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