Do Chinese Medicine Detox Supplements Work?
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Juice cleanses, colon hydrotherapy, hot yoga, detox pills, detox water, and even massage therapy are pieces of the multi-billion dollar cleanse and detox market. The valuation of fresh-pressed juice brands, many of which offer multi-day juice cleanses, alone, exceeds $3 billion.
But do any of these really detoxify the body?
After all, doesn’t the human body do a more than adequate job detoxifying on its own, without the assistance of any products?
It used to be that “detoxification” involved a serious medical procedure for exposure to or swallowing of heavy metals, industrial chemicals and other poisons, alcohol or drugs.
Nowadays, Hollywood celebrities and so-called health gurus tout a myriad of cleanse and detox solutions. Moreover, millions of people share detox recipes on social media.
Having healthy lung, kidney and liver function and an adequate eliminatory system (defecation, urination, sweating), western medicine professionals believe, is all you need to detox; some so-called cleanse and detox products may contribute to overall health, but they do not necessarily play a role in the complex detoxification process.
Can Chinese Medicine Help You Detox?
According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, there are obvious signs that toxins are trapped in the body and aren’t being discharged. And for countless centuries, Chinese herbalists have been dispensing herbal remedies to essentially get the toxic gunk unstuck and move out of the body.
TCM acknowledges two sources of toxins: external and internal. External toxins are the same as what’s considered environmental toxins in the west such as polluted water and air and pesticides.
Like external toxins, internal toxins are also very similar in eastern and western medicine. Both schools regard internal toxins as metabolic waste. In western physiology, one example of metabolic byproducts is lactic acid, which can accumulate after exercising. In a healthy functioning body, excess lactic acid will be eliminated. But in some people, lactic acid formation is abnormally high and the body can’t get rid of it.
Chinese medicine might not recognize the same metabolic waste as western medicine, however, there are obvious signs of toxic build-up. And there’s a good chance you may have one of these manifestations.
Constipation
A simple way to know if you’re body is doing an adequate job of detoxifying is if you are having regular bowel movements and your skin is clear. But how often is “regular”? The absolute minimum is once every three days. However, it’s ideal if you’re going at least once a day.
If you don’t defecate frequently, harmful substances in your stools may become reabsorbed by the body. And besides the obvious difficulty of not being able to have a bowel movement frequently, other signs of toxic buildup as a result of constipation include bloating, bad breath and feeling sluggish.
According to TCM theory, constipation is an indication of fire in the body.
Our signature formula Constipass™ removes excess heat from the stomach and intestines.
Getting enough exercise and eating lots of vegetables and other foods with fiber can also help ease constipation. But for some people, exercise and a healthy diet doesn’t always ease constipation.
In addition, many TCM doctors advise against colon hydrotherapy (also called colonic irrigation) and laxatives for constipation; they can cause long-term digestive system disturbances.
Skin Problems
Unhealthy-looking skin is another clear sign of toxic buildup in the body. For example, pimples may form when excess oil from the sebaceous glands is secreted. This action blocks the pores.
Pimples, viewed through the lens of TCM theory, suggests excess dampness and heat is the major cause.
AcniPearl™ is our signature formula that helps clear heat and purge dampness from the body, helping to smooth out skin.
Prolonged Recovery Time
Some people take a long time to get their body back in balance. Our formula Andrografix™ is a signature formula that clears toxic heat and supports the body’s immune function by clearing Wind and Heat attacks.
For more information, check out the products on our Detox category page which also includes our general detox formula, CoptisClear.
Do you use herbal medicine to help detoxify your body? Leave a comment.
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