9 Foods to Support Detoxification

Allen Green, MD

5 years ago

Food can help support your key detoxification organs, like the liver and kidneys, remove all toxins from your body. Enhancing your body’s detoxification capabilities is now more important than ever due to the ever-increasing pollution and contamination problem.

Here are the 9 best detox foods.

1. Leafy Greens and Cruciferous Vegetables

The Evidence-Based Complementary Alternative Medicine published a study in 2015 showing that cruciferous vegetables can enhance liver function through their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables are a important to support detoxification since they improve the liver function, which is one of the most important detoxification organs in the body. (1)

2. Lemon

In 2014, the Journal of Medicinal Food published a study that indicated the protective effect that lemons have on the liver. Lemons are capable of protecting the liver against free radical damage and can also boost liver function.

Lemons may have other beneficial properties as well. The Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism published a study suggesting that regular lemon consumption can control blood pressure. (2)

One great way of consuming lemons is to prepare a lemon-water mixture. Preparing your lemon mixture is simple since you just have to squeeze one (preferably) organic lemon into a glass of water and drink it. Since this is an acidic beverage, you must take the precaution of not brushing your teeth immediately since it can be detrimental for the enamel on teeth.

3. Avocados

Avocados are very versatile and beneficial fruits since they can help to improve several aspects of your health. The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry published a research study in 2001 showing that the fatty acids and antioxidants found within the fruit can protect your liver and your body against d-galactosamine – a strong liver toxin. (3)

4. Green Tea

Although green tea has seen resurgence in recent years due to its numerous health properties, it has seen much use in traditional medicine for several millennia.

Green tea is high in antioxidants due to which it can protect your body against the ravages of free radicals. The onslaught of free radicals is believed to cause all sorts of chronic illnesses and diseases including aging.

Green tea also has a protective role against certain kinds of cancers.

Green tea can boost the detoxification processes in your body which can have several beneficial effects on the human body. The journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention published a study in 2007 showing that green tea consumption can boost the production of detoxification enzymes that may help to prevent cancer. (4)

5. Apples

Apples are very rich in a very beneficial kind of soluble fiber called pectin. The journal Phytotherapy Research published a paper in 2006 showing that pectin is helpful in the excretion of highly toxic heavy metals like lead and mercury. Pectin has several other benefits as well. (5)

Since it is an insoluble fiber, pectin is very good for your gut – a vital detoxification organ. Pectin can serve as a prebiotic to improve your gut microbiome and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria. (6)

6. Garlic

The Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine published a study in 2014 showing that garlic has several beneficial effects in the human body. Not only can garlic support detoxification, it can also protect DNA and inhibit carcinogens. (7)

7. Chlorella

Chlorella has such a superior nutritional profile that it is rightly regarded as a superfood by many. The green freshwater algae is particularly good at ridding the body of harmful toxins.

Chlorella can help your body to excrete dangerous heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium. (8) (9) (10)

Besides hazardous professions like mining, people can accumulate toxic heavy metals in their bodies due to air and water pollution.

Another study shows that chlorella as well as other algae can help to protect the kidneys, brain and liver against toxic heavy metals. Your liver and kidneys are the key detox organs. By protecting these organs, chlorella can help to protect your detoxification system against toxins.

Besides heavy metals, chlorella can also banish other dangerous chemicals from your body. Dioxin is a hormone disrupting chemical that can contaminate the food supply chain. Chlorella can help your body to excrete this harmful chemical. (11)

Based on this evidence it appears that chlorella is vital to support detoxification.

8. Turmeric

Turmeric is a very powerful antioxidant. It is very effective at neutralizing free radicals which can cause oxidative damage that leads to aging and several other chronic conditions.

Curcumin is powerful antioxidant in turmeric that can provide a wealth of health benefits. There are a number of studies to show that curcumin can help to significantly boost your antioxidant enzymes and boost your detoxification system. (12) (13) (14)

Curcumin is also powerful to support detoxification since it can protect your liver against the toxic effects of mercury, lead, copper, chromium, cadmium and arsenic. One study found that turmeric is able to exert these detox effects since its active ingredient curcumin is efficient at targeting heavy metals and toxic chemicals. It also has very strong chelating capabilities and can induce the detoxification pathway that helps to eliminate these toxic substances. Researchers conducting the study recommended further research to understand the protective role that turmeric can play in controlling liver damage by toxic chemicals and heavy metals. (15)

Read more about curcumin in our blog post, 5 Benefits of Curcumin.

9. Beets

Beets have very high levels of antioxidants due to which they have their distinctive bright red colors. These vegetables have several health promoting properties on account of their high antioxidant levels.

The journal Nutrients published a study in 2015 which showed that beet juice is effective at increasing the production of enzymes that can boost detoxification and improve your liver function to support detoxification. (16)

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