TOXICITY / DETOXIFICATION
Toxicity refers to an accumulation in the body of environmental toxic materials
such as medications, recreational drugs, heavy metals, chemical products
and/or by-products, and residues of previous infections. There may also be
unexcreted waste products from our normal cellular metabolism which
accumulate because of impairment or overloading of the “human garbage
disposal system” (lymphatic system, liver, intestine, kidneys and skin).
Toxins are primarily excreted via the feces and the urine, and many toxins
must first be inactivated by the liver prior to their elimination. A small
amount of detoxification may also occur through the skin or respiratory tract.
Toxicity frequently impairs healthy functioning of the body and significantly
contributes to many disease processes. Toxicity can even interfere with the
effectiveness of beneficial remedies – both prescription and non-prescription.
It is very difficult to measure toxicity through conventional medical testing
unless the toxicity is very advanced; it can, however, usually be reliably
identified via certain advanced electrodiagnostic instruments.
There are well over 100,000 different chemicals in our environment (and
at least an additional 100,000 drugs, herbs and supplements) and each is
accumulated – and eliminated – differently by each person. Therefore, there
is no rational generalized detoxification program (although the marketplace
is flooded with many of these mostly ineffective, and sometimes dangerous,
“detoxification” products).
The only way for an individual to effectively detoxify is to first identify the
specific types of toxins involved, where they are deposited, and then to
measure an individualized treatment program – which realistically sometimes
involves more than one assessment.
Reckeweg, H. H.; Homotoxicology, Menaco Publishing Co.
(1980)