How often do you detox your body?

As far as detox foods are concerned, it’s hard to beat apple cider vinegar. But believe it or not, there are actually many other detox foods out there that are even stronger than this salad dressing.

Most people tend to opt for apple cider vinegar because of the anti-parasitic, anti-viral, anti-microbial, and other healing powers they possess. But many of the best detox foods are hiding just outside public view.

And guess what? Herbalists have been using these foods for decades. In the case of the following 6 detox foods, each has a precise goal for detoxifying the body. They do this through potent compounds that science has proven to be very effective.

Most people choose to avoid them in many cases because of their different tastes. But mother nature sure has created some fantastic remedies in these foods! Check ’em out yourself!

…But first, why are we so overloaded with toxins?!?

Why are we overloaded with toxins?

Your body’s detoxification system is robust. But in our modern times, it’s under considerable pressure. Pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, chemicals, heavy metals, and stress can strain your natural detoxification system. And toxin exposure starts early.

Before we’re even born, in fact. Testing the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies has revealed an average of over 200 synthetic chemicals. And some of them have carcinogenic potential too.

Unfortunately, many of these chemicals’ effects on our bodies aren’t yet fully understood. But evidence ties many of them to health issues. And you won’t believe it, but drinking water can be a source of toxins, as well.

Studies have found various chemicals in public water supplies, including lead, chlorine, Chromium-6, and drug residues from antidepressants, antibiotics, hormones from birth control pills, and painkillers. Stress can also play a significant role.

The physiology of stress is deeply rooted in the “fight or flight” response. Our bodies interpret this as signaling a clear and present danger to our existence.

But because most of our stressors are mental and emotional, for example, financial worries, traffic jams, and irritating emails, the body can under-prioritize detoxification even when it’s the most helpful thing it should be doing.

Given the importance of toxins in our environment and often in our bodies, many people want to know what they can do to protect themselves. Can you remove these harmful substances? Or will they stay with you? Let’s look at the foods that can help.

Broccoli Sprouts

We already know about broccoli’s nutritional benefits for detoxifying the body. But multiple other forms of broccoli can help the body detox even better than the food itself. Broccoli sprouts have that ability and are extremely useful for people living in polluted areas!

A few studies found that people living in overcrowded areas could reduce the excretion of more significant amounts of airborne chemicals than those taking a placebo.

A test that checked for levels of carcinogens concluded that participants were able to significantly detox these dangerous chemicals after a mere ten days. These tiny sprouts pack a punch. They should be a staple in any strict detox diet.

Garlic

We’ve all heard of the fantastic culinary uses of garlic. But don’t forget that it’s one of the world’s most potent “total system reset” types of foods. In fact, it’s so powerful that it can kill even the most malignant viruses and other nasty bugs your body might have.

This is especially true when eaten in hefty stews with 10-20 cloves. The vital part of using garlic for medicinal and detoxification purposes is to ensure you’re using the entire clove.

It’s much better than garlic powders or any other less potent plant versions you would typically keep in your kitchen. Besides its ability to remove these invaders from your body, garlic can also help detoxify heavy metals.

In high doses, the potent sulfur compounds in it and other compounds reduce lead levels in the blood by 19% in just four weeks while reducing many clinical signs of toxicity.

Researchers concluded that three doses of garlic a day outperformed even the drug D-penicillamine.

Papaya Seeds

This is probably a more unexpected option. But in tropical areas of the world, papayas are low-cost, plentiful, and perhaps most importantly, non-GMO. This is unlike some of the “detox foods” you’ll find in supermarkets!

They provide a precious source of overall nutrition. This includes digestive enzymes for breaking down your food.

But perhaps the most significant benefit of this fruit for detoxifying is through the papaya seeds, which are excellent for detoxifying the kidney, promoting your body’s ability to detox itself, and expelling parasites from the body.

The humble papaya seed is one of the most potent and cost-effective detox foods you can find. So the next time you eat this fruit, be sure to stash away some of the seeds for consumption later. Your body will thank you in more ways than you can count!

Milk Thistle

This esteemed herb has been around for so long that people often overlook it as an effective detox ingredient. The fact that there’s something called The American Liver Association tells you all you need to know about the state of liver health in our country.

It also says a lot about the number of food additives we consume. This thistle has been used for centuries and is grown mainly in California. However, herbal formulas containing it can be found across the country and in many others areas of the world.

This humble plant with a purple flower is fantastic for decreasing inflammation, detoxifying the liver, and soothing the mucous membranes throughout our bodies.

As a member of the Asteraceae plant family, along with sunflowers, milk thistle has also been shown to hold the power to reverse damage to the liver caused by excessive alcohol consumption, pollution, and prescription drugs.

Most recommendations for milk thistle consumption are between 20–300 milligrams per day.

Activated Charcoal

Charcoal is an outstanding emergency remedy in cases of food poisoning. Activated charcoal is a highly porous substance that draws and holds material inside of it. This will allow your body to remove it safely.

It’s so potent that our ancestors once considered it a “universal antidote” for the human body to remove dangerous substances. It’s even been used under the care of professionals to remove excess drugs from people’s systems in cases of a drug overdose.

If you’re looking for the best kind of activated charcoal, you may want to look for activated coconut charcoal. It’s made from coconut husk rather than petroleum or coal byproducts. And, yes, this makes a huge difference.

After all, we’re talking about detoxifying your body from potentially unhealthy substances, not adding more of them into the mix, right?

Wormwood

This one goes by several names, including absinthium, green ginger, absinthe, and Southernwood. Wormwood is another powerful herb you may not have heard of unless you’ve taken herbology classes.

Traditionally used to detoxify the body and remove worms, hence the name, this potent herb was even used by the most famous natural healer of all time several centuries ago: Hippocrates.

He prescribed it for menstrual pains, anemia, jaundice, and even rheumatism. Its also been known to help reduce liver damage.

One of the most effective uses of wormwood in the modern world is its ability to help cleanse the body from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which is present in 84% of IBS patients!

If your gut lining isn’t healthy, it can lead to something nobody wants to experience in today’s day and age: the dreaded “leaky gut syndrome.” Wormwood and similar anti-microbial herbs like thyme and oregano can help stop this out-of-control bacteria.

Please let us know what forms of detox remedies YOU’VE found to be effective in the comments below.

And in the meantime, we’ve for some more articles we think you’ll love, including this one: 6 Delicious Anti-Aging Foods to Support Your 40s-and-Beyond Body