|
 detox
Detox, short for detoxification,
in general is the removal of toxic substances from the body. It is one of the
functions of the liver and kidneys, but can also be achieved artificially by
techniques such as dialysis and (in a very limited number of cases) chelation
therapy.
Other less mainstream methods for eliminating toxic substances from the body
include the modification of the diet and addition of certain herbs and rituals
such as colonic irrigation, juice fasting and sweat lodges. All these methods
claim to assist the body's natural detoxification process.
Specific meanings of detoxification or detox:
* A form of drug rehabilitation, used to treat alcoholism or other drug
addiction. The process involves abstinence to clear the drug from the body,
accompanied by social and environmental support during the associated
physiological and psychological changes. A non-drug method for detox from drugs
or alcohol is acupuncture detoxification.
* A class of diets whose underlying assumption is that the body accumulates
toxins that must be purged, especially after unhealthy periods such as
over-eating during festivals. Toxins, in this case, refer to toxic substances -
often of undefined nature - from foods, the environment and the body's own
wastes. "Detox diet" is a common phrase, as is "I'm on a detox". See detox diet.
* Forms of complementary medicine that claim to remove such toxins from the
body: for instance, by herbal, electrical or electromagnetic treatments. As the
definition of toxins in this and the previous context has little scientific
basis, the validity of such techniques is questionable. There is no evidence for
such accumulation; the liver and kidneys automatically detoxify and excrete many
toxic materials, including metabolic wastes. Under this theory if toxins are too
rapidly released without being safely eliminated (such as burning fat that
stores toxins) they can pollute the body causing malaise. * A process by which a
substance is made less toxic. |
