Today’s world of technology, expedience, multi-tasking, stress, fast foods, and toxic environments can have an affect on every tissue and organ in our bodies.  The amount of pesticides, herbicides, fossil fuel emissions, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals that we are exposed to on a daily basis have reached record proportions. In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency states that traces of toxic chemicals can now be found in nearly every American.

A toxin is any compound that has a detrimental effect on cell function or structure.  Some toxins cause minimal negative effects, while others can cause death.  Toxins are often divided into four categories:

• Heavy Metals- Including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and aluminum.  Heavy metals tend to accumulate in vital organs, often disrupting their function.
• Liver Toxins – Including drugs, alcohol, solvents, formaldehyde, pesticides, herbicides, and food additives.  Our livers are usually overloaded with these toxins because they are so prevalent in our diet and in our environment.
• Microbial Compounds – Including toxins produced by bacteria and yeast in the digestive tract can be absorbed and transported throughout the body, significantly disrupting bodily functions.  These toxins can also include toxic amines, toxic derivatives of bile, various carcinogenic substances, and endotoxins and exotoxins from bacteria.
• By Products of Protein Metabolism – The kidneys are largely responsible for eliminating toxic waste products of protein metabolism, such as ammonia and urea.  Excessive protein consumption and lack of water can inhibit proper kidney function. 

There are toxic substances in our homes, in our workplaces, in our food, in our water and in the air we breathe.  Most of the technological advances associated with these chemicals are supposed to be improving our lives; in reality, some of these advances are creating unhealthy conditions within us. This influx of chemical products translates to billions upon billions of pounds of toxins being released into the environment, and some of these toxins will eventually find their way into our bodies.

We practice daily hygiene such as washing our hands, hair, faces, bodies, and brushing our teeth, but what about cleaning the inside of our bodies?  Imagine what the inside of a house would look like if you never cleaned it.  Dirt, toxins, and pathogens can begin to build up and create an unhealthy environment. 

A similar scenario can occur inside of us when the liver and other bodily systems responsible for the detoxification process become over-burdened with toxicity and are unable to handle it all.  When this happens, we can begin having problems with digestion, elimination, skin, weight gain, and so on.  

If you experience one or more of the following symptoms, then you may want to cleanse:

How often one cleanses can depend upon an individual’s state of health, and whether they have ever done any type of cleansing before.  The best thing to do is pay attention to your body.  If you are experiencing the symptoms associated with a toxic overload, as listed above, then you will want to consider cleansing to help relieve them.

Important:  When cleansing, please be sure that you are having regular (daily) bowel movements that can help your body eliminate toxic substances from the gastrointestinal tract so they are less likely to be reabsorbed into the blood stream.  It is also important to drink plenty of water to flush toxins from the kidneys.

Polluted air, modern diets, and drinking water all carry potential carcinogens. Although we bathe and cleanse the outside of our bodies daily, all of us can still be toxic if we never cleanse on the inside. Any substance which is not useful for energy or building tissues is dumped by detoxification before it can harm the body. However, the body must be able to properly detoxify via the phase I and phase II detoxification pathways in order to protect itself. When it is overloaded with toxins, it cannot properly detoxify.

The lungs, skin, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract all play a role in the detox process, while the liver is considered to be the major organ of detoxification.  Within the liver cells there are a number of intricate mechanisms involved in the breakdown of toxic substances. Chemicals that enter our bodies, including drugs, pesticides, herbicides, and hormones are broken down by liver cells.  If the liver is over-burdened, it has a difficult time performing these necessary functions.

The detoxifying organs work vigorously on a daily basis to rid the body of toxicities and maintain the health of trillions of cells.  Unfortunately, the excessive amount of toxins in the environment has placed such a burden on these systems that they can no longer function optimally. Therefore, we can all benefit from cleansing the inside of our bodies for renewal and to improve our health.  

Symptoms of Detoxification:

As the liver begins to become more effective in its efforts to detox, most peoples’ store of toxins will begin to be processed and moved out. Some of the normal and expected symptoms of detoxification can include:

• A feeling of dizziness
• Heart palpitations
• Lack of appetite
• Fatigue
• General malaise
• Nausea
• Headache
• Increased body odor
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Hives, rashes, or mild skin outbreaks

Phase I and Phase II of the Detoxification Pathways

During Phase I of the detoxification process, toxic, fat soluble chemicals are converted into less harmful chemicals by a variety of reactions within the liver. During this phase free radicals are naturally formed.  Free radicals are unstable particles that can damage the body’s cells if there is an excess of them.  To help get rid of or reduce these free radicals, we need to take antioxidants.  If antioxidants are in short supply, exposure to toxic chemicals can become far more dangerous during this phase by being converted from relatively harmless substances into potentially carcinogenic ones.  

During Phase II, toxic chemicals, drugs, and used hormones are bound to water soluble substances, which makes them less harmful so they can be easily eliminated from the body rather than re-circulated in the blood stream and deposited into fatty tissue. This process is also known as glucoronidation.  Calcium D-Glucarate is a natural dietary supplement that has been shown to support this vital process by inhibiting an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase that can break bonds between toxins and used hormones allowing them to be re-circulated rather than excreted.

The two major routes of detoxification:

Phase I: Toxic and fat-soluble chemicals (which can only dissolve in oily solutions, not water) are neutralized and the process of making these chemicals water soluble and more chemically active begins.

Phase II: Chemicals are combined with minerals, amino acids, and other endogenous compounds.  This process, known as conjugation, makes the entire molecule water soluble, thus allowing excretion via urine or bile.

Products to Help with Cleansing

The Complete Body Cleanse Kit is a Triple Action Detoxification System created by Life-flo.  It is designed to help support, detoxify, and rejuvenate us. This fourteen day program is designed to improve our health by dealing with the overabundance of toxins residing in our bodies.  The triple action system gently enhances our internal detoxification system while at the same time ridding it of heavy metals.  It is a complete cleansing system because it addresses the areas that are of greatest concern.

Benefits of use:

• Helps cleanse the liver and colon
• Helps remove toxic heavy metals
• Helps increase weight loss results
• Helps increase energy levels
• Helps improve the health of your skin
• Helps promote overall well being

Green Foods to Assist Detoxification

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants and algae that is responsible for their color.  Historically, chlorophyll has been used to help improve health.  For example, for bad breath, for constipation, and for use in detoxifying, just to name a few.  Chlorophyll also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties. (1,2)

Some evidence suggests that chlorophyll helps detoxify cancer-promoting substances, suggesting that chlorophyll may reduce the risk of cancer. (3,4)

According to the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, “some experimental data suggests that chlorophyll may have some antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic potential, may help protect against some toxins, and may ameliorate some drug side effects.” (5)

Those who do not consume a variety of green foods in plentiful quantities may lack chlorophyll in their diets.  Therefore, including a good “green foods” supplement, such as LifeSource SuperSprouts that contains sources of chlorophyll, can help you get this important nutrient into your diet or cleansing program.

Benefits of use:

• Detoxification
• Constipation
• Eliminate bad breath
• Wound healing
• Antioxidant

Calcium D-Glucarate to help remove toxins from the intestinal tract

D-Glucarate is a phytochemical that can be found in fruits and vegetables, such as apples, oranges, broccoli, cabbage, bean sprouts, and brussels sprouts.  It is also made in small amounts by the body. Many believe that this nutrient aids the body in the elimination of many harmful toxins and lowers abnormally high levels of used steroid hormones including estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. 

D-Glucarate also inhibits an enzyme known as beta-glucuronidase, which suppresses the body’s ability to detoxify many toxins using the glucuronidation pathway. When levels of this enzyme become elevated, it reverses the glucuronidation process and releases the toxins back into the bloodstream. (6)   When detoxification involves Calcium D-Glucarate, it is called glucuronidation, which is the process that occurs when toxins or carcinogens are combined with water soluble substances, allowing such toxins to be more easily removed from the body.  Research supports a role for glucuronidation in protecting cells (especially those of hormone-sensitive tissues such as the breast and prostate) from dangerous environmental chemicals.(7)

Benefits of use:

• Helps eliminate toxins and carcinogens
• Helps eliminate used hormones
• Helps reduce the risk of certain diseases
• Has been shown to reduce estrogen receptors

Since you can’t live in a bubble, Aulterra Enhance capsules are the next best thing. Aulterra is a homeopathically activated combination of natural elements which help neutralize the effects of heavy metals and other toxins on human DNA.

Benefits of use:

• Activates DNA
• Enhances cellular activity
• Neutralizes toxic substances
• Reverses cellular aging

1. Rudolph C. The therapeutic value of chlorophyll. Clin Med Surg 1930:37;119-21
2. Chernomorsky SA, Segelman AB. Biological activities of chlorophyll derivatives. N J Med 1988:85;669-73.
3. Gruskin B. Chlorophyll-its therapeutic place in acute and suppurative disease. Am J Surg 1940:49;49-56.
4. Hayatsu H, Negishi T, Arimoto S, et al. Porphyrins as potential inhibitors against exposure to carcinogens and mutagens. Mutat Res 1993:290;79-85.
5. Thomson, PDR for Nutritional Supplements. New Jersey: Thomson PDR 2002;89
6. Dwivedi C, Heck WJ, Downie AA, et al. Effect of calcium glucarate on beta-glucuronidase activity and glucarate content of certain vegetables and fruits. Biochem Med Metab Biol. 1990; 43:83-92.
7. Walaszek Z, Hanausek-Walaszek M, Minton J, Webb TE. Dietary Glucarate as anti-promoter of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumorigenesis. Carcinogenesis 1986;7:1463-1466

Evidence is steadily growing that xenoestrogens and other hormone mimicking substances are implicated in a wide range of human and wildlife health problems. Estrogen dominance from these environmental hormone disrupters are causing an imbalance of hormones, creating a host of estrogen dominance symptoms in both sexes.

Phytoestrogens and Xenoestrogens

Phytoestrogens (phyto meaning plant) are naturally occurring estrogenic compounds that are found in a variety of plant foods such as beans, seeds, and grains.  Their chemical structure resembles estrogen. Phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen may affect the production and/or the breakdown of estrogen by the body, as well as the levels of estrogen carried in the bloodstream. These mimickers can either have the same effects as estrogen or block estrogen's effects.  These compounds are generally weak estrogens, in comparison to real estrogen, synthetic estrogen (HRT), and xenoestrogens.

Following are some of the strongest phytoestrogen containing substances:

• Soy
• Black Cohosh
• Chasteberry
• Dong Quai
• Red Clover
• Flaxseed
• Caffeine

Xeno literally means foreign, therefore xenoestrogens means foreign estrogens. Some of the 70,000 registered chemicals for use in the United States have hormonal effects in addition to toxic effects.  Scientists have suggested that environmental estrogens might be reducing sperm counts in men and causing breast cancer, fibroids, and other reproductive diseases in women. Xenoestrogens can be found in many of our meats and dairy products in the form of chemicals and growth hormones that are given to the animals.  These can be quite powerful, and should be avoided where possible.

How to avoid some of the environmental sources of estrogen we are exposed to:

• Avoid all pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Wash your food well to rid the pesticides.
• Bathe washed vegetables and fruits in a produce wash or ozonated water for 20 minutes before using.
• Use only organic based whole foods when you can. Buy hormone free meats and dairy products where possible.
• Have a good water filter for your source of water.
• Avoid plastic goods – they leach into the environment.
• Do not microwave food in plastic containers, and especially avoid the use of plastic wrap to cover food when microwaving.

Read More in our Environmental Estrogens Page

Getting Back to Balance

By learning how you can change and/or maintain your health, you can alleviate many of the symptoms associated with hormone imbalances.

Balanced hormones allows women and men to move through the stages of hormonal ups and downs with the help of adequate nutritional support, natural hormone replacement, exercise, herbs, and vitamin and mineral supplements.

Without a proper understanding of how hormone imbalances can adversely affect us, women and men, are often prescribed synthetic hormones, anti-depressants, and a host of other drugs to relieve the symptoms without addressing the underlying causes.

What works to support healthy hormonal balance?  We make the following suggestions:

• Hormonal support with a natural progesterone cream for women and for men
• Nutritional supplements such as the Life Essence and One n Only to ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to make and balance its hormones
• DIM and/or Myomin to metabolize excess estrogen
• Detoxification assistance with supplements such as Calcium D-Glucarate

Now is the time to take charge and educate yourselves about the negative impact that hormone imbalances can have on your overall health and what you can do naturally to help regain and maintain hormonal balance.

According to the University of Maryland, “the risk of dying from breast cancer may be significantly less for those who eat large quantities of omega-3 from fish and brown kelp seaweed (common in Japan). This is particularly true among women who substitute fish for meat.” 

The American Institute for Cancer Research says, “Many studies suggest populations that eat more fish have less cancer.  The Inuit Indians, who consume an extraordinary amount of fatty fish, have less cancer than other populations. Similarly, the Japanese, for whom fish is a staple, have less breast and prostate cancer than people living on a typical western diet.  The results of such population studies sent researchers to the laboratory to see exactly what it is in fish that reduces cancer risk. Research conducted in test tubes or with laboratory animals showed that the omega-3 fatty acids, so plentiful in cold-water fish, impede the development of cancer in several ways.”

Furthermore, preliminary research from the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may help maintain healthy breast tissue and prevent breast cancer.  While more studies need to be conducted, many researchers speculate that omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent or aid in the treatment of breast cancer, especially when taken in combination with other nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, and coenzyme Q10. 

Fish Oil vs. Flaxseed Oil

Fish oil contains two omega 3 fatty acids otherwise known as EPA and DHA.   The highest concentrations of these omega-3’s acids are found in coldwater fish, such as sardines, salmon, herring, tuna, cod, mackerel, and halibut.

Flaxseeds contain ALA, another type of omega 3 fatty acid that can be converted to EPA and DHA in the body, but only in very small amounts.  All three fatty acids are an essential part of any diet.  

Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil can be a good alternative to fish oils for those on vegetarian or vegan diets.  However, the lignans in flaxseed and high-lignan oil contain phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) and may not be suitable for those at risk for estrogen dependent breast cancer or for those who are estrogen dominant. 

Read more about this condition in our article: Estrogen Dominance in Women and Men. 

The best sources of omega 3’s (DHA and EPA) are from deep cold water fish, as mentioned above.  Unfortunately, eating fresh fish has become more of a health concern due to the high levels of mercury and other environmental pollutants. Research on farm-raised salmon (the most popular farm-raised fish) found that it had higher levels of toxins (other than mercury) than fish caught in the wild.  Taking fish oil supplements can help you get more omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) in your diet, especially if you do not consume fresh cold water fish and seaweeds.  However, it is important that you take a high quality fish oil that is free of contaminants, such as mercury and PCP’s.  For example, Source Naturals Arctic Pure Fish Oil, supplement, which is available in capsules or liquid.   

 Read our article: Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids: Balancing the Good Fats

University of Maryland – Omega 3’s

Medline Plus – Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – A Case Controlled Study

Alternative Health Journal – Omega 3 Fatty Acids May Benefit Breast Health

Men too can suffer from estrogen dominance. Phytoestrogens from plants and xenoestrogens from environmental sources can produce hormonal stimuli that can contribute to inappropriate growth of mammary tissue cells, resulting in a problem society is calling “man boobs.”  Some theorize that estrogen dominance in men is contributing to hair loss, atherosclerosis, prostate problems, lowered libido, weight gain, and impotency.

Symptoms of estrogen dominance in women and men:

Correcting Estrogen Dominance

What assists in correcting estrogen dominance in women and men?  Alternative health care makes the following suggestions:

• Hormonal support with a natural progesterone cream for women and men
• DIM and/or Myomin to metabolize excess estrogen
• Detoxification assistance with supplements such as Calcium D-Glucarate
• Dietary and environmental changes to rid yourself of phytoestrogens and xenoestrogens
• Lifestyle changes to manage the stresses in your life
• Nutritional supplements to ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to make and balance its hormones.  These nutrients tend to be low when estrogen is high:
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc
  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Vitamin E 400 IU for breast tenderness and fibroid inflammation

Please be sure to review the links provided above for full product descriptions, suggested uses, and brands.  This important information can help you regain balance for a healthier life.

Fibroids may grow as a single nodule or in clusters and may range in size from 1 cm to more than 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter.  They may grow within the wall of the uterus or they may project into the interior cavity, or toward the outer surface.  In rare cases, they may grow on stalks or peduncles projecting from the surface of the uterus. These are known as pendunculated fibroids. 

While many women do not experience any problems, symptoms can be severe enough to require treatment, and are the most common indication for surgery, including hysterectomy, myomectomy, and uterine fibroid embolization.

Our website contains extensive information about uterine fibroids , estrogen dominance, and
hormonal balance.  Our on-staff nutritionist is available to answer your questions by phone, email, LIVE CHAT, or on our Message Boards.

• Vitalzym
• DIM
• Myomin
• Natural Progesterone
• Calcium D-Glucarate
• Vitamin A