Herbs and Supplements That Support Detox

The term “detoxification” often conjures up thoughts of juice cleanses or mysterious concoctions of odd ingredients. But despite what you may see in advertisements peddling these intense protocols, the truth is, there’s no need to do some complex or unpleasant “detox cleanse” to remove toxins from your body.

In fact, detoxing your body can actually be quite simple and straightforward – no miserable cleanses required. In this blog post, we’re going to explore exactly what detoxification really entails, how to detox your body, and go over some powerful detox vitamins and supplements that can help supercharge your detox capabilities. Let’s get into it.

Detoxing Defined: How Do You Clean Toxins Out of Your Body?

What exactly does it mean to “detox”? In simplest terms, detoxification is the process of breaking down toxic compounds into a form that’s less toxic so they can be more easily eliminated and transported out of the body. You see, coming into contact with toxins is inevitable. So our bodies have all-natural, built-in detoxification pathways to help us neutralize and eliminate these troublesome toxins. 

Your body naturally detoxes via your:^1,2,3,4

1. Liver: Your liver serves as a sort of “weigh-station” for your blood – inspecting the compounds in your bloodstream in search of toxins. When a toxin is identified, it’s flagged, broken down, packaged up, and shipped off to be eliminated.
2. Kidneys: Your kidneys function as microscopic filtration units – filtering your blood to trap any toxins and remove them through your urine.
3. Skin: Your skin is an important detox organ – eliminating a multitude of accumulated toxins when you sweat. 
4. Digestive system: Your gut is probably the most apparent detox pathway – with toxins and wastes being shipped out alongside undigested food when you go to the bathroom.

The idea behind boosting detoxification is simply supporting and amplifying these natural detox pathways. So let’s explore one of the most potent ways to enhance detoxification – by supporting your microbiome with a healthy dose of probiotics. 

Detoxing with Probiotics

Your gut and the trillions of microbes that reside there play an irreplaceable role in helping your body eliminate harmful toxins. These microbes that collectively make up your microbiome assist in detoxification by:^5,6

• Helping you digest food and absorb nutrients
• Maintaining the integrity of the barrier that makes up your gut lining – sealing your intestines up tight so toxins, germs, and wastes don’t sneak their way into your bloodstream
• Latching onto toxins so they can be eliminated
• Producing compounds that serve as signaling molecules to communicate with your other detoxification organs and pathways
• Stimulating regular and healthy bowel movements so toxins can be regularly excreted

Ensuring you have a happy, healthy, and diverse ecosystem of good bacteria in your gut is one of the most pivotal factors when it comes to detoxing. And the easiest, most effective way to detox with probiotics is by regularly re-inoculating your gut with friendly bacteria. Research has found that spore-based probiotics – like those found in MegaSporeBiotic – are particularly potent at bolstering gut health. Click here to read more about the incredible liver-supporting and detox-boosting properties of MegaSporeBiotic. 

These powerful spore-based probiotics work particularly well when paired with another type of probiotic known as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DSM 33464 found in Microbiome Labs’ MegaMetalliQ. This unique probiotic supercharges detoxification by attracting undesirable elements in the intestine and helps to support their removal via the digestive tract. You can learn more about these detox-enhancing probiotics and grab your own sachets by clicking right here.

While your gut health and your microbiome might be foundational to proper detoxification, there are plenty of other herbs and supplements that can give you a leg up when it comes to detoxing.

Herbs and Supplements That Detox the Body

As you know, enhancing detoxification primarily entails magnifying your body’s own detox pathways. So let’s take a look at a handful of compounds that have some remarkable detox-magnifying capabilities. The science and studies behind these vitamins and herbs that detox is robust – and far too extensive to go into great detail in this blog post.

Rather, think of this blog post as a “birds-eye-view” or big-picture overview of some of the most potent detox-boosting supplements. We’ll give you a quick, easy-to-digest peek at the best supplements as a starting point. And from there you can dive deep deeper and continue to research. So let’s get into it!

Milk Thistle Detox Benefits

Curious about how to detox your liver? Milk thistle supplements can be a potent liver detox supplement. Milk thistle’s liver detoxing capabilities are primarily due to its main active ingredient known as silymarin. Silymarin functions as a potent antioxidant that boosts detoxification by:⁷

• Strengthening the outer membranes of your cells – subsequently reducing the amount of toxins that can sneak their way into your cells
• Supporting your liver by stimulating protein synthesis to help regenerate new, healthy liver cells
• Promoting the flow of bile – a digestive compound produced by your liver that is critical for the breakdown and elimination of toxins
• Reducing overall inflammation

Milk thistle benefits are particularly potent when it comes to your liver health and boosting its ability to flush out toxins – making this one of the best detox liver supplements. If you’re really looking to support your liver, EcoNugenics EcoDetox harnesses the power of milk thistle and combines it with a potent blend of liver-boosting compounds like calcium d-glucarate and methylsulfonylmethane (more on those in a minute) to optimize your liver’s detox capacity. You can learn more about how EcoDetox supports total body cleansing by clicking right here.

Glutathione Detox Benefits

Glutathione has been dubbed “the master antioxidant” thanks to its unparalleled antioxidant effects in the body. This naturally-occurring antioxidant is also a master detoxifier – drawing out, binding to, and transporting toxins across cell membranes so they can be properly flushed out of your body. Glutathione benefits also include the potent scavenging of free radicals – meaning it stabilizes these reactive harmful molecules and protects your cells from oxidative damage.⁸ 

Glutathione is a heavy-hitter when it comes to detoxing – so upping your levels of this mighty antioxidant is a powerful way to support your health. And getting a concentrated dose of glutathione has never been easier – or more delicious. Cymbiotika’s Liposomal Glutathione delivers 150 mg of glutathione in a tasty, easy-to-take pouch. Click here to learn more about what makes Cymbiotika’s Liposomal Glutathione such a superstar supplement and grab some for yourself.

Dandelion Root Detox Benefits 

Dandelions are often considered weeds. But these yellow-flowered plants actually have some remarkable benefits when it comes to your health. Dandelion root benefits are far-reaching and can improve detoxification by:⁹

• Boosting liver function and promoting bile flow by supplying vitamins for liver detox
• Relieving constipation and helping you have regular bowel movements that expel toxins out of your digestive tract
• Acting as a natural diuretic – stimulating urine production which increases filtration of your blood through your kidneys so toxins can be trapped and excreted

You can find dandelion root supplements, or you can even make your own homemade detox tea by steeping and straining dandelions from your own yard (just make sure they haven’t been sprayed or treated with any chemicals).

NAC Detox Benefits

NAC stands for N-acetyl cysteine. N-acetyl cysteine is a supplement form of a crucial amino acid known as cysteine. Remember glutathione – the master antioxidant and master detoxifier? Well, NAC is an irreplaceable pre-cursor in the production of glutathione – meaning your body depends on this amino acid to replenish its glutathione supplies. 

NAC benefits also include powerful hepatoprotective and nephroprotective properties – shielding and protecting your liver and kidney cells from damage or stress so they can function optimally. These incredible properties make NAC one of the best supplements to detox liver toxins that may have accumulated.^10,11 

Ingredient is in Advanced TUDCA and EcoDetox 

Choline Detox Benefits

Choline is so important for liver health, that inadequate levels of this crucial nutrient can lead to significant liver dysfunction and even the development of fatty liver disease. That’s because choline is essential for metabolizing other crucial nutrients in the liver and transporting them out to other organs in the body.

Choline benefits also extend to your cell’s ability to combat toxins – with choline serving as a critical component of your cell membranes. A healthy, strong, resilient cellular membrane serves as a barrier to keep harmful toxins out of your cells where they can accumulate and cause damage.¹²

TUDCA Detox Benefits

TUDCA stands for tauroursodeoxycholic acid and is a type of bile salt naturally produced by your liver. TUDCA has been found to significantly amplify bile production – boosting bile flow by up to 500% and stimulating the production of more concentrated, higher-quality bile. This allows TUDCA to serve as a sort of all-natural liver cleanse – aiding your liver in flushing out any accumulated toxins.

TUDCA can also support gut health. By beefing up your intestinal barrier and promoting a thriving, diverse microbiome, TUDCA can significantly enhance detoxification in both your liver and your digestive tract. To learn more about the incredible health-boosting TUDCA benefits, you can head over and read our article What Is TUDCA and What Is TUDCA Used For?.

When looking for a TUDCA supplement, it’s important to look for one that’s ethically sourced and formulated in a way that makes it highly bioavailable. CellCore’s Advanced TUDCA is hands down one of the most effective and potent detox-magnifying supplements you’ll find available on the market. Click here to learn more about why Cellcore’s Advanced TUDCA is simply superior to most other TUDCA supplements and grab a bottle for yourself.

Sulforaphane Detox Benefits

Sulforaphane is sometimes referred to as “the master redox switch” thanks to its ability to regulate or “turn on” both antioxidant-related and detoxification-related genes. You see, sulforaphane benefits detoxification by activating a protein known as Nrf2. Nrf2 triggers your cells to upregulate detoxification enzymes that neutralize and clear toxins and other harmful wastes.¹³

BioImmersion extracts these potent sulforaphanes (along with other detox-boosting compounds known as glucosinolates) and concentrates them into their Glucosinolates and Sulforaphanes supplement. This powerhouse supplement has been found to induce a whopping four-fold increase in detoxification potential. To learn more about how this dynamic duo is able to produce such miraculous results and grab a bottle for yourself you can click right here.

Calcium D-Glucarate Detox Benefits

When your body neutralizes toxins and packages them up to be excreted, it binds toxins to stabilizing compounds in a process known as conjugation. These stabilizing compounds are known as glucuronides. But our bodies also contain an enzyme called beta-glucuronide which can inhibit this conjugation process – separating the bound toxins from the glucuronides and allowing them to recirculate and be reabsorbed.

Calcium d-glucarate benefits detoxification by blocking the enzyme beta-glucuronide – allowing toxins to remain bound in their conjugated form to be excreted and flushed out. This makes calcium d-glucarate an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to facilitating the elimination of toxins once they’ve been released into your bloodstream. Calcium d-glucarate’s conjugation-enhancing abilities also make it a non-negotiable when it comes to heavy metal detox protocols since these dense compounds can be difficult to eliminate.¹⁴

Calcium d-glucarate is one of the foundational ingredients in EcoNugenics incredible detox-amplifying supplement EcoDetox. 

Methylsulfonylmethane Detox Benefits

Methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM, has been found to improve detoxification in a few ways:^15,16

• Reducing overall inflammation: Chronic inflammation can deplete your immune system and hinder its ability to function properly – negatively impacting your ability to effectively detox
• Bolstering your gut lining: MSM has been found to significantly improve the bonds between the tight junction proteins that line your intestinal tract – sealing your intestines up tight so irritating particles and harmful toxins can’t leach their way out of your gut and into your bloodstream
• Glutathione synthesis: MSM can boost your production of glutathione and other detox-enhancing antioxidants

Methylsulfonylmethane benefits also include increasing your cells’ selective permeability – essentially enhancing your cell membrane’s ability to release any accumulated toxins or wastes so they can be more easily neutralized and ushered out of the body.

EcoNugenic’s has harnessed the detox-boosting power of MSM and combined it with other impressive detoxification-enhancing compounds (like milk thistle and calcium d-glucarate) to formulate one of the leading supplements in supporting the elimination of toxins. Click here to learn more about the impressive benefits of EcoNugenic’s EcoDetox supplement.

Amino Acids Detox Benefits

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. And these tiny building blocks play a crucial role when it comes to detoxification. You see, amino acids are essential for conjugation – or the binding of toxins so they can be transported to detoxification organs to be excreted. This means you can use amino acids for liver detox enhancement. 

There are a vast variety of different amino acids, but a handful of the most crucial for detoxification include:¹⁷

• Cysteine
• Glutamine
• Glycine
• Methionine
• Taurine

While it’s important to get a healthy dose of protein from your diet, it can be helpful to supplement with detox-focused essential amino acids to ensure you’re getting enough.

Detox Your Way to Better Health

Detoxification is one of the pillars of overall health. If your primary detoxifying organs aren’t firing on all cylinders or your natural detox pathways begin jamming up, your body simply can’t function optimally. So if you’re serious about up-leveling your health, you can’t afford to ignore your body’s ability to detox.  

The supplements outlined in this article are a good place to start (you can find them through our online store). These herbs and vitamins detox your body by supporting and supercharging your body’s own natural detoxification pathways. If you enjoyed this article and are looking to dive deeper into specific supplements or want to learn more ways you can support a low-tox life, we’ve got you covered.

We’ve got loads of value-packed content with some of the world’s leading experts in health. To access this amazing content you can head over to browse the blog, tune in to our podcast, or head over to the Wellness Vault. You’ll find everything you need to lay the foundation for an abundantly happy and healthy life on your terms. 

Resources:

1. What Does the Liver Do? | Children’s Pittsburgh (chp.edu)
2. The Kidney Dysfunction Epidemic, Part 1: Causes – PMC (nih.gov)
3. Modulation of Intestinal Functions by Dietary Substances: An Effective Approach to Health Promotion – PMC (nih.gov)
4. Decreased Skin-Mediated Detoxification Contributes to Oxidative Stress and Insulin Resistance – PMC (nih.gov)
5. Probiotic bacteria as potential detoxification tools: assessing their heavy metal binding isotherms – PubMed (nih.gov)
6. Probiotics as a biological detoxification tool of food chemical contamination: A review – PubMed (nih.gov)
7. Milk thistle in liver diseases: past, present, future – PubMed (nih.gov)
8. Glutathione! – PMC (nih.gov)
9. 7 Ways Dandelion Tea Could Be Good for You (healthline.com)
10. NAC: Health Benefits, Potential Risks, Dosage, and More (webmd.com)
11. N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)-Directed Detoxification of Methacryloxylethyl Cetyl Ammonium Chloride (DMAE-CB) – PMC (nih.gov)
12. Choline’s role in maintaining liver function: new evidence for epigenetic mechanisms – PMC (nih.gov)
13. Broccoli sprout extract induces detoxification-related gene expression and attenuates acute liver injury – PMC (nih.gov)
14. Calcium-D-glucarate – PubMed (nih.gov)
15. Methylsulfonylmethane: Applications and Safety of a Novel Dietary Supplement – PMC (nih.gov)
16. Natural Sulfur-Containing Compounds: An Alternative Therapeutic Strategy against Liver Fibrosis – PMC (nih.gov)
17. Detoxification – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics