Treating herbicide buildup in your body

There’s an herbicide you’re continually being exposed to, if you don’t make some changes. It’s taken up residency in your body… but you’re not doomed.

If you want to see for yourself, you can be tested. Or you can go straight for healing your body…

The first step in preventing further glyphosate exposure is by consuming an organic diet and using a charcoal water filter. We know that eating organic foods significantly lowers your exposure to glyphosate and subsequently, urinary concentrations of glyphosate. This could also detox you from it over a period of weeks. These are things I’ve shared with you recently.

Now it’s time to discuss what your liver and intestinal health have to do with glyphosate, and more aggressive ways to eliminate glyphosate from your body.

Your liver, gut bacteria, and glyphosate

There are specific methods to help you more efficiently remove glyphosate. Remember that your liver is your main detoxification organ. After your liver has generated waste molecules, these become bile, which eventually enter your intestinal tract for elimination. This, along with your other organs of elimination (lungs, kidneys and skin), is how glyphosate gets out of your body tissue. This will be important to understand as I discuss ways to detoxify and eliminate glyphosate later in this article.

Your liver has three phases of detoxification.  Research is revealing links between glyphosate and impaired liver detoxification across all three phases.  Glyphosate apparently inhibits the important enzyme pathways of detoxification by your liver—more specifically, the cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are the ones responsible to break down and destroy organic substances—including xenobiotics. Xenobiotics are chemical compounds that come from our environment that can mimic and disrupt hormone function. Therefore, glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of other food borne chemical and environmental chemical toxins in your body. It is a gradual damage to your cellular systems throughout your body.

In addition to this impaired liver detoxification, glyphosate is known to disrupt the formation (by gut bacteria) of the key sulfur-containing amino acids methionine, cysteine, homocysteine, and taurine. Therefore, glyphosate’s inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes and suppression of amino acid biosynthesis by the healthy gut bacteria create a clear pathway to modern diseases. These include most of the diseases and conditions associated with a western diet, including Alzheimer’s disease, autism, cancer, depression, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, heart disease, infertility, obesity, and low thyroid function.

You’ll soon discover the important of your liver detoxification, healthy intestinal flora, and key nutrient supplements in addition to optimal nutrition from organic sources. Let’s now look at the best ways to detoxify glyphosate.

Charcoal water filter

We know that increasing water sources are being tested and found to have glyphosate residues. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends granular activated carbon (GAC) filtering as a way to prevent glyphosate ingestion from water.

Intestinal cleansing first

Before increasing liver detoxification using herbs you will want to “pre-detox” by cleansing your gastrointestinal system. This means a nutrient-rich diet low in refined, processed, “chemicalized” foods. Some would recommend a coffee enema, thought to “jump start” your liver bile production and bile elimination. I recommend simply getting your bowel movements to a liquid stool state for 2 days using over-the-counter Miralax® (polyethylene glycol) at 2 to 3 times the usual dose if needed to achieve loose but not watery stool.  Bentonite clay has been used, but is more for mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, and cadmium heavy metal detoxification.

Sauna

Glyphosate is not an all-lipid (fat)-soluble molecule. However, it is known to bio-accumulate somehow, by the fact that 3 out of 10 breastfeeding women who were tested recently, were found to have glyphosate in high levels. Sweating in a sauna is a sure-fire way to enhance glyphosate elimination.

Far infra-red saunas are the superior sauna method for detoxification. This form of light therapy penetrates your body up to three inches deep. The infrared radiant heat penetrates into your muscle, fat, and even internal organs without heating the surrounding air.  Somehow, this infrared radiant heat causes your body to perspire approximately 80-85% water and 15-20% waste including toxic chemicals, while traditional dry and steam saunas produce perspiration containing 95-97% water and only 3-5% toxins, Thus, infrared saunas are considered to be three to seven times more effective at detoxification than traditional saunas, and even more effective if combined with DMPS (chelating agent) for heavy metal detoxification.

Herbs and supplements to enhance liver detoxification

Here are supplements that can rev up your liver detoxification and enhance chemical waste elimination:

Vitamin B12 in the form of L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, a.k.a. L-5-MTHF (not cyanocobalamin or folic acid, which is used in cheaper supplements and also to fortify processed foods) helps improve Phase II detoxification in your liver.

Green algae (Chlorella) is a single-cell green algae superfood shown in animal studies to improve liver function in patients with fatty liver disease. Chlorella supplementation improved measurable biomarkers of liver inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Authors propose xenobiotic detoxification as one important mechanism of action. Chlorella is considered a superfood that can enhance detoxification of the liver.

Milk Thistle, a.k.a. silymarin (Silybum marianum) is a weed that is well-known in scientific studies to protect the liver from various dangerous chemicals and aid in liver detoxification. You will find milk thistle in most liver detox herbs at your health food store and online.

Dandelion Leaf (Taraxacum officinale) has been used as a diuretic to enhance kidney function and increase urine elimination of water-soluble chemical waste. More recently, rat studies also find this herb commonly found in “detox tea” to have liver protective effects too.

Ginkgo Leaf (Ginkgo biloba): Gingko biloba has been studied in mice for glyphosate detoxification.

Indian Gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica), a.k.a. “Emblica” or “Amla” is a fruit with potent antioxidant properties for many health benefits. It is found to significantly reduce the severity of liver damage by caustic chemicals and improve liver function. It is very safe, and dosing is suggested at 1 to 3 grams of dried fruit powder daily for a month or 300 mg tablets (50% amla extract) 3 times daily for a month, repeating as desired.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) bark has detoxification effects according to several scientific studies.

Cilantro (a.k.a. Coriander) possesses liver protective activity from toxic chemicals in rat studies and is thought to do the same in humans.

Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) protects your liver from injuries due to toxic chemicals and other insults.

Alginates (seaweed): your liver transports toxins into bile that is dumped into your small intestines. Alginate is a natural polysaccharide (healthy sugar) found in the cell walls of algae, known to bind up and carry away toxins in your intestinal tract. As they bind toxic chemicals they reduce inflammation to your gut lining and help build up healthy gut microbiome. They even enhance liver detoxification. Edible seaweed is algae you can eat in various forms as you will find in Asian cuisine. It is also rich in calcium, magnesium, and iodine. You can learn how to incorporate brown and green algae in your diet or consume alginate as a supplement for detoxification. Moreover, alginate is known to help you lose weight.

Detox formulas

You will find various supplements marketed as “detox formulas” with ingredients of various nutrient categories, such as:

• sulfur-containing amino acids
• folic acid (Vitamin B9) and Vitamin B6
• zinc, magnesium, selenium, and molybdenum
• amino acids Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), Alpha Lipoic Acid, or L-Cysteine
• botanical extracts such as astragalus, Chinese rhizomes and other herbs with liver protective properties.

Remember to get re-tested for glyphosate after 2 months to see if the combination of detoxification methods you have undertaken has shown measurable results.

To clean living and feeling good,
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Sources:

1. http://detoxproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ehp0114-000260.pdf

2. http://detoxproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2015-organophosphorus-pesticides-in-children-organic.pdf

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16702333

4. https://www.cornucopia.org/entropy-15-01416_Glyphosate.pdf

5. http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/roundup-the-nontoxic-chemical-that-may-be-destroying-our-health/

6. https://www.cornucopia.org/entropy-15-01416_Glyphosate.pdf

7. http://sawilsons.com/library/basic-coffee-enema-procedure-and-recipe/

8. http://www.momsacrossamerica.com/glyphosate_testing_results

9. http://www.naturalnews.com/042620_infrared_sauna_detoxification_environmental_toxins.html

10. http://www.sunlighten.com/pdfs/manuals/solo-test-results.pdf

11. Ebrahimi-Mameghani M, Sadeghi Z, Abbasalizad Farhangi M, Vaghef-Mehrabany E, Aliashrafi S. Glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Beneficial effects of supplementation with microalgae Chlorella vulgaris: A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. Clin Nutr. 2016 Jul 19. Find online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27475283

12. Azocar J, Diaz A. Efficacy and safety of Chlorella supplementation in adults with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. World J Gastroenterol. 2013 Feb 21;19(7):1085-90. Find online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23467073

13. Singh A, Singh SP, Bamezai R. Inhibitory potential of Chlorella vulgaris (E-25) on mouse skin papillomagenesis and xenobiotic detoxication system. Anticancer Res. 1999 May-Jun;19(3A):1887-91. Find online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10470132

14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21466434

15. Hfaiedh M, Brahmi D, Zourgui L. Hepatoprotective effect of Taraxacum officinale leaf extract on sodium dichromate-induced liver injury in rats. Environ Toxicol. 2016 Mar;31(3):339-49. Find online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25270677

16. http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2010.0202

17. https://www.drugs.com/npp/emblica.html

18. Tasduq SA, Mondhe DM, Gupta DK, Baleshwar M, Johri RK. Reversal of fibrogenic events in the liver by Emblica officinalis (fruit), an Indian natural drug. Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 Jul;28(7):1304-6.

19. https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/herbs/amalaki-amla/

20. Zahin M, Ahmad I, Gupta RC, Aqil F. Punicalagin and ellagic acid demonstrate antimutagenic activity and inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene induced DNA adducts. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:467465. Find online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24949451

21. Moustafa AH, Ali EM, Moselhey SS, Tousson E, El-Said KS. Effect of coriander on thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Toxicol Ind Health. 2014 Aug;30(7):621-9. Find online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23042592

22. Cheng J, Zhou ZW, Sheng HP, He LJ, Fan XW, He ZX, Sun T, Zhang X, Zhao RJ, Gu L, Cao C, Zhou SF. An evidence-based update on the pharmacological activities and possible molecular targets of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2014 Dec 17;9:33-78.  Find online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25552899

23. http://www.liversupport.com/did-you-know-seaweed-and-detoxification/

24. Hehemann, Jan-Hendrik; Correc, Gaëlle; Barbeyron, Tristan; Helbert, William; Czjzek, Mirjam; Michel, Gurvan (8 April 2010). Transfer of carbohydrate-active enzymes from marine bacteria to Japanese gut microbiota. Nature. 464 (7290): 908–912.

25. Wang R, Paul VJ, Luesch H. Seaweed extracts and unsaturated fatty acid constituents from the green alga Ulva lactuca as activators of the cytoprotective Nrf2-ARE pathway. Free Radic Biol Med. 2013 Apr;57:141-53. Found line at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=seaweed+detoxification+benefits

26. http://www.integrativenutrition.com/blog/2015/11/7-ways-to-eat-more-seaweed-and-why-you-should

27. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/1/5.full

28. https://www.econugenics.com/ecodetox

29. Zhou Y, Tong X, Ren S, Wang X, Chen J, Mu Y, Sun M, Chen G, Zhang H, Liu P. Synergistic anti-liver fibrosis actions of total astragalus saponins and glycyrrhizic acid via TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway modulation. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Aug 22;190:83-90. Find online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27282665