In the environment that we are living in today, there is high risk of the human body to be flooded with toxins. The air we breathe, the water we drink and the processed foods we eat are loaded with materials that should not fit our body. While it is hard to find out how much toxins is within the individual in order to find treatment, there is another way to detoxify the body. Below are some of the herbs which have detoxifying effects. Eating them or including them regularly in our diet will guarantee us a healthy life.

1. Cilantro

   For those not familiar with what cilantro is, another name for this plant is coriander. Cilantro or coriander is both an herb and spices, because not only are the seeds being used as a condiment, the leaves is utilized too.

   Cilantro has two seeds found in each fruit, which when dried may be grounded to be used in dishes or may be utilized in its original form. Cilantro, or Coriander sativum, has several health benefits. In fact, it is known in Europe as an antidiabetic plant because of its ability to regulate sugar. Even in India, it is used as an anti-inflammatory. While in the United States, several studies are being conducted exploring the effects of the herb on lowering the body’s cholesterol levels. But because of cilantro’s huge amount of phytonutrients, the herb is being considered as one of the most effective detoxifier for the body. Its volatile oil is found out to be highly rich in known phytonutrients such as limonene, camphor, carvone, geraniol, borneol, elemol, quercetin, epigenin, kaempferol, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid. Most of these phytonutrients can eliminate free radicals or toxins that are responsible for the destruction of the cells. Additionally, cilantro also acts against specific food borne bacteria, Salmonella.

   Cilantro contains the compound dodocenal, which according to studies is two hundred percent more effective than gentamicin, the common drug being used to fight Salmonella infections. No idea on where and how to use cilantro? Add them in soups, beverages, pancakes and waffle mixes. For more detox loaded meal, add the herb into the spinach dishes and enjoy!

2. Dandelion

   It’s a weed! Dandelion has been considered as a weed in the garden. There are different types of dandelion. There is even what is called false dandelion, which looks like the real one but is really not. Dandelion is a type of weed that has several medicinal properties. Not only will it help cleanse the bowel and causes diuresis but it also has a detoxifying effect on the functions of the liver and the gall bladder. There have been several studies conducted on this particular plant and it showed that it help remove the toxins. However, before using this plant for the purpose of detoxification, make sure that physician consultations must be conducted first.

3. Garlic

   Garlic’s health benefits are primarily due to that pungent aroma we smell at the kitchen as soon as we crush some of the cloves. The smell of garlic comes from the sulfur compound. This sulfur compound varies; it includes thiosulfinates, sulfoxides, dithiins and many more. One type of thiosulfinate is the allicin, which is the common element in the Allium or lily family of plants. This and other compounds are powerful enough to detoxify our body, especially from the free radicals that may either be a result of oxidative stress or the invasion coming from the external environment. Because of this, garlic has been one of the top herbs that can protect the body from cardiovascular diseases, inflammation and cancer.

   Moreover, garlic has the capacity to combat viruses and bacteria. This discovery is not recent but rather a centuries old breakthrough that has been passed from one generation to the next. But a scientific research were made in the modern times affirming that ajoene, one of garlic’s disulfide, can actually prevent infections of Candida albicans. For victims of burns, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was also prevented from invading the wound when garlic of different forms was used. There is also an ongoing study regarding the effects of garlic against Helicobacter pylori, the major cause of peptic ulcer diseases. However Allium sativum, or garlic, is prepared and served, there is guarantee that toxins invading our body will be eliminated by the herb.

4. Green Tea

   The growing hype on green tea today is due to the discovered health benefits of the herb. Called Camellia sinensis by the botanists, green teas are the youngest part of the plant picked to be processed into tea. Interestingly, green teas have a wide list of health benefits, ranging from prevention of prostate and ovarian cancer up to protection from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. This is due to the huge list of phytonutrients contained in every leaf of green tea that can detoxify the body. When the body is free from free radicals, the toxic substances that are results of oxidative stress, the body will not undergo extensive degradation. For some people, this is evidenced by young looking features and very active disposition. What is abundant in green tea is the flavonoid called catechin, particularly epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). This particular phytonutrient has been implicated in many health-promoting activities of green tea in the body. The detoxifying characteristic of green tea is due to the antioxidant and antimicrobial effect of green tea.

5. Milk Thistle

   Scientifically called Silybum marianum, milk thistles or silymarin are from the Daisy family. It is a flowering plant with leaves with splashes of white giving out milky sap. Unknown to many, the extracts of this plant has been used as liver tonic, that is, it protects the kidney and improves its specific function. Those with liver problem sometimes use this plant’s extract for the hopes of curing the liver. For centuries, milk thistles have been used as detoxifier, as well as it disables the damage to the kidney from toxins. The substance from milk thistle that does the function of protecting the liver is called betaine. However, there are still several compounds in this plant that has really prevented to have an effect in liver protection.

6. Turmeric

   Curry dishes are not perfect without turmeric. Turmeric gives curry the yellow color and the pungent aroma. Amusingly, this pungent aroma is what actually makes turmeric an effective detoxifier in our body. Turmeric, or Curcuma longa, is rich in conventional nutrients and phytonutrients as well. In animal studies conducted, researchers were able to discover that turmeric has significant effect against xenobiotic chemicals that invade the body. As it turns out, animals which were fed turmeric had an elevation of the enzymes called UDP glucuronyl transferase and glutathione-S-transferase. These enzymes are responsible for the detoxification activities of the liver. This therefore shows that not only are turmeric antioxidant helpful in detoxifying the body, the herb also has special enzymes to enhance the detoxifying system of the liver.

Sources
naturalhomeandgarden.com
whfoods.org
natural-remedies-nurse.com