🌿 Understanding Detoxification: How Your Body Handles Harmful Chemicals

Every day, your body is exposed to a wide range of harmful chemicals from food, air, water, and the environment. Once these substances enter your system, they are known as xenobiotics—foreign compounds such as drugs, pesticides, or carcinogens.

Many of these xenobiotics act as endocrine disruptors, which means they can mimic or interfere with your body’s hormonal signals, potentially impacting vital physiological processes.

To manage this toxic burden, your body relies on an internal detoxification system involving multiple organs:

• Liver (the primary detox powerhouse)
• Kidneys
• Large intestine
• Lymphatic system
• Sweat glands

These systems work synergistically to break down, neutralize, and eliminate harmful substances—a process known as detoxification or detox.

However, the efficiency of this process varies between individuals due to:

• Differences in toxic exposure
• Genetic variations affecting detox enzyme production
• Dietary patterns that can either support or impair detox pathways

Understanding these factors is essential in Functional Medicine to personalize detox strategies and restore optimal health.