If you’ve spent any time in the functional medicine world or following a health influencer on Instagram, you’ve probably heard the benefits of detox.
In today’s toxic environment, our bodies get hit from all angles, from pesticides on the food we eat to chemicals in everyday products. The abundance of toxins and other stressors can inhibit our body’s natural functions.
Unfortunately, we cannot always control our environment. But we can limit toxin intake, or lessen the toxic burden when we get exposed. This is where detox comes into play.
Everyone's body responds differently when detoxing. Depending on where you are in your health journey, you may experience improvement right away, or feel that these improvements are taking some time.
You may even feel worse at certain points in the process. This is normal. More often than not, reactions are unavoidable. Even when you prepare to help your body, you can’t always prevent reactions.
Let’s dive into detox: its positives, herx reactions, herxing compared to die-off and retracing, and additional ways to support your body during this time.
Why would you detox in the first place? And what is considered “detoxing?”
In mainstream media, “detox” often references special diets, such as removing sugars from your daily intake. When limited to this, detox often gets a bad rep. Some claim it does more harm than good, especially for people with certain conditions.
But at its root, detox aims to rid the body of toxins and seek a lifestyle free of harmful substances. Diet is one avenue, but not the only one. (1)
You can detox unhealthy habits, lifestyle factors, or emotions. You can detox with the help of nature, with binders and herbs. There are many different ways to detox and cleanse the body.
So, why would you try detoxing? Here are some of its major benefits.
Your gut microbiome is at the center of your body, and the heart of your health. Your digestive system contains millions of neurons that facilitate numerous critical functions. For example, blood flow, immune activity, and nutrient absorption are all connected to the gut. (2)
One of the main benefits of detox is cleaning the gut and supporting digestive organs. Your liver, kidneys, gallbladder, and colon are all hard at work filtering toxins from your body and keeping your digestion on track. But toxins can clog your drainage pathways and interfere with their day-to-day functions. (3, 4)
In cases of common digestive conditions or gut imbalances, the same type of culprits are to blame. Chemicals or pathogens like parasites can wreak havoc on your digestive system. That’s where detox comes in to clear out these pesky obstacles and give the gut a much-needed break. (5, 6, 7)
Mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, fuel your everyday energy and bodily processes. When mitochondria fall into a cycle of dysfunction, it can lead to a cascade of symptoms. At the top of that list is fatigue. (8, 1)
A number of chemicals and pathogens can interfere with mitochondria. For example, pesticides are known to cause cellular damage, especially to mitochondria. Detox can support mitochondria and energy production in the body by targeting these harmful substances and eliminating them. Sometimes, when you’re lacking energy, it’s a sign to start detoxing. (1, 9, 10, 11)
We’ve already covered how detox can support the digestive system. Intrinsically connected to the gut is immune health. 70%-80% of your immune cells reside in the gut. In short, when your gut is out of balance, your immune system suffers. (12, 13, 14)
The other major benefit — to the mitochondria — also indirectly affects immunity. Did you know that when not producing energy, mitochondria play a secondary role of immune defense? It’s a little-known role that is only just being studied. (15, 16, 17)
Detox supports both the gut and mitochondria by clearing away sources of dysfunction. But beyond even this, detox boosts immunity in general by helping remove potential invaders and threats. Certain natural ingredients scare away and kill off pathogens.
It’s easy for the immune system to get overwhelmed by all the different toxins and substances bombarding our bodies on a daily basis. Looking for natural immune-supportive sources, as well as ways to remove specific obstacles, can have a big effect on immune health.
Weight loss is often the reason people turn to detox, or more specifically, detox diets. Although detoxing often results in weight loss, that’s not typically the main goal.
Can you lose weight during detox? Absolutely! Is it a certainty? Not at all.
The difference detox makes for weight loss is through improving gut health. Researchers have found that the wrong bacteria in the microbiome can increase cravings and result in weight gain. Correcting this imbalance may lessen cravings and appetite. (18, 19)
In a related study, researchers from the University of Iowa gave mice a drug with the known side effect of weight gain. The mice’s microbe composition altered, which slowed down their metabolism. (20)
Detox may not trigger weight loss directly, but indirectly by supporting the gut microbiome and healthy gut bacteria. Clean eating and certain detox diets will lead to weight loss more directly because they often involve limiting processed foods and added sugars. A combination of clean eating and detox works well if weight loss is a goal.
The most important step before starting a detox regimen is to open your drainage pathways. This might be a new concept to you, but these pathways are basically how your body removes gunk and toxins. Examples of these pathways include the skin, your liver and bile ducts, and the colon.
How do you know if your drainage pathways are open and free-flowing? Here are a few positive indicators:
What should you do if you suspect your drainage pathways are blocked? These all can help open your pathways:
You might wonder, is this really necessary before I start my detox? Skipping this step, or pushing forward before your body is ready, can make your detox process difficult and counterproductive. If you try to remove toxins faster than your body can release them, you just end up reabsorbing them.
Much of the time, unwanted detoxing reactions or symptoms connect back to poor drainage. Your detox process will be much more effective, enjoyable, and safe if you do your body a favor and begin with drainage.
When you start something new, it can be easy for your body to feel overwhelmed. A change in daily habits or diet — even when positive — may take a little while to get accustomed to. This is why it’s critical to give your body time to adjust to any changes. It may be cliche, but slow and steady does win the race in this case.
Incorporating detox slowly into your daily life will help ensure your drainage pathways can keep up, as well as lessen any potential reactions or sensitivities.
Also important, small incremental steps will make you more likely to stick with your new regimen. Most of us have set goals or tried new things only to give them up a few weeks later. A study by the University of Scranton on New Year resolutions found that only 8% of people actually meet their goals. (21)
A big reason for this is often that the goals and expectations are set too high, too quickly. It’s easy to abandon something if it’s too demanding or not reasonable. The same is especially true for health goals. You need to give yourself time and grace to adjust to the new process. (22)
Remember, it’s not a sprint. Each small step adds up and helps prepare your body for future adjustments. It’s good to plan ahead, but instead of comparing yourself to where you’re trying to be, look at how far you’ve come. Measure backward to see your progress — this will motivate you to keep moving forward and let your body heal at its own pace.
Certain lifestyle adjustments and alternative health practices may help boost detox efforts, as well as lessen unwanted reactions. Here are ideas to pair with detox:
Everyone’s body is unique. When it comes to detox, you have to take the time to understand how your body responds to what you are (or are not) offering it. Pay attention to the little “nudges” your body is giving you. Having this relationship with your body involves becoming an observer and listening to what your body is trying to tell you.
Sometimes, you might feel stuck. But detox isn’t a linear process. It has its ups and downs. Becoming in tune with how you are feeling is not just an emotional concept; it’s the basis of knowing what is best for you.
Although this introspection might not feel concrete, when it comes to your health goals, it’s all about feeling mindful at each part of the journey. Lifestyle adjustments can help you learn how to listen to your body’s needs and not to be critical of yourself.
This process may take some time. You know best if you need to push through or pull back. But the more you hone in on how you are feeling, the more effective your detox process will be.
If you are starting a detox regimen for the first time, you likely will experience herxing, or herx symptoms. Herxing is the nickname for a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, in which the body becomes overwhelmed by the effects of removing toxins. These symptoms can last from days to a few weeks when the body is detoxing too quickly or there isn’t enough drainage. (39)
If you’re reacting, it doesn’t mean you are getting worse. All of this is perfectly normal. It just means that the body cannot clear out what it is trying to process. Even though it might feel like you could cut the detoxing time if you increase the detox load, it’s best if you slow down because you may have dug deep and hit what is really holding you back from being healthy.
When you burn your hand on the stove, the body’s natural defense mechanisms cause you to feel pain. This lets your body know that the stove is hot and that you should stop touching it. Similarly, too many herx reactions can be your body’s sign to stop, slow down, or provide the support you need in certain areas of your body.
Although it can be a bit unpleasant, as long as you’re prepared and have the right tools, you’ll have a much easier time during the detoxing process. Rather than focusing on the end result, focus on why these symptoms are occurring and what they may be telling you when it comes to your health. (40)
If you are trying to detox parasites from your body, especially from the drainage organs, it may bring up emotions because of the parasites messing with the neurotransmitters in your brain. So, if you are feeling overly emotional and can’t pinpoint why, this could be a herx symptom. (41)
Also, you might experience some nausea due to your body finally getting the chance to eliminate the toxins that have been impeding your overall health. Sometimes during extreme detox, chemicals in your body cause nausea as you detox them.
You’ll have to figure out what works best to alleviate these withdrawal symptoms, such as taking a break to see what is causing the reactions. But just like everything else when it comes to detoxing, it’s temporary. It’s better to have temporary discomfort than a lifetime of pain.
These are the most common herx side effects once you start the detoxing process. Anytime your body is going through something that it is not used to, there may be these symptoms, regardless if it’s detoxing for heavy metals, mold, or even parasites: (42)
Remember that these reactions do not last very long, and it's all part of the natural healing process. Although you shouldn’t ignore them, there’s no need to be scared of them. The purpose, in the end, is for holistic healing, not just elimination of a few symptoms. So it may take time to achieve wellness, but it will be worth it in the end.
How intense herx reactions are — and how long they last — depends on cellular energy. If your cells have high energy, they can meet the immune system's needs and manage pathogen infections and toxins with fewer herx symptoms. But lower cellular energy may result in reactions that are more frequent or more intense.
You can compare cellular energy to recovering from sore muscles. Some people can recover faster than others or not even notice any soreness. This all depends on the intensity of the workout, and whether their body has the right essential nutrients or not.
Likewise, the length of herxing depends on your unique body: the toxic load you're detoxing, the intensity and speed of the detox, and your body's cellular energy to manage this process.
You can increase your cells’ energy by supporting your mitochondria. The mitochondria are the energy source for the body, and without them working effectively, the cells won't have enough energy to perform their functions. (43)
Be patient with yourself during detoxing because your body may have to release a lot of stagnant energy that has been blocked. Remember to trust your body through this process.
So, if you are feeling intense reactions, know that your body is doing what it needs to do to clear blockages that have been built over time. In the end, this is all beneficial to getting to where you want to be in your health journey.
Although you probably want to try to avoid herxing altogether, that may not be possible. But if you're prepared for it, you’ll know how to approach what is needed for your body during this time.
In general, there are typically two choices to reduce herx symptoms:
Remember to incorporate certain lifestyle changes that can help you deal with the common mental and emotional blocks you may have because of these uncomfortable herx symptoms.
Herx reactions are more generalized and can refer to more than just toxins being released. Die-off symptoms are also a part of herxing, but this only happens when detoxing pathogens, such as parasites. As they die, parasites release toxins, which can cause your body to experience uncomfortable symptoms.
Because killing off pathogens often releases toxins during a detoxing process, you will want to be sure to take binders alongside pathogen-killing herbs to help eliminate all the toxins from your body.
If you are unsure whether you are experiencing herx or die-off reactions, you can lower the amount of pathogen-killing herbs you are taking while increasing binders to cover both potential areas. Binders can help remove toxins from the body as quickly as possible.
Also, if you experience herxing while detoxing, decrease binding and increase drainage. After doing all of this, once the herx symptoms subside, slowly increase your detox regimen back to the standard amount that you can tolerate.
Remember, parasites push out toxins during this process. You're not reacting to the detox, but to the critters you're detoxing. Even though they are putting up a fight in your body, in the end, you can support your body’s natural detoxification by letting it do what it does best — fight back.
Once you get through this stage of the detoxification process, you are on the home stretch. More often than not, the only way out is through. Once you have that philosophy in mind, you can handle whatever those nasty critters throw at you. (45)
You may discover that old health issues or traumas rear their ugly heads as you slowly detox your body. When you are detoxing, as chronic conditions heal and your body works to balance itself, previous symptoms can reappear and rise to the surface. This reappearance is known as retracing.
Anytime you have an increase of old symptoms, or a “healing crisis,” maybe you are pushing too fast with the environmental stressors that surround you. If this is the case, you may need to slow down.
When outside stressors trigger the original symptoms, your body is working through the toxins and pathogens that were comfortable where they were. Now they are causing an issue when you are trying to pull them out through detox. Once your body has addressed the root cause of your issues through detox, these symptoms will resolve. (46, 47)
If you experience the uncomfortable effects of detoxing via herx reactions, there is no need to stress. In fact, embrace this part of the detoxing process because it means you are clearing out the toxins that are holding you back from living your fullest life.
As you open drainage and kill pathogens, you can release too many toxins at one time, so it may take you longer to detox than expected. However, know that you are not alone in this process. Although it can be intimidating at first, don’t think that you are failing because you don’t feel better right away.
Remember, your health journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Healing will take as long as it needs to for your individual body. If you're going through a full-body detox, be kind to yourself and support yourself through this journey so that you can bring your body back to health in the best way possible.
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