Detoxification is often referred to as detox for short. It is the process of removing substances that are toxic from the body. Through conventional medicine practices, detoxification can occur through artificial means such as dialysis and sometimes even chelation therapy.
There is a great deal of evidence and documentation to support the effectiveness of this method of detox. In other terms, detoxification also refers to the period during which a person experiences withdrawal and when their body is in the process of returning to homeostasis after excessive, prolonged use of toxic substances that are addictive.
In recent years, people that practice alternative medicine have started using other types of detoxification and promoting these. This has included methods such as diet detoxification.
There are four main types of detoxification.
The first is alcohol detoxification. Through this process people that use excessive amounts of alcohol have their bodies brought back to a non-intoxicated state by medical intervention. For individuals that have used excessive amounts of alcohol for an extended period of time they will experience severe withdrawal symptoms and potential health risks if they try to detox without medical intervention. It is important that alcohol detox take place in a licensed detox facility or medical center. There have been incidences where alcohol withdrawal symptoms have been fatal. After detoxification is completed there are ongoing treatments and therapy that are needed to get to the root of the addiction problem.
Drug detoxification is the second type of detox. This process reduces or eliminates withdrawal symptoms while a person is adjusting to a life without drugs. Drug detox does not treat the addiction, but is a beginning step in a long term treatment plan. Detox can occur with or without medical intervention. In most cases drug detox occurs in a community setting that is at least several months long. It is not often in a medical setting.
Alternative medicine is the third type of detoxification. There are claims made that toxins are removed from the body using herbal remedies, electrical stimulation or electromagnetic therapy. There is no scientific evidence to support these claims yet. There is actually evidence that suggests that these methods could be harmful as the body can release toxins too quickly and deteriorate.
The fourth type of detoxification that is frequently discussed is diet detox. There is an assumption with diets that they allow high amounts of toxins to build up in the body. It is believed that overeating and eating unhealthy foods greatly adds to this. Almost all of the detox diets out there are built around large amounts of water consumption, a minimum of eight glasses per day. They include natural, unprocessed food, preferably organic, so that you’re not adding in any more to your body through your attempt at detoxification. Most detoxification processes are undergone for a short period of time, and diet detox is then repeated regularly to maintain any benefits.
