Your body’s main detoxification organ is the liver. It first breaks down toxins, then excretes them through bile (to intestines) or urine (kidneys). Bile is stored in your gallbladder and flows into the small intestine for elimination. Ensuring optimal strength of your intestinal lining is important for proper elimination.^†

So how does detoxification actually work in the body? Detoxification works through three primary pathways:

• Transformation
• Conjugation
• Elimination

Transformation (Phase I Detox)

When a toxin is being detoxed by the body, it often needs to change shape before it can be eliminated. There are a series of enzymes that carry out this process. While there are more possible steps, most consider detoxification as taking place in two primary phases. Simply put: Phase one activates toxins. Phase places compounds on the toxins that make them water soluble are ready to be eliminated from the body. The most common phase one enzymes are the CYP450 or the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase family. These enzymes primarily add a hydroxyl group to fat soluble toxins. This prepares the toxin to interact with other compounds that will assist in making it more water soluble. Once the hydroxyl group is attached, other detoxification compounds can mate with or “conjugate” to that group. Conjugation enzymes facilitate the binding of specific compounds onto the hydroxyl “handle”. This allows it to travel out of the body via sweat, urine, or feces (via the bile). Conjugation nutrients include sulfate, glucuronide, glutathione, methyl groups, glycine, and taurine.

Conjugation (Phase II Detox)

Conjugation facilitates the joining of the hydroxyl group with another chemical group that makes the compound water soluble. This enables it to be more easily excreted from the body. It takes a lot of energy and nutrients to carry out this detoxification process. This requires adequate vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. In addition, enzymes in the detoxification process require amino acids in order to be created. Sulfation is the most common conjugation reaction for detoxification. This requires a constant supply of sulfate groups. These can come for food or supplemented nutrients including MSM and Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous. Glucuronidation is the second most common conjugation reaction for detoxification. This is where a family of enzymes place a glucuronide onto the hydroxy group that is attached to the toxin. These uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) enzymes are upregulated by Watercress. Preventium^® glucurate and potassium d-glucurate are added in Optimal Detox to supply additional glucuratein the intestines to build more glucuronide. This is often necessary as bacteria will produce enzymes that break apart glucuronide that are bound to toxins. Glutathione production, use, and recycling along with methylation support are all covered by the inclusion of betaine, choline, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, Folate, NAC, and Selenium.^†

Elimination (Phase III Detox)

Detoxification is the process of the transformation and elimination of harmful and potentially harmful compounds. We discussed the first two phases of proper detoxification above. The third phase is the simple process of elimination. Toxins most often get eliminated through the liver via the bile. From there, the toxins travel with the bile into the intestinal tract. Once that happens, it is important to have normal bowel movements. MeadowPure^® (organic stabilized flaxseed complex) is added to Optimal Detox to provide essential fatty acids and support normal bowel function. The alternate routes of excretion include the kidneys via the urine, and through the sweat. Necessary electrolyte minerals including potassium, magnesium, and sodium are all present to support normal hydration during your time of detox. For ALL detox routes, optimal hydration is necessary.^†

Optimal Detox uses nutrient groups to provide targeted support for the entire liver and GI detoxification system. Glutamine, Quercetin, Aminogen, and MeadowPure^® (organic stabilized flaxseed complex) are combined to help support a healthy digestive tract. Ellagic acid, Preventium^® (potassium d-glucarate), Watercress, NAC, and sodium sulfate work together to support healthy liver function and normal detoxification pathways. Lastly, curcumin, ginger, bioflavonoids, rutin, and niacinamide provide natural support for the body’s healthy cytokine balance.^†