Detoxification is a tricky subject, and very complex. Lyme sufferers have many toxins in their bodies, including the biotoxin produced by the organism(s), usually heavy metals, and other substances as a result of the detox organs being stressed. We have to get these toxins out. Start by eating a healthy diet, high in fiber and as alkaline as possible (toxins are acidic).
The fiber is important to keep the bowels moving. The body has three major detox pathways. The skin via sweating, the kidneys via urine, and the bowels via bile. Most of the toxins we deal with are fat soluble toxins, and they are attracted to the brain. These are the most dangerous ones which cause the most symptoms. The bile is the body’s primary pathway to remove fat soluble toxins. Bile is secreted when you eat fat, so be sure to eat healthy fats such as avocado. Saturated fats – while controversial – are, in my opinion, also important in moderation.
After bile is secreted into the digestive tract, some of it is excreted in the feces. The problem is, a lot of bile is absorbed in the large intestine and recirculated/recycled, and this means that the body also absorbs toxins, too, even after they’ve been excreted in the bile. This, along with constipation, can create a never-ending cycle whereby toxins are moving in a circle: bile, to bowel, to blood stream, to bile. So, much of the detox strategy we talk about has to do with reducing constipation and making sure the bile doesn’t get absorbed. How do we do that?
Before I go into the supplements, I want to reiterate the importance of fiber and vegetables. You won’t ever feel better if you aren’t alkalizing and speeding up bowel transit time. Exercise is also critical for many reasons and stimulates detoxification, hormone production, and other important forward-moving body functions.
OK, so let’s start at the beginning. First we need to encourage the body to let go of toxins stored deep in the tissues. For heavy metals, start with this book. Also consider homeopathic drainage remedies. Most importantly, don’t overlook microchitosan. This supplement is amazing because it is one of the few toxin-absorbing supplements which can actually travel systemically (i.e. it doesn’t stay in the gut) and which can trap and sequester Lyme biotoxins for removal. Back when I wrote my first book, Lyme Disease & Rife Machines, I was only aware of one brand of microchitosan, and it was very expensive. I’m happy to report now that this new, very well respected brand works well, and is much more affordable. It works so well that it has earned it’s place as November’s supplement of the month.
Other products to encourage the deeper tissues to let go of toxins include zeolite (be careful with this if you are detoxing heavy metals, it can be very powerful), Nutramedix Burbur (which detoxes the blood), and Silica (be careful with this one too, if you are heavy metal toxic – more to come on this topic in future newsletter).
Once you’ve helped usher the toxins out of the tissues, they need to be removed from circulation in the bloodstream somehow. Sauna is exceptionally helpful for removing toxins via the skin. Drinking lots of water helps remove toxins through the urine. But what we really need is to support the bile pathway, since that is the pathway used for most fat-soluble toxins. Supporting the bile pathway starts with milk thistle (I very much like this brand), since milk thistle stimulates and protects the liver and increases bile flow. Eating plenty of healthy fats ensures that bile flow is frequent and in sufficient quantity.
Once the bile reaches the stomach and small intestine, we need to bind and sequester the bile so that it doesn’t get absorbed and recycled. There are some fancy ways for doing this but the simplest, most elegant, and with least side effects, is simply using fruit pectin, and my favorite is this Apple pectin. Apple pectin neutralizes the bile and prevents it from being absorbed. It is also a very powerful fiber which treats constipation and increases bowel transit time. Be warned though that this type of supplement is very similar in mechanism to many cholesterol-lowering treatments, and in fact pectin is used successfully to lower cholesterol. Since cholesterol is usually already low in Lyme sufferers and it is much-needed for many important body functions, be sure to replace cholesterol by eating it in healthy foods such as egg yolk.
Detoxification is a very complex and intricate topic. In all three of my Lyme disease books, I dedicate a significant number of pages to addressing this topic more thoroughly. However, this journal is intended to give you brief snippets of useful information, not complete coverage of topics, so please view this as just a small cross section of information on this topic, not a full discussion.
In the coming weeks, I am planning to to a video similar to this video in which I’ll show you all my heavy metal supplements and explain how and why I use them.
As usual, please consult a doctor before beginning any of the treatments I talk about. I’m not a doctor.
If you are new to the journal, don’t forget to check out our past articles and past supplements of the month right here.
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