In my over 25 years as a holistic doc, I can tell you with 100% certainty that most products out there claiming to cause detoxification in the body are junk!  Here's a few facts that you should know if you are interested in staying healthy and extending your potential for longevity...

You've got to die of something...

Yes each of us has to die of something, but how we die and how badly we suffer, if at all, may be under our control to some extent. There are no guarantees that your health efforts such as eating well, exercising, not smoking, drinking clean water, reducing stress, limiting your alcohol intake and getting plenty of stage III sleep will extend your life, but thousands of studies have shown that it is possible.  

Extend quality and length of life?

Following a health lifestyle, such as engaging in some of these things that I have mentioned above, there may be other ways to reduce toxicity in your body and therefore either prolong your life or increased the length of your life that you will spend without disease and disability. Eating and drinking foods such as broccoli is just one of them - but even mainstream medicine is catching up to what natural doctors like myself have been saying for decades; eating liberal mounts of the right foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can help detoxify the body and thus allow cells, tissues and organs to work more efficiently.  This recent broccoli study is one of no fewer than 175 that have looked at broccoli's health and detoxification effects since 1985.

Broccoli drink study proves detoxification ability

A study of 291 Chinese adults found that a daily drink of broccoli sprout tea resulted in the excretion of known carcinogens benzene and acrolein in the urine.  both of these carcinogens are abundant in the air we breath and come from car exhaust, cigarette smoke and industrial outpouring.  Those study subjects who drank the tea excreted (detoxified) 61 percent more benzene and 23 percent more acrolein than study subjects who drank a placebo.  The detoxifiying ability of brocholli is also shared by other cruciferous greens such as cauliflower and kale, but broccoli has the greatest concentration. The most important detoxifier in the crucipherous vegetables is likely indole-3-carbinol. The lead researcher of this study, Thomas Kensler says that this simple means of detoxification can potentially reduce some of the long-term health risks associated with air pollution. 

Broccoli isn't alone in its detoxification ability and I recommend a diet that contains at least each of my top health pics below. I've combined all of these products in a dehydrated powdered product called Greens Detox. I almost always recommend that my patients combine Greens Detox with Longevity Complete and Reds Protect - two other dehydrated delicious products that are essentially concentrates of fruits and vegetables. 

Dr. Wald's top health pics

There is no substitute for a well-balanced diet rich in organically grown, non-GMO foods, but if you are a busy person like I am, consider downing a glass or two of powdered products containing dozens of healthful food products in the form of concentrates.

Spirulina
Barley Grass Powder
FOS (Fructooligosaccharides)
Carrot Powder
Bromelain (80 GDU)
Papain
Red Grape Seed Extract
Chlorella-Cracked Cell Powder
Wheat Grass Powder
Red Raspberry Powder
Apple Pectin
Acerola Berry Juice Powder
Alfalfa Powder
Beet Juice Powder
Caulifl ower Powder
Flax Seed Meal 200 mg/ Parsley Juice Powder
Rose Hips
Spinach Leaf Powder
Non-Dairy Probiotic Culture/ (1.2 Billion C.F.U.)
Royal Jelly
Bee Pollen
Citrus Bioflavonoids
Blueberry Powder
Broccoli Powder
Cranberry Juice Powder
Horsetail Rush
Bilberry Extract/(25% Anthocyanidins)
Oat Beta Glucan
Milk Thistle
Rosemary Leaf Powder
DMG HCl
Grape Seed Extract
Green Tea Extract
Eleutherococcus senticosus
Aloe Leaf Powder
Stevia Leaf Extract
Licorice Root Powder

Myths & Facts About Detoxification

All cells of every organ detoxify to some extent, but the liver is considered to be the major detoxification organ in the body. The liver uses many of the phyo- (plant) compounds found in a healthy diet to remove and transform various toxins products both within and from outside the body . Toxins are essentially substances, that when left to accumulate in the body, or are otherwise toxic and/or cancerous at any level, can contribute or cause a wide variety of health problems and disease states.  Broccoli can detoxify many pro- or outright carcinogenic (cancer causeing) compounds; raspberries detoxify some of the same and other toxic compounds. In other words, all of the foods I've listed above, and others, should likely be combined to get the best detoxification protection. Sometimes the levels of a toxin can get too high and a special medical detoxifier may be required. For example, toxic levels of mercury will not be removed from the body by eating broccoli, but require medical levels (not just any levels) of detoxifiers such as n-acetyl cysteine, reduced glutathione, glycine, proteins, EDTA, DMPS, DMSA and others. The blood, urine and or other tissue levels of the toxin(s) in question should be tested at intervals to make sure that one's detoxification efforts are really working. 

For more on Greens Detox, Reds Protect and Longevity Complete go to: www.blooddetective.com

About Dr. Michael Wald 

Dr. Michael Wald, aka The Blood Detective, is the director of nutritional services at Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco, located in Westchester New York. He has appeared on ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, Channel 11 PIX, Channel 12 News, CNN, The Food Network and other media outlets. Dr. Wald earned the name Blood Detective for his reputation to find problems that are often missed by other doctors. He earned an MD degree, is a doctor of chiropractic and a certified dietician-nutritionist. He is also double-board certified in nutrition. He has published over a dozen books with three additional titles due for release late 2013 including: Frankenfoods - Genetically Modified Foods: Controversies, Lies & Your Health and Gluten-A-Holic: How to Live Gluten Free and the Blood Detective's Longevity Secrets.  He can be contacted at: 914-242-8844.