"Detoxify" is a buzzword that has led people to try just about anything to rid their bodies of toxins. “Drink this” or “put your feet in here” – there are countless products that promise to remove these harmful invaders from your body. Thankfully, your body is pretty good at removing toxins on its own.
But one of the best solutions for helping your body detoxify flows from your kitchen tap. Among its many benefits, water helps your body’s built-in detoxifying system flush out toxins.
What are toxins?
A toxin is a substance created by living organisms. Not to alarm you, but they’re actually a normal part of your body’s intake of food and oxygen. Because they are so common, your body has a pretty good method of removing toxins.
"A good example is your lungs," explains Dr. Gregory Rauch, a primary care physician at Rush University Medical Center. "They exhale carbon dioxide, of course, and they also have little fibers called cilia that push contaminants out. So if you breathe in any particles that shouldn't be there, they get trapped by mucus in the cilia and you cough it up or swallow it, and it goes away."
In addition to your lungs, your body has three major organs that eliminate harmful substances: the liver, kidneys, and colon.
Dr. Rauch describes your colon, or large intestine, like a self-cleaning oven. Your large intestine is there to eliminate whatever is left over after your small intestine has absorbed the nutrients from your food.
In addition to its role in digestion, your liver filters your blood to neutralize and eliminate any potentially harmful substances in your body.
And your kidneys are there to assist the liver in filtering your blood. They also remove the digestion byproducts by producing urine that flushes it from your body.
How does water remove toxins from your body?
When it comes to removing toxins from your body, rather than a neutralizer, water acts like more of a lubricant for the organs that do the work of flushing the toxins from your body.
Water doesn’t neutralize toxins, but your kidneys use water to eliminate waste. Drinking water ensures your kidneys have enough fluid to do their job properly. “If the body does not have sufficient water, then metabolic wastes will not be removed as efficiently as they should,” explains Amy Hess-Fischl, RD, CDE, of the University of Chicago Kovler Diabetes Center.
How to help your body remove toxins
The recommended water consumption can vary based on age, weight, sex, activity level, and the climate you live in. But if you want to remain hydrated and assist your body in eliminating harmful toxins, consider the following rule of thumb:
Women should drink 90 ounces (11 cups) of fluids per day.
Men should drink 125 ounces (16 cups) per day.
So forget about the fancy detox systems. Consuming the appropriate amount of water each day is a simple way to ensure your kidneys run effectively. But if you want to get specific, there’s a pretty simple way to figure out the exact amount of water you should be drinking each day. Multiply your weight by ⅔ then consider your activity level. You should add 12 ounces of water to your daily intake for every 30 minutes of exercise.
Summary
The best solution to ridding your body of potentially harmful toxins isn’t found in a magic pill or foot bath. Keep your body well hydrated to help your liver, kidneys, and colon flush the toxins from your body.
Grab an Elemental stainless steel bottle today to help your body flush out those toxins!
