Here are 20 things that support the body’s natural detoxification processes.
Note: the body “detoxifies” primarily through the liver, kidneys, lungs, gut, skin, and lymphatic system—these are the main systems involved.
- Adequate water intake
- Sufficient dietary fiber
- Enough protein
- Regular bowel movements
- Liver-supportive nutrients
- Adequate sleep
- Regular physical activity
- Sweating through exercise or heat exposure
- Antioxidant-rich foods
- Cruciferous vegetables
- Limit alcohol intake
- Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke
- Reduce ultra-processed foods
- Healthy kidney function
- Balanced gut microbiome
- Stress management
- Sufficient micronutrients
- Adequate oxygenation and breathing
- Exposure reduction to environmental toxins
- Consistent overall calorie balance and healthy body composition
Full references
- Mühlbauer, M., Münzner, R., & Dölle, M. E. T. (2018). The liver as the central organ of xenobiotic metabolism. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 9, 86. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.00086 (opens in new tab)
- Klaassen, C. D., & Watkins, J. B. (2015). Casarett & Doull’s Essentials of Toxicology (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2024). Your digestive system & how it works. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works (opens in new tab)
- National Kidney Foundation. (2023). How your kidneys work. https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/how-your-kidneys-work (opens in new tab)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). Basic information about contaminants and drinking water. https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/basic-information-about-contaminants-and-drinking-water (opens in new tab)
- Institute of Medicine. (2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10925 (opens in new tab)
- Slavin, J. (2013). Fiber and prebiotics: Mechanisms and health benefits. Nutrients, 5(4), 1417–1435. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu5041417 (opens in new tab)
- Walzem, R. L., Dillard, C. J., & German, J. B. (2002). Whey components: Millennia of evolution create functionalities for mammalian nutrition: What we know and what we may be overlooking. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 42(4), 353–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408690290825574 (opens in new tab)
- Halliwell, B. (2007). Biochemistry of oxidative stress. Biochemical Society Transactions, 35(5), 1147–1150. https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0351147 (opens in new tab)
- Zhang, Y. (2010). The role of cruciferous vegetables in human detoxification. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 69(1), 87–93. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665109990214 (opens in new tab)
- World Health Organization. (2024). Alcohol. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol (opens in new tab)
- U.S. Surgeon General. (2020). Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2020-smoking-cessation/index.html (opens in new tab)
- Mozaffarian, D. (2016). Dietary and policy priorities for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity: A comprehensive review. Circulation, 133(2), 187–225. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.018585 (opens in new tab)
- O’Rourke, M. F., & Hashimoto, J. (2007). Mechanical factors in arterial aging: A clinical perspective. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 50(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2007.03.032 (opens in new tab)
- Rinninella, E., Cintoni, M., Raoul, P., et al. (2019). Food components and dietary habits: Keys for a healthy gut microbiota composition. Nutrients, 11(10), 2393. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102393 (opens in new tab)
- Chrousos, G. P. (2009). Stress and disorders of the stress system. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 5(7), 374–381. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2009.106 (opens in new tab)
- Institute of Medicine. (2006). Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/11537 (opens in new tab)
- Levitt, D. G., & Levitt, M. D. (2017). Human body water volume, fluid balance, and regulation of thirst. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 313(5), R459–R487. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00201.2017 (opens in new tab)
- World Health Organization. (2021). Preventing disease through healthy environments. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565196 (opens in new tab)
- Hall, K. D., Ayuketah, A., Brychta, R., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain. Cell Metabolism, 30(1), 67–77.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008 (opens in new tab)