Your Body Has Multiple Barriers Against Toxins | Detox

Barriers Against Toxins

Your Body Has Multiple Barriers Against Toxins Your body has several different systems that help protect you from unwanted substances. They work at different stages, from the moment something enters the body to the point where it is metabolized and eliminated.

The gut is one of those first barriers. The intestinal lining, mucus layer, digestive enzymes, and immune cells all play a role in controlling what gets through the digestive tract and into circulation.

Once something is absorbed, the liver becomes a major processing site. It uses several enzyme systems to chemically modify many substances, including drugs, hormones, and environmental chemicals. Some of these compounds are then made more water-soluble so they can be eliminated more easily.

The kidneys are another major part of this process. They continuously filter the blood and remove many waste products through urine. Other substances can leave through bile and the digestive tract, while the lungs and skin also have roles in eliminating certain compounds.

And then there are the body's other protective barriers, including mucus membranes and the blood-brain barrier, which help regulate what different tissues are exposed to.

When you're looking at something like mold exposure, mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides, or other environmental chemicals, there are therefore multiple stages involved in how the body handles that exposure.

That's why I find it so important to understand cell signaling. When your cells are able to communicate and do what they're supposed to be doing, all of these detoxification processes can work much more efficiently.