The EPA estimates almost 6 trillion pounds of chemicals are released into the environment each year. This includes air emissions from industries and vehicles, and agricultural and industrial chemicals discharged into the ground and water.  Some of these inevitably make their way into our bodies in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. This is coupled with exposure to noxious elements in household cleaners, building materials, personal care products and the like.

The toxin-removal organ of the body is the liver. It filters blood - two quarts a minute - and removes bacteria and their by-products and other toxins, and converts them into nontoxic substances for elimination. The liver also employs a two-step process known as phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification. In phase 1, a group of enzymes called cytochrome P-450 neutralizes some substances and breaks down others so they can be detoxified by phase 2 enzymes and eliminated from the body.

The detoxification process generates large amounts of free radicals which, if not neutralized by antioxidants, damage the liver. The predominant antioxidant involved in neutralizing free radicals is glutathione, a sulfur-containing compound. When glutatione stores are depleted, some processes in the second phase simply stop. This is a problem because the products produced during the phase 1 are even more harmful to the body than the original toxins.

Normally, phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification go without a hitch. However, when the toxic load becomes too great, or when there's a deficiency in certain nutrients, a wrench is thrown into the works. Furthermore, as people age the systems that neutralize these toxins and rid them from the body falter, and toxins can accumulate, and people may become increasingly sensitive. This may result in fatigue, aches and pains, difficulty concentrating, and other neurological complaints, skin problems, headaches, autoimmune disorders, and overall poor health.

First, people need to make sure to get plenty of the vitamins and minerals that support the detoxification process. These include copper, zinc, magnesium, B-complex vitamins, and vitamin E. Vitamin C is particularly important because it helps the body manufacture and increase stores of glutathione. People should be certain their diet contains cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts, as well as oranges and tangerines which stimulate phase 1 and 2 detoxification. (Grapefruit, on the other hand, inhibits detoxification.)

Consider giving up caffeine and/or alcohol, which must be detoxified by the liver. And don't forget to drink plenty of filtered water - 10 - 12 glasses per day to help flush toxins out.

The herb, milk thistle (silybum marianum), has been used for centuries in Europe to great jaundice and other liver disorders. Based on over 150 scientific studies, the chief constituent in milk thistle, silymarin, is an exceptionally powerful enhancer of liver function.

Silymarin is a potent antioxidant - it's estimated to be ten times as powerful as Vitamin E in the liver. Silymarin also stimulates the production of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and blocks other enzymes involved in free radical activity.

But its most import actions are on glutathione, the antioxidant which, as described above is vital for detoxification. The more glutathione, the better the liver can neutralize toxins. Silymarin not only prevents the depletion of glutathione, it also increases glutathione levels - and thus the liver's detox potential - by up to 35%. To top if off, silymarin stimulates the production of new liver cells. This makes it an excellent therapy for treating liver damage caused by toxic chemicals, drugs or alcohol.

Numerous studies have shown that, even in patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease, silymarin can improve measures of lipid peroxidation (free radical damage) and antioxidant status.  Months of milk thistle seem to make up for years of indiscretion.  This herb can improve the course of cirrhosis (severe scarring of the liver) and other serious liver conditions. Patients with hepatitis often respond favorably, and intravenous treatments have saved the lives of people poisoned by wild mushrooms.

The world is becoming more toxic by the minute, from inhaling freeway exhausts and taking synthetic drugs to ingesting pesticide-laden foods. People need to do whatever they can to counteract all the known - and unknown - pollution that enters their bodies.

In addition to the antioxidants, Cystiene, which is the direct precursor to glutathione, is perhaps the best detoxifier of all. Glutathione was likely one of the first detoxifiers, making prehistoric life possible when the atmosphere was mostly hydrogen, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and methane. Recently, it was that blood levels of glutathione, were indicative of overall health...the higher the level, the less illness. Every life-form manufactures glutathione, but as people get older, their level of this potent antioxidant decreases.

Recommendations for Detoxification:

Drink 10 to 12 glasses of pure water every day.  Clean up diet by eating wholesome foods, lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, and several servings weekly of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts, as well as oranges and tangerines.  Take a high potency multivitamin and mineral supplement.  Take a milk thistle supplement containing 80% silymarin and take 150 to 175 mg three times a day with water.  Take 600 mg of NAC twice a day.

Be patient, it takes about 3 to 6 months to notice any difference.