Detoxify or Die Cookbook

Laura · Nov 17, 2008

In order to understand the principles behind a detox program, it's a good idea to get a broad view of what we are dealing with. As I have repeated again and again, it IS a good idea to read the literature that has been recommended, but I know that this can sometimes cause a lot of confusion because there is just so MUCH.

So, let me TRY to simplify it:

Anybody who has read "Detoxify or Die" knows that Rogers (and others in other works) say that our main toxic load comes from our environment. The list of things that we breathe, touch, eat and drink that are poisonous to our bodies is unbelievable. There are harmful, toxic chemicals used in manufacturing just about everything from clothing to carpet, paint on our walls, flooring, cosmetics, etc. Plastics are everywhere. So many things we buy to drink or eat are packaged in plastics, and we even feed our babies out of plastic baby bottles. Tupperware and teflon is ubiquitous and poisonous. So, it can be said that our personal, home environments, are loaded with carcinogens, pollution, radiation, and so on.

Our food supply is a big contributor of heavy metals. Fish and shellfish can contain high levels of mercury. Green leafy plants can retain high levels of lead from the soil.

Electrolytes and mineral deficiencies can also contribute to the problem. Some minerals attract and carry heavy metals out of the body, thus depleting the store of minerals. And if the mineral intake is insufficient to begin with, you get a problem.

Then, the very air we breathe is unfit for humans! This is due to industrial pollution and the pollution from engine exhaust, etc. Many reputable researchers that are NOT employed by big corporations say that over 80 % of all cancers are caused by environmental factors, NOT by cigarette smoking!

There is mercury in our teeth that gradually poisons us, mercury in the sea that gets into the fish we eat, and many other sources of heavy metal toxicity. You will want to read "Detoxify or Die" to get the full panoply of the sources and types of toxicity.

Go here to read a bit more about heavy metal toxicity: http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-156.shtml

Keep in mind that the symptoms of toxicity resulting from chronic exposure are often difficult to associate with their cause. Symptoms of chronic exposure are very similar to symptoms of other health conditions and often develop slowly over months or even years. Sometimes the symptoms of chronic exposure actually abate from time to time, leading the person to postpone seeking treatment, thinking the symptoms are related to something else.

As we have learned in the Candida thread, candida may be a symbiotic relationship - sort of the body's way of trying to deal with heavy metal toxicity. But candida creates its own set of problems for our health and may not necessarily be related to heavy metal toxicity. Candida can cause leaky gut which can lead to inflammation and auto-immune disorders.

Then there is the problem of Free Radicals.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that steal electrons from other molecules. Free radicals are formed when molecules within cells react with oxygen as a part of the normal metabolic processes. The formation of free radicals is natural (like producing garbage and waste in your home) and continues as long as one breathes oxygen. This normal production of free radicals is usually controlled by antioxidants (the garbage collectors). When free radical production is not controlled, they can break down cells, damage enzymes, damage the cell membranes, blood lipoprotein, chromosomes, and so on. Free radicals that go unchecked can reprogram our DNA, degrade the collagen in our bodies, cause premature aging, immune system breakdown, and inflammatory reactions. cancer, some forms of heart disease, cataracts, macular degeneration, and so on.

The production of Free Radicals can be accelerated by several factors such as toxins in the body, UV light, nuclear radiation. They are very reactive and aggressively attack all of the surrounding molecules within the cell, damaging them and making them toxic to the body. And, they are indiscriminate: they attack everything. DNA that is damaged by Free Radicals loses the ability to control its own division and may even result in mutations.

Lipids damaged by Free Radicals induce inflammatory reactions within the walls of the blood vessels leading to blockage. The arteries of the heart are most frequently affected in this way giving rise to heart disease and heart attacks. In the brain, strokes result. Recent research indicates that damage from heart attacks and strokes can be limited by immediately administering antioxidants.

Antioxidants are depleted in the body by:

Infections from viruses, bacteria, or parasites (including candida)
Trauma from surgery, injury, inflammation and wound healing
Burns and exposure to extreme heat or cold
Alcohol and drugs
Toxic chemicals, pesticide residues, fluoride, nitrites (in many foods), etc.
Exposure to radiation including UV and probably electrical systems in our buildings, and cell phones, and computers etc
Cytotoxic drugs
Oxidant drugs (like acetaminophen - non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs)

Trans fats and Polyunsaturated fats like sunflower oil, corn oil, soy oil used in many foods increase the production of free radicals. When free radical production exceeds the ability of the body to neutralize it, cellular damage occurs even at the level of DNA.

More and more researchers are concluding that free radical oxidative stress is the primary cause of aging. Internally produced free radicals damage DNA. The mitochondrion (the round cellular organelles that produce energy in the cells) are the main source of free radicals. About 90 % of the oxygen consumed in a cell is consumed in the mitochondria. Because of this, the mitochondria and the mitochondrial genome are the main targets of damage by free radicals. This is very, very bad for a lot of reasons.

Wikipedia said:
Mitochondria are sometimes described as "cellular power plants" because they generate most of the cell's supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), used as a source of chemical energy. In addition to supplying cellular energy, mitochondria are involved in a range of other processes, such as signaling, cellular differentiation, cell death, as well as the control of the cell cycle and cell growth.

Mitochondria have been implicated in several human diseases, including mental disorders,[3] cardiac dysfunction,[4] and may play a role in the aging process. {...}

With their central place in cell metabolism, damage - and subsequent dysfunction - in mitochondria is an important factor in a wide range of human diseases. {...}

{Diseases that} may feature dysfunction of mitochondria... include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, stroke, cardiovascular disease, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetes mellitus.[77][78] The common thread linking these seemingly-unrelated conditions is cellular damage causing oxidative stress and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. These oxidants then damage the mitochondrial DNA, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death.{...}

Given the role of mitochondria as the cell's powerhouse, there may be some leakage of the high-energy electrons in the respiratory chain to form reactive oxygen species. This can result in significant oxidative stress in the mitochondria with high mutation rates of mitochondrial DNA. A vicious cycle is thought to occur, as oxidative stress leads to mitochondrial DNA mutations, which can lead to enzymatic abnormalities and further oxidative stress. A number of changes occur to mitochondria during the aging process. Tissues from elderly patients show a decrease in enzymatic activity of the proteins of the respiratory chain. Large deletions in the mitochondrial genome can lead to high levels of oxidative stress and neuronal death in Parkinson's disease. Hypothesized links between aging and oxidative stress are not new and were proposed over 50 years ago; however, there is much debate over whether mitochondrial changes are causes of aging or merely characteristics of aging.

It begins to look like metal toxicity, candida, and free radicals are just parts of the same puzzle. When the body's system of detoxing is overwhelmed by a multiplicity of toxins, it becomes functionally unable to do the job. Additionally, some of these toxins did not exist during the evolution of the human body and the system has no natural way of getting rid of them. That may be why there is such an epidemic of candida - the body may be trying to evolve a way of handling heavy metal toxic overload.

Additionally, every person has a different level of "toxic tolerance." The symptoms that you have reached your toxic tolerance level are:

Frequent, unexplained headaches.
Back or joint problems
Arthritis
Chronic respiratory problems like sinusitis or asthma
Abnormal body odor
Bad breath
Coated tongue (thrush)
Environmental sensitivity, especially to odors
Food allergies
Poor digestion
Constipation
Intestinal bloating, gas
Poor memory
Chronic insomnia
Depression, irritability
Chronic Fatigue
Brittle nails and hair
Psoriasis
Adult Acne
Weight gain

Weight gain may not be present in all people who are carrying a toxic overload, but for those who are, here is something to consider the issue of cytokines that are secreted by the cells in the presence of perceived pathogens.

Wikipedia said:
Cytokines are a category of signaling proteins and glycoproteins that, like hormones and neurotransmitters, are used extensively in cellular communication. While hormones are secreted from specific organs to the blood, and neurotransmitters are related to neural activity, the cytokines are a more diverse class of compounds in terms of origin and purpose. They are produced by a wide variety of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cell types and can have autocrine, paracrine and endocrine effects, sometimes strongly dependent on the presence of other chemicals. ...

Cytokines are critical to the development and functioning of both the innate and adaptive immune response. They are often secreted by immune cells that have encountered a pathogen, thereby activating and recruiting further immune cells to increase the system's response to the pathogen.

Now, imagine what happens in the case of leaky gut... when cells encounter things that have leaked directly into the blood from the gut and which are perceived as pathogens by the body?

What if these things are proteins? Or heavy metals? Or whatever? A major immune response is launched by the body and inflammation is the result. And suppose some of the things that leak into the blood from the gut are similar to the body's own proteins and the body begins to attack itself? Or, what if different organs or parts of the body begin to accumulate a toxic load of heavy metals and the body begins to attack them with no adequate way to remove them? There are many combinations of possibilities here, none of them good!

Here's the kicker:

Researchers have discovered that a group of molecules involved in reducing inflammation (caused by cytokines!) also interfere with leptin signaling on the cell surface and inside the cell. These molecules are known as SOCS, which stands for suppressors of cytokine signaling. Two specific SOCS molecules, SOCS-1 and SOCS-3, have been shown in many animal studies, first by Flier’s group and later by other research teams, to jam the signals that leptin is supposed to deliver to brain cells and muscle cells.

When working properly, our levels of inflammation are kept in balance by overlapping feedback loops. When particular arms of the inflammation system go into gear, provoked, for example, by the presence of a bacterial invader or a sudden injury, another set of chemicals is released to make certain that the chemistry of inflammation doesn’t spiral out-of-control, causing excessive damage to cells and tissues. SOCS molecules represent the message-carriers in one of these negative feedback loops. Their message to inflammatory cells and cytokines is: "Cool down!" SOCS proteins are an essential part of the body’s system of checks and balances. When they work as they should, SOCS molecules succeed in checking excess inflammation. As inflammation subsides, levels of SOCS subside.

Immunobiologists believe that overweight people with chronic inflammation have chronically high levels of SOCS, released in a continual effort to damp down their body-wide inflammation. Indeed, elevated SOCS proteins have been found in the brain, liver, muscle, and to a lesser extent, the fat tissue of obese animals. High SOCS levels are a sign that the overweight animal is "over-inflamed" and trying to tone the inflammation down. Studies done at Harvard have found SOCS molecules in the hypothalamus, a walnut-sized structure at the base of the brain that regulates mood, thirst, and hunger. The Harvard studies show that SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 jam leptin’s signal at the internal portion of the leptin receptor. Bottom line: SOCS molecules interrupt leptin’s message to suppress hunger, and they are primary causes of leptin resistance in the brain. ...

Other studies suggest that SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 also interfere with leptin’s effects in muscle and other organs outside the brain. In these sites, jamming of the leptin signal can lead to sluggish metabolism. Remember, an active SOCS system is strong evidence that the person is already suffering from chronic inflammation that the body is trying to get under control.

Adding more fuel to the fire of inflammation’s role in fat, another research team from Harvard’s Joslin Diabetes Center showed that the exact same molecules, SOCS-1 and SOCS-3, play a distinctly similar role in hampering insulin sensitivity. Their research, published in 2004, demonstrated how these molecules trigger insulin resistance by interfering with the successful connection of insulin to its matching receptor on the surface of your cells.

Under the influence of chronic inflammation, hormones that should function to protect your health are thrown into disarray. As their levels increase, they begin to destroy your health, encouraging weight gain and more inflammation. If you have a chronic weight problem, this is the vicious cycle you face whenever you try to lose weight and keep it off. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that weight problems are not the result of hormones. They are totally dependent upon hormones that misfire. Breaking the vicious cycle of obesity, inflammation and hormone disruption is the greatest nutritional challenge in the world today.

Leaky gut seems to be a lot more common than most people suppose. Diseases and conditions known to be associated with Leaky Gut are:

Lupus
Arthritis
Food allergies
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Chron's disease
Celiac disease
Ulcerative colitis
Hives
Irritable bowel syndrome
Diarrhea
Liver dysfunction (due to it being overburdened with trying to detox!)
Alcoholism
Inflammatory bowel
Food and chemical sensitivity

The intestinal lining is supposed to have small spaces between the cells that can open and close, allowing larger or smaller molecules to pass as appropriate. When these spaces become destroyed by inflammation, ulcerations or breaks, the spaces become too large and allow toxins and large molecules to leak from the gut into the bloodstream. Once this happens, our body loses the ability to absorb nutrients properly leading to malnutrition, and mineral deficiencies, mainly magnesium and copper. Toxins, negative bacteria, yeast and large protein molecules enter the blood and the body attacks them as "foreign invaders." Additionally, the normal detox pathways that utilize the gut as part of the system no longer work.

What damages the gut? The usual first assault is an overgrowth of yeast caused by taking an antibiotic for an infection of some sort. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as aspirin, tylenol, ibuprofen also damage the intestinal lining. So do steroids and alcohol. One major damaging element that is ubiquitous in our diet is gluten. People with blood type O are almost all sensitive to wheat and other glutens and may receive intestinal damage from eating wheat. See:

Origins of Agriculture - Did Civilization Arise to Deliver a Fix?

Recent discoveries of potentially psychoactive substances in certain agricultural products - cereals and milk - suggest an additional perspective on the adoption of agriculture and the behavioral changes ('civilisation') that followed it. In this paper we review the evidence for the drug-like properties of these foods...

Palaeopathological and comparative studies show that health deteriorated in populations that adopted cereal agriculture ...

'If agriculture provides neither better diet, nor greater dietary reliability, nor greater ease, but conversely appears to provide a poorer diet, less reliably, with greater labor costs, why does anyone become a farmer?' ....

Prompted by a possible link between diet and mental illness, several researchers in the late 1970s began investigating the occurrence of drug-like substances in some common foodstuffs. ....

Dohan (1966, 1984) and Dohan et al. (1973, 1983) found that symptoms of schizophrenia were relieved somewhat when patients were fed a diet free of cereals and milk. He also found that people with coeliac disease - those who are unable to eat wheat gluten because of higher than normal permeability of the gut - were statistically likely to suffer also from schizophrenia. Research in some Pacific communities showed that schizophrenia became prevalent in these populations only after they became 'partially westernised and consumed wheat, barley beer, and rice' (Dohan 1984).

Groups led by Zioudrou (1979) and Brantl (1979) found opioid activity in wheat, maize and barley (exorphins), and bovine and human milk (casomorphin), as well as stimulatory activity in these proteins, and in oats, rye and soy. ...

Since then, researchers have measured the potency of exorphins, showing them to be comparable to morphine and enkephalin (Heubner et al. 1984), determined their amino acid sequences (Fukudome &Yoshikawa 1992), and shown that they are absorbed from the intestine (Svedburg et al.1985) and can produce effects such as analgesia and reduction of anxiety which are usually associated with poppy-derived opioids (Greksch et al.1981, Panksepp et al.1984). Mycroft et al. estimated that 150 mg of the MIF-1 analogue could be produced by normal daily intake of cereals and milk, noting that such quantities are orally active, and half this amount 'has induced mood alterations in clinically depressed subjects' (Mycroft et al. 1982:895). (For detailed reviews see Gardner 1985 and Paroli 1988.) ....

We believe that there can be no natural function for ingestion of exorphins by adult humans. ...

Research into food allergy has shown that normal quantities of some foods can have pharmacological, including behavioural, effects. Many people develop intolerances to particular foods. Various foods are implicated, and a variety of symptoms is produced. (The term 'intolerance' rather than allergy is often used, as in many cases the immune system may not be involved (Egger 1988:159). Some intolerance symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, epilepsy, hyperactivity, and schizophrenic episodes involve brain function (Egger 1988, Scadding & Brostoff 1988).

Radcliffe (1982, quoted in 1987:808) listed the foods at fault, in descending order of frequency, in a trial involving 50 people:
wheat (more than 70 per cent of subjects reacted in some way to it),
milk (60 per cent),
egg (35 per cent),
corn, cheese, potato, coffee, rice, yeast, chocolate, tea, citrus, oats, pork, rice, cane, and beef (10 per cent).

This is virtually a list of foods that have become common in the diet following the adoption of agriculture, in order of prevalence. The symptoms most commonly alleviated by treatment were mood change (>50 per cent) followed by headache, musculoskeletal and respiratory ailments.

One of the most striking phenomena in these studies is that patients often exhibit cravings, addiction and withdrawal symptoms with regard to these foods (Egger 1988:170, citing Randolph 1978; see also Radcliffe 1987:808-10, 814, Kroker 1987:856, 864, Sprague & Milam 1987:949, 953, Wraith 1987:489, 491).

Brostoff and Gamlin (1989:103) estimated that 50 per cent of intolerance patients crave the foods that cause them problems, and experience withdrawal symptoms when excluding those foods from their diet.

Withdrawal symptoms are similar to those associated with drug addictions (Radcliffe 1987:808). ....

An omnivore, however, is simply an animal that eats both meat and plants: it can still be quite specialised in its preferences (chimpanzees are an appropriate example). A degree of omnivory in early humans might have preadapted them to some of the nutrients contained in cereals, but not to exorphins, which are unique to cereals.

Also see:

Sensitivity To Gluten May Result In Neurological Dysfunction; Independent Of Symptoms

You may have gluten sensitivity and not even know it, according to a study published in the April 23 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Loss of coordination (ataxia) may result from gluten sensitivity. This disease is known as gluten ataxia. The study found that some patients might never experience the gastrointestinal symptoms that prompt them to seek treatment for the disorder.

"Gluten ataxia is a common neurological manifestation of gluten sensitivity," according to M. Hadjivassiliou, M.D., of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK. "It remains unclear why some patients with gluten sensitivity present solely with neurological dysfunction when others present with gastrointentestinal symptoms (gluten sensitive enteropathy) or an itchy skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)."

Although the cerebellum (the part of the brain responsible for coordination) and in particular the Purkinje cells (output neurons of the cerebellum) appear to be most susceptible to damage in patients with gluten ataxia, other areas of the brain are not spared. "We were interested to determine the mechanism by which Purkinje cells are damaged in gluten ataxia," commented Hadjivassiliou. Study results show that patients with gluten ataxia have antibodies against Purkinje cells and also that antibodies against gluten (antigliadin antibodies) cross-react with Purkinje cells.

Food Cravings, Obesity and Gluten Consumption

Increased consumption of gluten, according to Dr. Michael Marsh, raises the risk of celiac disease symptoms1. Although these symptoms may not indicate celiac disease, they reflect some biological realities. Grain-based foods simply do not offer the nutrients necessary to human health and they damage the human body. USDA and Canada Food Guides notwithstanding, if people eat grain-laden diets, they may develop symptoms of celiac disease (but in most cases, without the diagnostic intestinal lesion).

The connection between eating disorders and celiac disease is well known and well documented2,3,4,5. Thus, the dynamics at work in celiac disease may offer insight into the broader realm of obesity, especially among those who are eating the recommended, daily quantities of grain-derived foods, while attempting to keep their weight down by eating low-fat foods.

The primary, defining characteristic of celiac disease is gluten induced damage to the villi in the intestinal lining. Since malabsorption of vitamins and minerals are well known in the context of celiac disease, it should not be surprising that some celiac patients also demonstrate pica (Pica is an ailment characterized by eating dirt, paint, wood, and other non-food substances). Other celiac patients eat excessive quantities of food, coupled with a concurrent failure to gain weight. Yet another, perhaps larger, group of celiac patients refuse to eat (One may wonder if the latter find that eating makes them feel sick so they avoid it).

Perhaps the most neglected group is that large portion of untreated celiac patients who are obese. Dr. Dickey found that obesity is more common than being underweight among those with untreated celiac disease6. When I ran a Medline search under the terms "obesity" and "celiac disease" 75 citations appeared. A repeated theme in the abstracts and titles was that celiac disease is usually overlooked among obese patients.

Is gluten from grains making you sick?

Gluten Intolerance, also known as Celiac Disease, was once thought to be a rare genetic disorder until 2003 when it was discovered that it is, indeed, quite common. Where once gluten intolerance was thought to affect 1 in 4000 people it is now thought to affect 1 in 133 and researchers expect that number to drop even lower. Yet, even with this new discovery many people in America are going undiagnosed. ...

When people with celiac disease eat grains that contain gluten their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine which, over time, causes malnutrition due to malabsorption of nutrients. Malabsorption can cause someone to appear anorexic, but also, obese. ....

Gluten Intolerance can cause an array of symptoms. It affects each person differently. Common complaints are behavioral changes; bone or joint pain; fatigue; pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool; inability to gain weight; muscle cramps and muscle weakness; stomach problems; tingling and numbness in legs from nerve damage. ...

People with celiac disease tend to have other autoimmune diseases. These diseases include epilepsy, thyroid disease, systemic lupus erythematosis, type 1 diabetes, vascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome. A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis has sometimes been given when in fact the person had celiac disease. Gluten may be the underlying causes of these autoimmune disorders. ...

For most people, following a gluten-free diet, will stop symptoms and heal intestinal damage. It will also prevent further damage. Noticeable improvements usually begin within a week of starting the diet but the small intestine may take anywhere from 3 to 6 months in mild cases and up to 2 years in severe cases to completely heal so that villi that can absorb nutrients from food into the bloodstream. ...

A gluten-free diet means not eating foods that contain wheat (including spelt, triticale, teff, and kamut), rye, barley and oats. The foods and products made from these grains are also not allowed therefore food label reading is a must. Hidden sources of gluten include food additives such as modified food starch, preservatives, and stabilizers along with medicines, anti-acids, vitamins, supplements and beverages.

People with celiac disease can eat rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, potato, or bean flour instead of wheat flour.

Vegan diet may ease arthritis, study finds

Rheumatoid arthritis patients may be able to improve their symptoms by switching to a vegan and gluten-free diet, a study in Sweden has found. ...

Rheumatoid arthritis - a different condition from osteoarthritis - affects around 350,000 people in the UK. It is more common in women than men and can afflict people of any age. It is caused by the immune system attacking the lining of the patient's joints, causing them to become inflamed and painful. Over time the damage can restrict movement. At present there is no cure, although the disease can be slowed down if diagnosed early.

Researchers study diet and autism

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have embarked on one of the first double-blind, clinical studies to determine whether gluten and dairy products play a role in autistic behavior as parents have anecdotally claimed. ...

"A lot of children with autism have gastrointestinal problems such as constipation and diarrhea. Whether these problems are related to brain development is open to question," said Katherine Loveland, Ph.D., co-investigator and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, pediatrics and biomedical sciences at the health science center. "There are neurotransmitters and neuroreceptors in the gut that correspond with those in the brain. There are some scientific reasons to think that some kids may benefit from this diet." ...

Gluten is a protein in wheat; casein and whey are proteins in milk. Casomorphin, a peptide in milk; and gliadomorphin, a peptide in gluten, are thought to be related to changes in behavior in these children.

Obviously, since everyone is different, each individual will have a unique presentation of signs and symptoms. But since it seems rather clear that the issues are interrelated, it is probably a good idea to address it as "all of a piece" in the beginning?

And drugs are not the answer. They only exacerbate the problem.

So, we have these issues to contend with:

Heavy metal and other environmental toxicity leading to...
(Probably) Candida overgrowth leading to...
Leaky gut leading to...
Free radicals going wild in the body leading to...
Inflammation and a host of other symptoms.

Obviously, the most comprehensive solution will try to deal with all of these issues at once or, at least, in overlapping stages.

Let's first consider how the body deals with free radicals naturally.

The body's natural antioxidants are glutathione, peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase. These are enzymes that neutralize the destructive free electrons in the oxygen molecules almost as soon as they are formed. The neutralized free radicals can then be eliminated from the body. This is generally an ongoing metabolic process in the healthy body.

Glutathione does more than play a role in removing metabolic wastes, it also finds and eliminates other toxic substances such as heavy metals and environmental poisons. (Glutathione deficiency is also directly related to eye problems, so when your eyes start going bad, it may be that your body's glutathione production is compromised.)

Glutathione is constantly circulating through the body but, with the toxic load of modern life, the balance is easily tipped in favor of the "bad guys." Our lives depend on glutathione. Without it, our cells will begin to disintegrate from un-checked oxidation. When it is hampered or reduced, our body has little resistance to bacteria, viruses, cancer, etc. Our liver begins to malfunction due to the accumulation of toxins that it cannot unload.

As we have noted, toxic substances are everywhere in our environment: in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink. Even our own body produces toxic substances (a major source being the toxins produced by bacteria in the intestines.) These toxins damage our body cumulatively, and when each individual's "critical mass load" is reached, the process of disease can rapidly take over and proceed with speed toward death.

Our body's ability to detoxify is the MAJOR FACTOR in determining our state of health. When the detox system gets overloaded, toxins accumulate and we become progressively more sensitive to other chemicals, foods, etc. The toxified liver sends signals such as psoriasis, acne, chronic headaches, inflammation, auto-immune diseases, chronic fatigue, weight gain and so on.

When the liver is not in top condition, the conversion of food into energy is compromised. The liver is the primary metabolic organ for the food we eat. It synthesizes and secretes bile which insures good food assimilation AND excretion of toxic material from the intestines. Due to the Standard American Diet, which has spread over the world, which includes high calories, bad fats, refined sugar, alcohol, preservatives, pesticides, nitrates, and so on, almost everybody has liver malfunction to one degree or another. When the liver cannot detoxify the body, it certainly cannot detox itself!

While we are on the topic of glutathione, I want to mention that the increase in cases of Autism in the U.S. are alarming. Researchers have found a distinctive link between autism and high heavy metal content in the blood, especially mercury and lead. Studies have also shown that levels of intracellular glutathione is typically about 48% lower in children with autism. Janet Kern at Utah Southwestern (psychiatry) has said: "Some children with autism are poor detoxifiers relative to normally developing children, and in particular have trouble excreting toxic metals. Toxic metals that are not eliminated may build up in the brain. Glutathione has been found to be lower in children with autism, particularly in children with autism who have regressed. We want to clearly establish that raising glutathione levels in these children will imporve their ability to detoxify these substances and in that way improve some of their symptoms."

I think that the same can be said about ADHD.

Obviously, one way to detox is to help the liver and, while helping it, try to avoid adding to the burden at least until systems return more or less to normal. The liver is remarkable for its ability to regenerate itself if we help it to do its job and try to avoid overburdening it as much as possible. An extract of milk thistle, silymarin, have been shown to not only protect the liver, but to enhance the detox process. It does this by preventing the depletion of glutathione AND by increasing the level of glutathione up to 39%.

Zeolite is an aluminosilicate mineral that has a microporous structure (pores smaller than 2 nm).shaped like a honey-comb. It carries a natural negative (-) charge. According to some researchers, when Zeolite is ingested the positively charged (+) heavy metals, toxins, and harmful chemicals bond with the zeolite and are flushed out through the urine. According to Dr. Howard Peiper, zeolite appears to remove toxins in a certain order. It first removes heavy metals within the first few weeks of use, then it removes secondary priority toxins such as pesticides, herbicides and plastics. He also says it acts as an antioxidant by trapping free radicals. It seems to be a bit pricey. See: http://www.zeolite.com/ But maybe it is worth it.

How to increase Glutathione?

Although glutathione is sold as a supplement, some say that oral glutathione is destoryed by the digestive system. See http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/glutathione.html for a good discussion

Direct supplementation with glutathione is complicated. Proponents have strong feelings on how it should be done. Some say it can be absorbed orally and advocate oral dosing.[13, 14] Others say oral dosing doesn't work and it must be given IV. The chemotherapy studies showing decreased side effects administered glutathione through an intravenous saline solution just prior to chemotherapy. The work with Parkinson's also used IV dosing. One study which argues against oral administration, gave test subjects a single large 3 gram dose of glutathione and saw no increase in plasma levels.[15] Enzymes in the digestive process apparently destroy the glutathione. On the other hand, there are studies which used oral glutathione with benefit. In one a 5 gram/day dose of glutathione slowed the progression of liver cancer.[16]

Can we explain the differences in results? Those who say oral dosing is effective are specific on how to take it: on an empty stomach followed by a full glass of water. This may explain the varying results: some studies may have administered it on an empty stomach and others with food. The study which gave 3 gram single doses were using hepatitis patients as test subjects. Perhaps they were so depleted in glutathione they quickly used up the first dose and would have needed repeated doses to raise their levels.

One group has attempted to overcome the challenge of administering oral glutathione and increased its effectiveness by combining it with anthocyanins. These bioflavinoids form the dark red and purple color found in certain plants such as blueberries, elderberry and beets. Apparently anthocyanins possess the ability to regenerate glutathione from oxidized glutathione even in the presence of oxidizing agents, free radicals, and toxic exposure.[17] This combination is sold as Recancostat by Tyler Encapsulations.

Although there are conflicting opinions, a few things are clear. It is good to have high levels of reduced glutathione in the body. They slow aging and prevent all sorts of disease. In a person who has either Parkinson's, cancer, or other conditions linked with oxidative stress, it's sensible to increase glutathione levels. Increasing levels of Vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, cysteine, glutamine and glycine may be enough to do this. In urgent situations, when one desires the highest possible levels, supplementing with reduced glutathione itself may be the right choice. If undergoing chemotherapy with the platinum drugs, or if one has Parkinson's, IV administration appears to be the preferred, or at least best documented, method. If taking glutathione orally, it should be taken on an empty stomach followed with water. If you believe the anthocyanin theory, use Recancostat. If unwilling to pay the premium price that Recancostat sells for, theoretically a similar effect might be achieved by taking a supplement high in anthocyanins at the same time: for example bilberry, or elderberry extract or even beet juice.

This website discusses a new form of oral glutathione that is enclosed in liposomes (fat) that is supposed to protect it from harsh digestive acids and enzymes: http://www.autismcoach.com/Glutathione%20-%20Liposome%20Form.htm

Previously, the only way to take glutathione and have it absorbed was to have it infused intravenously, or absorbed through the skin with a trans-dermal cream. This is because glutathione is typically destroyed during digestion and what little is not destroyed may be difficult for cells to absorb. However, this new form of glutathione now allows it to be quickly and efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream and cells orally by enclosing the glutathione molecule within tiny, nanosize spheres of fat called liposomes.

It's pretty expensive considering the dosage. As I understand it, the reason liposomal glutathione is good is because it not only penetrates the membrane, the gut, it then penetrate the cell walls since the liposomes are fusogenic and they merge with the cell wall and inject the glutathione directly into the cell.

There is another possible way to get glutathione into the system rapidly: use dmso as a carrying agent. I've heard of this being done, but I don't know any particulars about what form of glutathione is used and how one goes about it.

continued next post

Laura · Nov 17, 2008

To continue... we have thus far considered the main components of what we have to address when we seek to detox our bodies and we have mentioned mineral deficiencies a couple of times in passing, but now we need to bring more focus onto this problem because it plays a crucial role. In the introduction to the book "The Magnesium Miracle", we read:

Do you know that most of us today are suffering from certain dangerous diet deficiencies which cannot be remedied until depleted soils from which our food comes are brought into proper mineral balance? The alarming fact is that foods, (fruits, vegetables and grains) now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contain enough of certain minerals are starving us - no matter how much of them we eat. The truth is that our foods vary enormously in value, and some of them aren't worth eating as food. Our physical well-being is more directly dependent upon the minerals we take into our systems than upon calories or vitamins or upon the precise proportions of starch, protein or carbohydrates we consume. Laboratory tests prove that the fruits, the vegetables, the grains, the eggs, and even the milk and the meats of today are not what they were a few generations ago. No man today can eat enough fruits and vegetables to supply his stomach with the minerals salts he requires for perfect health, because his stomach isn't big enough to hold them! And we are turning into a nation of big stomachs. - From the 74th Congress, 2nd session, Senate document no 264, 1936

Now notice that the above was written in 1936!! Do we think the situation has gotten any better?

Magnesium regulates more than 325 enzymes in the body, the most important of which produce, transport, store, and utilize energy. In other words, magnesium is crucial to the mitochondrions which we discussed in the first post, the powerhouses of the body. Keep in mind that every single activity in the body requires energy - ATP. Magnesium bonds with ATP to produce energy packets for everything the body does. The combination of ATP and magnesium triggers production of all the body's protein structures by getting the messenger RNA going. This combination is also essential for the production and replication of DNA.

Magnesium works with calcium, another essential mineral which we usually have too much of. Our bodies are designed to work with a 1:1 ratio, but what most people have nowadays is more like 15:1 - or worse - due to the modern emphasis on "get your calcium" while completely forgetting about magnesium.

Whether the intestines are healthy or diseased is the most important factor in magnesium absorption (if you can even get it in your diet in sufficient quantities!) Again, leaky gut rears its ugly head.

The most common cause of leaky gut is overgrowth of yeast - Candida albicans. Candida normally lives in the large intestine, but when it moves into the small intestine, it sends out fibers that puncture the gut. Candida grows beyond the large intestine under the influence of antibiotics, cortisone, birth control pills, estrogen, high-sugar diet, alcohol, etc. Candida then produces over 180 by-products, most of which are toxic and can be absorbed into the system through the leaky gut.

Yeast toxins and the inflammatory substances that the body produces in response to those toxins, and undigested foods, heavy metals, etc, all block magnesium absorption. And we should not forget the fact that the body, in its efforts to get rid of toxins is burning up a lot of energy (ATP and magnesium) so at the same time, magnesium is being depleted.

Magnesium is also blocked by certain foods: Too much protein, tannin in tea (black AND green). Another blocker is oxalic acid found in spinach and chard block magnesium. When they are cooked, the oxalic acid is mostly removed. So steaming your vegetables rather than eating them raw or juicing them is better.

Phytic acid found in the hulls of seeds and the bran of grains can form insoluable compounds with magnesium and other minerals, causing them to be eliminated rather than absorbed. Soaking grains and seeds for 8 to 12 hours helps to remove the phytic acid.

Soy is also high in phytic acid. Unlike other forms, the phytic acid in soy is not destroyed by cooking. Only fermentation reduces the phytic acid levels in soy: (miso and tempeh). Tofu is bad. Soy causes mineral deficiencies in children and menopausal women who may be using it for the phytoestrogenic effects.

Sugar uses up magnesium.

Phosphates used in lunch meats, hot dogs, bind with magnesium to make insoluble magnesium phosphate.

Many drugs increase the demand for magnesium and rapidly deplete the body (which has low levels to begin with). This is a short list of culprits:

Diuretics
Bronchodilators such as theophylline
Birth control pills
Insuli
Digitalis
Tetracycline and certain other antibiotics
Corticosteroids
Cocaine
Nicotine

Magnesium inhibits the absorption of iron, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, isoniazid, chlorpromazine, trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin, and sodium fluoride. This last can be a good thing. If you are worried about fluoride, take magnesium! But if you have to take any of these medications, take them two or three hours before or after magnesium supplements.

Both calcium and magnesium are required for either to work properly.
Vitamin D is necessary to utilize magnesium.
Vitamin B 1 (thiamine) is necessary to support magnesium
Selenium helps magnesium stay inside cells

Magnesium deficiency can produce symptoms of anxiety or depression, including muscle weakness, fatigue, eye twitches, insomnia, anorexia, apathy, apprehension, poor memory, confusion, anger, nervousness, rapid pulse.

Serotonin that is boosted by Prozac uses up a lot of magnesium.

Fluoridated water banishes magnesium. Fluoride binds with magnesium making it unavailable to the body. (You really gotta read the book to get all the details on this one!) This can be good because it takes out the fluoride, but also bad because it cancels the magnesium. If you take enough magnesium, you can block the fluoride and get some supplementation.

Magnesium supports the adrenal glands.

Exposure to loud music can increase urinary excretion of magnesium which can last for days after exposure.

Mercury drastically increases the excretion of magnesium and calcium from the kidneys. Such mineral loss impairs cell production, the storage and utilization of energy and cellular repair and replication. Supplementation of magnesium can not only undo some of this damage, but can prevent certain types of heavy metal toxicity.

Magnesium seems to be a competitive inhibitor of lead and cadmium. Increased intake of magnesium eliminates lead via the urine and may do the same with other heavy metals. Magnesium has also been shown to increase the excretion of cadmium via the urine.

If Magnesium levels are low, heavy metals will stay in the body.

The hallmark of a mineral-deficient person is one who takes vitamins without minerals and feels worse or does well for awhile and then deteriorates.

If you have a magnesium deficiency, (remembering that magnesium is essential for energy), certain areas of the body may be overstimulated by vitamins while other areas cannot respond.

So, we know that we need to supplement magnesium for any detox program or diet to work. And we know that we need to supplement it with other important elements so that the magnesium can do its job. We also know that we need to avoid those things - including foods - that may block magnesium.

Disorders related to Magnesium Deficiency:

Magnesium deficiency causes increased levels of adrenaline, which can lead to a feeling of anxiety. Rats who become magnesium deficient have an increased level of urinary catecholamine excretion (a by-product of adrenaline).

People who have mitral valve prolapse have also been found to have an increased state of anxiety and have an increased level of urinary catecholamine excretion, the exact same condition found in rats who are Mg deficient.

It is not surprising then, to find that people with mitral valve prolapse are usually low in magnesium, and that magnesium supplementation alleviates the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse and reduces the level of urinary catecholamine excretion, i.e. it also reduces the anxiety symptoms. ...

A study in Bulgaria also found magnesium abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia and depression. ...

In an experiment on lab rats, the animals had their thoracic aortas injured with balloons. They were then fed diets with low, normal or high magnesium concentrations. The rat aortas with the high magnesium diets healed better than the normal and low Mg diets. ....

Magnesium sulfate is used as a treatment for asthma.

Mg is known to be important for proper lung functioning.

In a study from Poland, children with ADHD were been found to more deficient than controls in a selected number of bioelements. Magnesium deficiencies were the most pronounced difference. Magnesium supplementation in the ADHD children decreased their hyperactivity.

Magnesium is a known treatment for a variety of types of calcification of soft tissues.

In a study of rats, Mg deficiency has been shown to cause aortic calcification.

A 2005 landmark study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public found an inverse association between type 2 diabetes and magnesium intake. The major recommendation from this study was for people to consume more magnesium rich foods.

Frozen shoulders are a common finding in people with diabetes. Additionally, people with diabetes are often less likely to completely recover as well from the condition as non-diabetics.

According to the TMJ Association web site, "The majority, as high as 90 percent, of TMJ patients are women in their childbearing years." Interestingly, most of the people who get mitral valve prolapse and fibromyalgia are also women in their child bearing years. TMJ, fibromyalgia and mitral valve prolapse all commonly occur together, all occur primarily in women of child bearing age, and at least two of the three conditions (MVP and fibromyalgia) have been linked to magnesium deficiencies. Interestingly, excessive menstruation has been linked to magnesium deficiency, which may explain why women of childbearing age (menstruating women) then have more conditions linked to magnesium deficiency than the population in general.

Interestingly, magnesium is needed to make hyaluronic acid, so it is not surprising that conditions linked to magnesium deficiencies and conditions linked to hyaluronic acid abnormalities tend to go hand in hand. Besides TMJ, conditions where magnesium deficiency may play a role include fibromyalgia, keratoconus, nystagmus, insomnia, asthma, allergies, attention deficit disorder and migraine headaches. Headaches and TMJ commonly occur together. Many people believe the TMJ causes headaches, which seems highly plausible. However, since headaches are linked to magnesium deficiency, another possibility to consider is that TMJ and headaches are both manifestations of a common root cause--a magnesium deficiency. ...

A study in Paris found a link between magnesium deficiency, latent tetany, hyperventilation syndrome, spasmophilia, chronic fatigue syndrome, neurocirculatory asthenia and mitral valve prolapse syndrome.

Russian researchers found that patients with mitral valve prolapse appeared to suffer from magnesium deficiency. Magnesium therapy completely or partially reduced the symptoms in more than half the patients.

A paper in the journal, Magnesium, noted that magnesium deficiency hinders the mechanism by which fibroblasts degrade defective collagen, increases circulating catecholamines, predisposes to cardiac arrhythmias, thromboembolic phenomena and dysregulation of the immune and autonomic nervous systems. The paper authors noted that magnesium therapy provides relief of MVP symptoms.

Another paper from the journal, Magnesium, found that out of the 24 patients with MVP who underwent 16 weeks of treatment with magnesium 29.2% became asymptomatic between the 4th and 12th weeks, in 45.8% one or two symptoms of a psychic nature persisted (e.g. anxiety, depressive tendency), and the remaining 25% showed an improvement, albeit, a less marked one.

Based on a search of bone density studies on PubMed, one can see that connective tissue disorders with both scoliosis and low bone densities include:

* Marfan syndrome
* Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
* Homocystinuria
* Osteogenesis imperfecta

Other chronic or genetic disorders where scoliosis and low bone densities occur together include:

* Down syndrome
* Rett syndrome
* Bruck syndrome

* Muscular dystrophy
* Thalassemia
* Osteoblastoma
* Noonan syndrome

And so on. There are over a hundred factors listed in Carolyn Dean's book that are related to magnesium deficiency. See also: http://www.mgwater.com/

So now, let's get on to discuss diet.

Laura · Nov 17, 2008

Okay, now we know for certain that we have to deal with:

Heavy metal and other environmental toxins
Leaky Gut (candida, grain consumption)
Free radicals...

We know that we need to improve our glutathione production AND increase our magnesium intake while at the same time we have to kill of the candida and eliminate the toxins.

How best to go about doing this?

We notice in the discussion of glutathione that :

One group has attempted to overcome the challenge of administering oral glutathione and increased its effectiveness by combining it with anthocyanins. These bioflavinoids form the dark red and purple color found in certain plants such as blueberries, elderberry and beets. Apparently anthocyanins possess the ability to regenerate glutathione from oxidized glutathione even in the presence of oxidizing agents, free radicals, and toxic exposure.[17] This combination is sold as Recancostat by Tyler Encapsulations.

So, we know we want to include a LOT of berries and beets... dark red and purple things, in our diet. Especially if we are going to try to do oral glutathione.

We also know that we want to eliminate grains with gluten.

Here's an interesting item:

The most viable means of building healthy levels of glutathione would be to consume natural food substances that bind protein to glutathione and therefore deliver it via the digestive system to the body, without being destroyed in the gut. Polysaccharides/polypeptides, a whole food complex facilitate that process and increase the level of glutathione in the body.

{Whole grain brown rice} contain polysaccharides, polypeptides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (gamma oryzanol, tocopherol tocotrienols).

In short, whole brown rice is perfectly suited to help deliver the glutathione to the body also.

So now we have red and purple fruits and vegetables and whole brown rice to eat.

We also need a lot of minerals, mainly magnesium. Here's a list of high magnesium containing foods that are not contraindicated because we are also considering the possible wheat factor and dairy intolerance and nightshade sensitivity in our global diet plan here: (They are listed in descending order of mg of magnesium per 100 grams.)

Kelp
Almonds
Cashews
Brazil nuts
Dulse
Filberts
Peanuts
Millet
Pecans
Walnuts
Coconut meat (dried)
Brown rice
Collard greens
Shrimp
Avocado
Parsley
Sunflower seeds
Beans (dried, cooked)
Dandelion greens
Garlic
Green peas, fresh
Crab
Blackberry
Beets
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrot
Celery
Beef
Asparagus
Chicken
Winter squash

To the above list we can add other vegetables that we know have essential elements we are looking for, though they may not be specifically high magnesium foods. Let's add:

Blackberries
Raspberries
Variety of squashes like zucchini and yellow squash
Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts
Bok Choy
Spinach
Chard
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Onions
Eggs
Turkey
Scallops
Millet
quinoa
Lemons and Limes
Grapefruit
Unsweetened cranberry juice (add stevia)
Herbal teas
Pomegranate juice
Olive Oil
Nut oils
Pumpkin seed oil
Grape seed oil
Flaxseed oil
Butter

That's not a long list of foods, but they are obviously the optimum things for maximum detox efficiency.

I have left off the dried fruits, gluten containing grains, nightshade plants that SOME people can tolerate, but not everyone. In short, this list is also an anti-candida list and an anti-inflammation list.

So, with this data in mind, what to eat?

Obviously, there's not a lot on the menu and the challenge is to come up with a few variations so that a person can eat a detox diet for a month or two while detoxing heavy metals, killing candida, reducing inflammation (if present) and getting more or less "clean" so that you can begin adding things back one at a time to test them and see if you have a reaction.

Here are the general rules:

Eat a lot of leafy green vegetables every day. Try to have kale, collards, cooked spinach, chard or bok choy every day.

Include some grains every day from the list.

You can eat fish, shellfish, organic chicken, turkey, or beef once a day.

Have dried, cooked beans every day.

Have nuts and seeds every day.

Have a serving of berries every day.

Have a serving of beets every day.

Eat lots of garlic.

Use organic cold-pressed oils to cook: olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, grape seed oil.

Use organic butter in moderation.

Take 1 to 2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil every day.

Sweeten with Stevia.

Drink natural spring water, distilled or filtered water only.

Have organic herbal teas as often as you like.

Eat sea vegetables a few times a week: dulse, nori, arame, wakame, kombu and hijiki. All of these are very high in magnesium.

Soak your nuts before eating them if possible.

Soak your rice and other grains overnight before cooking.

Soak dried beans overnight with teaspoon of baking soda then discard water and wash again before cooking.

Use sea salt.

Make your own mayonnaise from organic egg yolks, grape seed oil and fresh lemon or lime juice and organic dijon mustard.

Avoid like the plague the following:

All refined and processed foods such as cookies, cakes, doughnuts, bagels, breads, etc.
Lunch meats and hotdogs.
Soy products and soy protein powders.
All sugars including fructose, corn syrup.
Diet products of any kind.
All dairy products except organic butter and free range eggs.
Coffee and tea. Period
Any foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
Any foods with MSG or "hydrolyzed vegetable protein".
All alcohol
All fruit juices and sodas
Commercial iodized salt.

It is probably best to concentrate your diet on this list for at least a month or two while also taking other detox steps such as supplementation and detox saunas.

Laura · Nov 17, 2008

Now, let's consider supplementation and how to work this in with the diet.

Really, before doing your own supplementation, you should read the recommended books and maybe get yourself tested. This is especially true if you have serious health issues. I have posted my own detox plan (what I actually did for over a month and continue to do in a modified form at present) in a couple of the threads including the candida thread.

As noted, each individual is different and unique and what is good for one is not necessarily good for all though I have tried to make the diet above more or less universal. It certainly won't work for people who are allergic to peas and beans and peanuts!!!

Those of you who have read my detox plan will notice that I combined certain elements together such as berries, spirulina (which counts as a sea vegetable!), flaxseed oil and vitamin C powder. I took this in the morning with reduced glutathione, B vitamins, a mineral supplement and extra magnesium. I was trying to get as much of my supplementation done at once as possible.

I took extra supplements before and after my sauna because I was really in rough shape. Not everyone needs to do that. Just taking the morning shake and supplements is sufficient for many.

Since I was also working on correcting the fat balance in my system and going for anti-inflammation too, I was taking a number of anti-oxidants and oils at night such as Vit E, Evening Primrose, fish oils, etc.

As for magnesium supplementation, after reading that building your levels back up can take almost a year, I became discouraged until I read the following:

Norman Shealy.... neurosurgeon and world-renowned pain management expert, confirms that sufficient magnesium is notoriously difficult to absorb orally when it acts like a laxative. He says that if magnesium goes through the intestines in less than twelve hours, absorption of the mineral is seriously impaired. It's excreted faster than it can be absorbed. Dr. Shealy is also convinced that even the best oral preparations, which he considers to be magnesium taurate, requires oral supplementation for six to twelve months to restore intracellular levels. But he finds that skin application of magnesium oil with a concentration of 25 percent magnesium chloride restores intracellular levels within four to six weeks. {...}

Dr. Norman Shealy found while researching magnesium oil that magnesium applied to the skin on a regular basis naturally enhances the level of a vitally important hormone, DHEA. DHEA is normally produced in the adrenal glands, but production slows down as we age. Apparently as magnesium is absorbed through the skin and the underlying fatty tissues of the body it sets off many chain reactions, one of which ends in the production of DHEA. (The Magnesium Miracle)

The so-called "magic oil" is pretty darn expensive. However, you can get the same effect by getting magnesium chloride from an agricultural supply place (or where they sell it to put on the roads when it is snowing) and add it to your bath and soak for 30 minutes or so or just make a foot soak out of it.

I'm really sorry that detoxing is so limited in foods, but maybe some of you can come up with some nice recipes out of what is allowed?

Laura · Nov 17, 2008

Two important considerations to detoxing are, as we have seen above, the phytonutrients and the right fats.

From Leo Galland's "The Fat Resistance Diet" which is NOT, I repeat NOT, just about fat. It is about inflammation which, as we now know, is intimately connected with leaky gut which is connected with candida and toxicity as well as magnesium deficiency!!!

Good fats are starting to receive the attention they deserve. They are known as OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, because of their unique chemical structure. They are found in fish, green leafy vegetables, and some nuts, beans and seeds. Some of the popular weight loss diets of the past few years have talked about good fats, usually in conjunction with "good carbs". Most of them have you get your supply of omega-3’s from fish oil supplements rather than from food. That’s a shame, because foods containing omega-3’s also contain other natural inflammation fighters.

Most of the fat we eat is composed of fatty acids, which are made from long strings of carbon atoms linked together. It’s the type of fatty acids in the fat that determine its nature. SATURATED FAT is solid at room temperature, like butter or coconut oil or the fat you trim from a steak. It’s called "saturated" because all of the carbon atoms are surrounded by hydrogen atoms. Every possible chemical linkage is filled There are no potential chemical bonds unfilled. They are literally saturated. Saturation makes the string of carbons straight and stiff. UNSATURATED FAT is composed of fatty acids in which some of the carbon atoms have chemical bonds that are not filled by hydrogen. Unsaturated fatty acids tend to curve and get softer. Unsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature, like most vegetable oils. The more unsaturated an oil becomes, the more liquid it is. Olive oil, for example, is mostly monounsaturated. It is liquid at room temperature but congeals and gets goopy when refrigerated. Some corn oils are polyunsaturated. They stay liquid in your refrigerator, but will start to thicken in your freezer. Fish oil is the most unsaturated of all the fats you consume. A high omega-3 fish oil concentrate will remain a liquid, even in your freezer.

What’s important about omega-3 fats is not only their fluidity, but their name. Omega-3 refers to a special characteristic of their chemical structure. Our bodies are not able to produce omega-3’s or to turn other kinds of fat into omega-3’s. We have to get them from food. There are no substitutes. Of all the foods that actively fight inflammation, omega-3 fatty acids have been the most studied. I started using omega-3 oils in my medical practice over 25 years ago. At first, we thought that omega-3’s acted like aspirin to reduce the levels of inflammatory mediators called PROSTAGLANDINS. Recent research has shown that omega-3’s do far more. The mechanisms of their protective anti-inflammatory effects extend beyond aspirin’s. They are a natural and intrinsic component of numerous complex regulatory systems in the cells of our bodies. Conditions in which omega-3 fats have proven value, either for treatment or prevention include arthritis, colitis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, heart arrhythmias, asthma, dementia, depression, and schizophrenia.

Stone Age humans got most of their omega-3’s from wild game. Wild animals that feed on grass and leaves store omega-3 fats in their flesh and organs, which are eaten by hunters. Today’s cattle are raised on corn or manufactured feed that supplies no omega-3’s for the animal to incorporate into its meat. With the development of agriculture and fishing, the major sources of omega-3’s became wild fish, beans, nuts, seeds and leafy greens vegetables. Navy beans, kidney beans and soy beans all supply omega-3’s. Walnuts are a delicious source of these. Flax seed, an excellent source of omega-3’s, was the health food of the Romans. Purslane supplied them for the ancient Greeks. The Twentieth Century witnessed a progressive depletion of omega-3 oils from diets of people all over the world. Because omega-3’s have a short shelf life, they were systematically removed from processed foods and animal feed. The result is a widespread global deficiency of omega-3’s, in industrialized nations and developing countries alike. Any successful solution to the twin problems of obesity and chronic inflammation must correct this deficiency by incorporating omega-3 containing foods, like flax seed, walnuts, salmon, tuna and other cold water fish, beans and leafy greens. Feeding flax seed or seaweed to chickens allows them to lay eggs with omega-3 fatty acids in the yolk.

"Phyto" means plant and the term "phytonutrient" applies to nutritional substances found in plants that improve the way your body functions. The plants we eat contain thousands of phytonutrients. The appetizing colors of fresh fruits and vegetables derive from the presence of anti-inflammatory phytonutreints known as carotenoids and flavonoids. Carotenoids are fat-soluble compounds that range in hue from light yellow to deep orange. The best known carotenoid is beta-carotene, the orange pigment evident in carrots and cantaloupe. But other carotenoids, like lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin, have recently received considerable attention for their benefits in preserving vision and fighting cancer. I recommend a diet high in mixed carotenoids, which includes many different varieties of fruits and vegetables: carrots, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, winter squash and papaya.

Flavonoids typically range from bright yellow to deep purple in hue. Important anti-inflammatory flavonoids are found in blueberries, cherries, pomegranate, citrus fruits, purple grapes, green tea, onions, dark chocolate and many herbs and spices. In the U.S., perhaps more than in any other country, food has gotten blander and blander. American palates have grown accustomed to the taste of sugar, fat and salt. A major defect of almost every weight loss diet is its reliance on sugar substitutes, fake fats and artificial flavors to reduce caloric intake. If you use these manufactured ingredients in an effort to lose weight, you are reinforcing the brainwashing of your appetite, which believes it can only be satisfied by a sweetness or oiliness or saltiness that overpowers all other flavors of food, subtle or piquant. As much as you need to avoid empty calories and junk foods, you need to embrace the herbs and spices that lend amazing taste to meals and snacks.

As you might guess, a strictly anti-inflammatory diet might include a number of things that the purifying detox diet does not include.

But, cheer up! After a month or so on the detox and anti-candida program, you can begin to test your system by adding other foods one at a time and then waiting two days to see if you react.

Laura · Nov 17, 2008

Now, let's talk a little bit about food.

What did we have for dinner? It was actually quite nice!

Coral lentils cooked well and mashed like potatoes with butter on them
Bok Choy with red chard and onions stir fried in grape seed oil with garlic (we cook it until it is JUST done so that it is crunchy and nutty!)
Steamed broccoli
Brown rice

Now, there was no meat at this meal so I took about 6 salmon oil capsules so my body thinks I ate a piece of fish.

At another time, here is what can be done (and I'm planning it) with the same basic meal.
Prepare a pot-roast with onions and carrots and garlic. Use the pan drippings as gravy on the lentils and rice.
OR prepare some small organic steaks and use the steak drippings as gravy.

Now really, it's a great meal! :clap:

Beau · Nov 17, 2008

Thanks for all this great info Laura! I was wondering myself what the specific properties of brown rice were that made it such a daily meal. I couldn't find any descriptions about its properties in the other threads. Glad to read about all the goodies in it, so I can answer the question of why brown rice when talking with family members about the diet.

Question: Besides brown rice, are their any other forms of rice that can fit into this diet, excluding white rice of course. For exmaple, wild rice. I haven't found anything explaining this. Also, I saw that included with black tea was green tea in the evil category. Should it be excluded from the diet and does it really contain tannine? I had previously thought it was ok.

Laura · Nov 17, 2008

Well, I think wild rice is fine too.

As for the tea - the Magnesium Miracle is the source. But I will confess to having a cup of black tea once in awhile. I just take an extra magnesium to "pay" for it.

Just an added bit of info: apparently, using the infrared sauna gives energy directly to the mitochondrion in the form of what could be called "chi." If magnesium is also being replenished, that is one major step in the direction of energizing the body so that it can continue with the work of detoxing. When a body becomes severely toxic and can no longer detox itself, it begins to shut down peripheral systems gradually so as to conserve energy for the organs to function. This is suggested to be the main cause of chronic fatigue. So, of course, the instant extra energy is added to the system, the body may begin to detox furiously bringing on a severe Herxheimer reaction. So those who have serious conditions and compromised systems must be careful and go slowly.

If the seriously ill person begins with the diet and approaches the detoxing from that direction only - making sure that the foods are as pure as possible, it is said that it will go easier. After a few weeks of the diet, they can then begin the sauna - a few minutes in the infrared sauna per day - and perhaps just using a dilution of magnesium chloride in a spray bottle several times a day.

Mark told us that taking glutamine can heal lesions in the intestines so if anyone has serious inflammatory condition or auto-immune condition, this might be helpful.

Wikipedia said:
Glutamine (abbreviated as Gln or Q; the abbreviation Glx or Z represents either glutamine or glutamic acid) is one of the 20 amino acids encoded by the standard genetic code. ...

Glutamine is the most abundant naturally occurring, non-essential amino acid in the human body and one of the only amino acids which directly crosses the blood-brain barrier.[1] In the body it is found circulating in the blood as well as stored in the skeletal muscles. It becomes conditionally essential (requiring intake from food or supplements) in states of illness or injury. ...

Dietary sources of L-glutamine include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, wheat, cabbage, beets, beans, spinach, and parsley. Small amounts of free L-glutamine are also found in vegetable juices and fermented foods, such as miso. ...

Functions

Glutamine has a variety of biochemical functions including:

1. A substrate for DNA synthesis
2. Major role in protein synthesis
3. Primary source of fuel for enterocytes (cells lining the inside of the small intestine)
4. Precursor for rapidly dividing immune cells, thus aiding in immune function
5. Regulation of acid-base balance in the kidney by producing ammonium[3]
6. Alternative source of fuel for the brain and helps to block cortisol-induced protein catabolism
7. As a form of fixed nitrogen by heterocysts, exchanged for photosynthate from undifferentiated cyanobacterial cells

Glutamine has been studied extensively over the past 10-15 years and has been shown to be useful in treatment of serious illnesses, injury, trauma, burns, cancer and its treatment related side-effects as well as in wound healing for postoperative patients.

Glutamine has also been taken to enhance brain function as it fuels two of the brain's most important neurotransmitters: glutamic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It also assists in nitrogen transportation and reduces toxic build up of ammonia in the brain (though is contra-indicated for those with Reye's Syndrome). Hence, it has been used to aid memory, increase IQ in those with mental retardation, and to support people with schizophrenia and senility.

It has also been used in the treatment of ADHD, anxiety and depression.

It has also been used in recovery programs to break sugar craving cycles in alcoholics (although is contra-indicated for those with cirrhosis of the liver or kidney disease)and assist people in the management of sugar craving in diabetes.

It is also used as an anti-inflammatory in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and preserves Glutathione (important for detoxification and immune support) levels in the liver.

Glutamine is contraindicated for those with Reye's syndrome, cirrhosis of the liver and kidney disease.

In recent studies, glutamine-enriched diets have been linked with intestinal effects including maintenance of gut barrier function, intestinal cell proliferation, and differentiation.

It may be used in recovery after gut surgery or in the treatment of gut damage, the treatment of sepsis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

This may relate to the fact that the intestinal extraction rate of glutamine is higher than that for other amino acids, and is therefore thought to be the most viable option when attempting to alleviate conditions relating to the gastrointestinal tract.

It is also known that glutamine has various effects in reducing healing time after operations. Hospital-stay times after abdominal surgery can be reduced by providing parenteral nutrition regimes containing high amounts of glutamine to patients. Clinical trials have revealed that patients on supplementation regimes containing glutamine have improved nitrogen balances, generation of cysteinyl-leukotrienes from polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes and improved lymphocyte recovery and intestinal permeability (in postoperative patients) - in comparison to those who had no glutamine within their dietary regime; all without any side-effects.

Erykah · Nov 18, 2008

Thank you Laura for all the very important information I have been keeping up on the Candida thread and kept making lists of what supplements to take on a daily basis (still waiting for Detoxify or Die from Amazon) I had a few questions that maybe others can answer, it has to do with Brown Rice and Rice bread (wheat and Gluten free) products

Laura
In short, whole brown rice is perfectly suited to help deliver the glutathione to the body also.

If one eats brown rice 2-3 times a day is that enough to deliver glutathione or should one also take a supplement?
Also Rice bread products are sold in varying types in health food stores, some are more tasteful than others (all are frozen) I have found a brand that is quite good it's a multi-seed rice bread with flax seeds by Food for Life it is made with white rice flour (main ingredient) and I am curious if white rice flour is a 'candida feeder' similar to white rice?
Appreciate all the helpful info as this diet has really had a dramatic effect on my energy level and food allergies!

Josi · Nov 18, 2008

Laura had said things to avoid like the plague - one being MSG. Below is a link to other names for MSG. It gets sneaked into products under different names - even into so called health foods. Those sneaky bastards!

_http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm

Laura · Nov 18, 2008

'Awapuhi said:
If one eats brown rice 2-3 times a day is that enough to deliver glutathione or should one also take a supplement?

In general, yes. Note what the excerpt I included above says:

Although there are conflicting opinions, a few things are clear. It is good to have high levels of reduced glutathione in the body. They slow aging and prevent all sorts of disease. In a person who has either Parkinson's, cancer, or other conditions linked with oxidative stress, it's sensible to increase glutathione levels. Increasing levels of Vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, cysteine, glutamine and glycine may be enough to do this. In urgent situations, when one desires the highest possible levels, supplementing with reduced glutathione itself may be the right choice. If undergoing chemotherapy with the platinum drugs, or if one has Parkinson's, IV administration appears to be the preferred, or at least best documented, method. If taking glutathione orally, it should be taken on an empty stomach followed with water. If you believe the anthocyanin theory, use Recancostat. If unwilling to pay the premium price that Recancostat sells for, theoretically a similar effect might be achieved by taking a supplement high in anthocyanins at the same time: for example bilberry, or elderberry extract or even beet juice.

'Awapuhi said:
Also Rice bread products are sold in varying types in health food stores, some are more tasteful than others (all are frozen) I have found a brand that is quite good it's a multi-seed rice bread with flax seeds by Food for Life it is made with white rice flour (main ingredient) and I am curious if white rice flour is a 'candida feeder' similar to white rice?

Yes. And these breads are probably made with yeast. You want NO yeast at all, nothing made with yeast!!! And, besides that, you don't want the white rice or the white rice flour. Just get used to NOT eating breads of any kind most of the time.

I occasionally eat quinoa crackers or whole brown rice crackers - but I did NOT at the beginning! These crackers have no yeast or raising agents at all. You can add something like that after you are sure that you are not fighting yeast any longer. I'll be getting into the yeast problem in more detail soon. The main thing to remember is that you need to keep the body alkaline to control the yeast and that means a LOT of vegetables and minimal acid forming foods. That is one reason to keep the meat consumption low: meat is acid forming.

You can alkalinize your body by having a glass of lemon water in the morning (or a cup of lemon tea with stevia) and eating a grapefruit. If you add some cucumbers to each meal, they are good alkaline agents also. I like them with my home made mayonnaise on them.

aragorn · Nov 18, 2008

Wow!

Thank you Laura for your comprehensive post. Very valuable information.

Just one quick question: what kind of 'reduced glutathione' product/supplement would be most efficient in your opinion? What kind are you using?

Laura · Nov 18, 2008

Re: Reduced Glutathione: I bought one bottle of Reconcostat that is supposed to have the anthocyanin in it. But it was just too expensive. So then I just bought whatever was the best price from a reputable company. Right now I have two bottles, different kinds. Also, I didn't know until recently that the berries and beets are supposed to make the glutathione work, I was just including them as a major feature of my detox because they are supposed to be really powerful against inflammation. It was just one of those lucky flukes where you accidentally do something that is perfectly right for a reason different than your intention. Heck, I'll admit it, I was just looking for an excuse to eat blueberries since they are one of my favorite "fruits".

I also think that, after a month or two, you can really back off on some of the supplements, just keep the minerals, fish oils, flax oil going every day and other stuff every two or three days. By that time, you should have kick started your detox system, killed your yeast and just diet and sauna will continue the process. Unless, of course, you are in REALLY bad shape in which case you have to go much more slowly and take more time.

It can take 6 months to a year for some people to detox completely. I'm in it for the long haul myself but I'm not loading on supplements like I did for the first two months. After awhile, I think you become sensitive to what your body needs. I've found that taking fish oils and vitamin E and Evening Primrose oil every night really makes me feel better. I also take GABA and 5-HTP at night because it helps me sleep. But mainly, I'm relying on regular saunas and eating as many veggies as possible, brown rice, beans, handful of nuts now and then, spirulina and berries.

So, while I'm here I'll just say what I ate today: two meals.

Breakfast: Brown rice fried in a bit of butter.
Two free range eggs.

Dinner: Brown Rice
Black-eyed-peas
Steamed Broccoli

It was very plain and simple today. I'm always happy to eat black-eyed-peas, too!

Everybody else is eating pretty much the same thing tonight only they were having a big salad too.

Regulattor · Nov 18, 2008

I often cook Amaranth with brown rice, combined they go well, pleasant in taste and smell. Amaranth is rich in all kinds of nutrients and I think it fits well in detox program.

Here are nutritional info on Amaranth: _http://www.elook.org/nutrition/grains/6575.html

And I have a question. It's almost a year since I have started with diet changes. Firstly, I've cut gluten out and basically trying to fallow blood type diet. I was relay struggling to manage my daily duty's and new type of diet, specially when your surrounding is so ignorant about subject. So thx Laura for tips with bulk cooking of beans and rice!

Anyway, my problem is this: I'm 36 years old 175cm high and my body weight was around 75kg at the time I was starting new diet.

Now I'm 66-67 kg and I've literally melted down. I've been losing 1kg/month. It looks like most of my muscular mass hasn't been affected but my fat deposits from head to toes are gone and my pants don't fit me no more! Family members are all over me with their "you look ill because real men weight 100kgs at least" attitude. But I feel more energized then ever. So I'm just asking if anybody else can report similar experience with weight losing?

I have recently add amino acid supplement (L-glutamine) and 3x weekly of gym workout to gain some quality weight back. This change was so dramatic that I'm not shore whether I'm in control of situation or not.
Thx.

Niall · Nov 23, 2008

From this thread:

One of the hardcore heavy-metal-detox supplements recommended by Sherry Rogers in Detoxify or Die (and included on Laura's Detox Program) is reduced Glutathione or L-Glutathione. It's been part of my daily routine for a couple of weeks now. A shop assistant at a local healthfood store suggested that I look into NAC instead (that particular store didn't stock L-Glutathione).

American Nutrition said:
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, known as "NAC" provides powerful immune support and also packs a powerful anti-toxin potential. Its ability to neutralize cell and DNA damaging free radicals can help slow down what many scientists point to as a key factor in the aging process. N-ACETYL L-CYSTEINE (NAC) or NAC is a more stable form of L-Cysteine because it has an acetyl group (CH3CO) attached.

NAC has all the properties of L-Cysteine but is more water soluble and said to be more bioavailable than L-Cysteine. NAC may be the most cost effective way to boost Glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is a very valuable peptide, but very expensive when bought as a supplement. It is best to use NAC to boost your glutathione levels. NAC has been shown to play a protective role against a variety of toxic hazards such as cigarette smoke, auto exhaust, certain herbicides, and overdoses of acetaminophen. It can also play a beneficial role in prostate and respiratory conditions. For example, NAC has well established antimucolytic (anti-mucous) properties and has been shown to increase mucocilary transport in smokers. As a beneficial glutathione booster, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine is the supplement of choice.

Surprisingly, it is more effective than supplementing with cysteine, methionine, or even glutathione itself! No doubt NAC is the undisputed glutathione precursor. What makes NAC stand out in the crowd of glutathione boosters is the fact that it is a stable amino acid that can retain up to six times the amount of the sulfur and sulfhydryl groups after digestion. Scientists believe that sulfur and sulfur compounds may be central to glutathione and its precursor N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC).

_http://www.americannutrition.com/store/NACpg.html

Aragorn said:
Just one quick question: what kind of 'reduced glutathione' product/supplement would be most efficient in your opinion? What kind are you using?

I couldn't source Reconcostat, but L-Glutathione (reduced Gltathione) is sold in my locality through Solgar _http://www.solgar.com/

More info on L-Glutathione vs NAC:

Woodlands Healing Research Center said:
Glutathione (GSH)

Date: 09/01/2002

The following monograph includes a general summary overview of Glutathione (GSH) followed by a very detailed, technical overview.

Introduction

Glutathione is considered to be the most powerful, most versatile, and most important of the body's self-generated antioxidants. Among glutathione's many important properties are:

1) Is found in almost all living cells. The liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, and the lens and cornea, have the highest concentrations in the body.

2) It is a powerful antioxidant and thus neutralizes free radicals and prevents their formation

3) Important role in immune function via white blood cell production and is one of the most potent anti-viral agents known

4) It is one of the strongest anti-cancer agents manufactured by the body,

5) Glutathione is able to reduce oxidized Vitamin C and Vitamin E back to their unoxidized state,

6) It is used by the liver to detoxify many toxins including formaldehyde, acetaminophen, benzpyrene and many other compounds and plays a key role in Phase I and Phase II detoxification reactions

7) It is an antioxidant necessary for the protection of proteins; is involved in nucleic acid synthesis and plays a role in DNA repair,

8) It maintains the cellular redox potential

9) Glutathione levels decrease with age. It is involved in cellular differentiation and slows the aging process

10) Protects the integrity of red blood cells

11) Glutathione is involved in maintaining normal brain function.

Metabolism

· Glutathione is synthesized in the body from 3 amino acids: Cysteine, glutamine and glycine. Cysteine is one of the sulfur containing amino acids used for the synthesis of glutathione, which is very critical in detoxification. N Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) is the rate limiting amino acid for the production of glutathione within the cells of the body, has mucolytic properties, and is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier. Some research indicates that NAC is more readily absorbed into certain cells of the body than glutathione and is therefore an excellent synergist with glutathione. The thiol group is the active part of the molecule which serves as a reducing agent to prevent oxidation of tissues.

· Reduced Glutathione: glutathione acts as one of the major detoxifiers in the body, but it must be in the reduced form to work properly. Sometimes glutathione will be listed on the label of a product, however it wont be specifically listed as being reduced. The unreduced form is much cheaper and isn’t metabolically active. Riboflavin, niacinamide, selenium, lipoic acid and glutathione reductase are all essential cofactors for generating reduced glutathione. Once the cysteine moieties become oxidized, they combine to form cystine. Cystine taken by itself is poorly absorbed. Reduced glutathione (GSH) is a linear tripeptide of L-glutamine, L-cysteine, and glycine. Technically N-L-gamma-glutamyl-cysteinyl glycine or L-glutathione, the molecule has a sulfhydryl (SH) group on the cysteinyl portion, which accounts for its strong electron-donating character.

· Glutathione peroxidase is another compound which is involved in detoxification against peroxides and other xenobiotics. It is synthesized from selenium and cysteine.

Therapeutics

o Detoxification

o Heavy metal toxicity including mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium:

o Common toxins that glutathione may help protect against are car exhaust, cigarette smoke, aspirin and alcohol (Marz, p. 78, 1997)

o Pesticide and industrial chemical exposure

o Steroids

o Bacterial toxins (Clostridia difficile)

o Pharmaceuticals (very long list that need to be detoxified by the liver) (Marz, p. 79, 1997)

o Immune enhancement: 1-3 g q.d. This is especially effective against clostridium in the GI. It helps prevent translocation.

o Psoriasis

o Diabetes mellitus: Especially in ketosis as DM patients will generally excrete increased amounts of sulfur containing amino acids.

o Liver disease including cirrhosis and fatty liver disease caused by alcohol: Studies show mild effects at large doses

o Ulcers intestinal or stomach: In patients with stomach ulcers low levels of GSH have been found.

o Aspirin or phenacetin overdose (useful for rheumatoid arthritis patients or chronic pain sufferers on 8 or more aspirin/day)

o Hematological conditions: myelofibrosis, acute leukemia, chronic myelocytic leukemia, lymphoma, polycythemia vera

o Alcoholism

o Before ionizing radiation therapy

o Cataracts

o Parkinson's disease, Alzheimers, ALS, MS and other neurologic conditions including Autism/Pervasive Developmental Delay

o Chronic kidney failure

Note: Some therapeutics for glutathione can use cysteine, which is considerably less expensive. There are some inborn errors in metabolism that may require glutathione directly. Oral supplementation of glutathione does not necessarily raise tissue levels of glutathione in all cases however and some medical conditions require direct intravenous administration of reduced glutathione.

Other supplements such as vitamin C, selenium and N-acetyl cysteine may have a more significant effect at actually raising glutathione levels in the liver and other tissues. Certain labs can assess glutathione status directly or indirectly.

Requirements
• RDA: non essential
• Average intake in the U.S.: 5-100mg/day

Good Food Sources
• Via cysteine, which is very difficult to measure
• yogurt, granola, duck, oatmeal flakes, toasted wheat germ, cottage cheese

Toxicity & Contraindications
• none known

More info and references at this link:

_http://www.woodmed.com/Glutathione%202002.htm

It seems that NAC raises Glutathione levels but the metabolic pathway concentrates on the liver, so it's possibly the more effective detox option if you need to kickstart things with a Liver cleanse.

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