Thanks to Dr. Jockers for this information

How to use toxin binders

Our world is full of environmental toxins.
Throughout your life, your body has been exposed to air pollution, pesticides, herbicides, mold, chemicals, and other toxins. Reducing your exposure to environmental toxins is important, however, you also need to support your body by reducing toxins already affecting your body.

Since toxins in your body can affect nutrient absorption, detoxification can become even more important than nutrition.
This is where toxin binders come in.
Binders can bind to toxins inside your body and help to remove them.

In this article, you will learn about toxins in our environment. You will understand why detox may be more important than nutrition.
You will learn what binders are. You will learn about prescription binders and potential problems using them.
I will go over the best natural binders to use.
Finally, I will share my favorite toxin binder supplement.

Toxins in Our Environment

Unfortunately, our modern world environment is full of toxins. Our air, especially city air, is full of pollutants, including automobile gas and cigarette smoke.
Various gases in our air that may harm your health include hydrogen chloride, benzene, dioxin, cadmium, asbestos, mercury, and chromium, which may harm your health.

Your indoor air may have mold mycotoxins and other allergens in it.
Your tap water may be contaminated with chloride, fluoride, lead, mercury, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, and so on (1). 

Non-organic food may contain pesticides, herbicides, artificial ingredients, hormones, and other additives.
Conventional cleaning, hygiene, beauty, and body products are full of chemicals.
Medications and even cheap supplements may contain harmful chemicals.

Conventional dentists still use amalgam mercury fillings and recommend fluoride treatments.
We use plastic and plastic packaging for everything, of which bisphenol A (BPA) is particularly harmful to your health (1).

The list of chemicals and toxins in our environment is endless. Being aware and consciously reducing your exposure to these toxins is incredibly important. However, over your lifetime, you’ve been exposed to so many toxins.

No matter how careful you are now, it is still impossible to reduce all exposure to chemicals — unless maybe you move to an off-grid self-sustaining home in the middle of nature, away from everything, which is not a feasible option for most of us.
Past and present exposure to environmental toxins may cause detoxification to be critical — possibly more important than nutrition.

Why Detox May Be More Important Than Nutrition

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I talk about the importance of anti-inflammatory nutrition all the time. Nutrition is important. It is one of the top things you can do for your health and well-being.
When it comes to toxins, however, detox maybe even more important than nutrition. 

Toxicity from environmental toxins may block your body’s ability to effectively absorb and utilize nutrients in your diet.
This means that if your body is overwhelmed with toxins, no matter how good your diet may be, your body never gets to use it, and your health won’t improve.
You need to remove those toxins for nutrition to work.

Detoxifying from environmental toxins may improve nutrient absorption and can offer various health benefits. For example, a 1989 study published in Biomaterials, Artificial Cells, and Artificial Organs found that using activated charcoal may help to delay age-related structural changes and help increase longevity by absorbing and helping to remove toxins from the body (2). According to a 2012 review published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health, environmental toxins can lead to chronic health conditions making detoxification and supportive therapies critical for our health (3).

What are Binders?

Binders are various substances that ‘bind’ to toxins by either trapping them or attracting them through a negative charge in your body and then helping them remove them through bowel movements.

Binders are fantastic tools for detoxification and are often recommended by functional medicine practitioners like myself. There are a number of different binders that you can turn to.
They all offer different benefits and different levels of effectiveness. 

Binders 

According to a 2013 study published in Scientific World Journal, prescription binders may help to remove mold mycotoxins and reduce issues related to mold exposure from water-damaged buildings (5). According to a 2013 study published in ISRN Toxicology, they may also help to remove other environmental toxins, including perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which are often used in water-repellants and non-stick products (6).

Prescription binders may help to assist detoxification, but they may lead to a number of issues as well.
Side effects and health issues associated with prescription binders may include (4, 7, 8):

• Bloating, indigestion, upset stomach, heartburn.
• Constipation, especially when not drinking enough water or eating enough fiber.
• problem absorbing vitamin A, vitamin K, and other fat-soluble vitamins.
• Problems absorbing other medications.
• Mitochondrial dysfunction and related issues
• Hypothyroidism or worsening hypothyroidism symptoms

Prescription binders are also often made with artificial colors, artificial flavors, sugar, or artificial sweeteners, which can be incredibly harmful to your body and are toxic themselves. 

Best Natural Binders to Use

Here are the best natural binders I recommend. I will go over their benefits and also the possible drawbacks of each.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is a fine black powder that has been used as a toxin binder for several hundred years. Activated charcoal is used in cases of drug overdose at some poison control centers and hospitals.

Activated charcoal is made from a carbon source, such as decomposed plants, wood, or coconut shells. Manufacturers expose this carbon source to an activating agent and high heat.  This makes many tiny pores and allows a larger surface area for binding.

When ingested, activated charcoal moves through the gastrointestinal tract, and toxins get caught in the pores of the charcoal. Toxins are removed through bowel movements along with the activated charcoal.

Important note concerning Charcoal products
Activated charcoal can be taken once daily on an empty stomach
or 3 hours after food.
No more than a week of taking activated charcoal. When too many toxins exit the body all at one time a person may actually feel sick.
The dose is 500 mg daily morning for a week and no more.
This can be done one a month.

Activated charcoal is generally sold in capsule form and you can take it away from meals.  If you eat a meal with foods that your body is sensitive to, you can take charcoal with the meal to help reduce the inflammation from the food sensitivity.  You can also open the capsule, dissolve it in liquid, and drink the charcoal water mix if you have trouble swallowing the capsules.  

Activated charcoal is great for binding with mold mycotoxins, pesticides, and some drugs, but doesn’t work well for heavy metals. A 1989 study published in Biomaterials, Artificial Cells, and Artificial Organs found that using activated charcoal may help delay age-related structural changes and help increase longevity by absorbing and helping to remove toxins from the body (2).

A 2019 review has found that it may be effective in removing toxins (9). It may also bind to some nutrients your body needs, so it’s important to take breaks between using activated charcoal.

Though activated charcoal helps to remove toxins, it doesn’t help to improve the gut lining if it has been damaged from toxins and infections. For some people, it may taste unpleasant, and some may experience unpleasant side effects, such as constipation and nausea. (10, 11, 12, 13).

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is also referred to as fossil shell flour. It is a toxin binder created from the fossilized skeletons of diatoms, which are single-celled algae. Diatoms are enclosed in glassy silicon dioxide, which is often used as a food additive that helps dry ingredients not to stick together.

It’s important to note that only food-grade DE is safe for human consumption. Non-food-grade DE is not safe. According to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Animal Sciences and a 2015 study published in British Poultry Science, DE may be effective for reducing toxicity from various toxins, including aflatoxin and zearalenone (20, 21).

It may help to remove mycotoxins and heavy metals, however, efficiency depends on the pH levels in the body. One major problem when it comes to DE is that it may cause lung damage when inhaled and thus may cause harm to workers processing it (22, 23, 24).

Pectin

Apple pectin or modified citrus pectin are popular toxin binders created from apple skin or the inner white pulp of citrus. Pectin is a polysaccharide found in the cell walls and concentrated in the peel of the fruit and it is a form of soluble fiber that the body doesn’t metabolize but gut bacteria can use as an energy source.

The most common use of pectin is for detoxifying heavy metals. A 2008 study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine has found that pectin may help to reduce the toxic levels of lead in children (25). 

Though there is less research evidence, pectin may also help to remove pesticides or mycotoxins. More research is needed to evaluate its effectiveness in this regard. One of the potential issues with modified citrus pectin is that sometimes it’s not well made. If the molecules are too large they will not absorb and bind well (26, 27).rding to 2017 research published in the International Journal of Macromolecules has found that chitosan may also help to remove heavy metals (29). However, its effectiveness for heavy metals and some other toxins may depend on pH levels. Another benefit of chitosan is its ability to act as a prebiotic and to support gut microbial health. It is also used for weight loss by some. However, since it’s made from shellfish, it is not suitable for people with shellfish allergies, vegans, or vegetarians (30, 31).

Probiotics

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that support microbiome imbalance. Probiotic-rich foods and probiotic supplements can help to repopulate your gut microbiome after antibiotic use or if you are dealing with microbiome imbalance.

They may help to reduce the risks and symptoms of various chronic diseases. Beyond supporting your microbiome, probiotics may act as a binder and may directly bind to mycotoxins. 

According to a 2020 study published in Toxins, probiotics may be helpful for removing mycotoxins (41). A 2021 review published in Food and Chemical Toxicology has found that probiotics may support detoxification related to food contamination (42).

Certain strains of lactobacillus, including L pentosus and L beveris, work well for aflatoxins.
Other strains, such as L planatrum, work well for other mycotoxins, such as sterigmatocystin.

S cerevisiae binds effectively to aflatoxins, and saccharomyces boulardii binds well to gliotoxin. Though probiotics may be helpful for detoxification from mycotoxins, they are not effective for other toxins, such as heavy metals, making other binders usually necessary (43, 44). 

Zeolites

Zeolite is a naturally occurring volcanic mineral that was created thousands of years ago after volcanic eruptions produced volcanic ash and lava that chemically reacted with seawater.

This created a compound having a unique porous, and cage-like, honeycomb structure that is negatively charged.   It is unusual in that it has a strong negative charge that attracts positively charged toxins and its cage-like structure traps the toxins so they can be safely removed from the body.

Zeolites are toxin binders made from silica, aluminum, and oxygen. One of their main benefits is helping detoxification from heavy metals. Natural zeolite clinoptilolite is generally safe for detoxification in humans. According to a 2019 review published in Molecules, zeolites are great detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant agents (45). 

Zeolites may support detoxification from mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides, ammonia, radioactive materials, and other toxins. They may also support the gut-brain barrier, microbiome, immune health, and inflammatory balance. Since it goes beyond binding and may support the restoration of your gut health, it is one of the best toxins binders (46, 47, 48).

Bioactive Carbons

Bio=active carbons, including fulvic and humic acid, are some of the best toxin binders.
Bioactive carbons are organic compounds in humus, a part of the soil. It is the richest in decaying plants or animal matter. Bioactive carbons help to improve the soil and the health of plants.
They are also incredibly rich in minerals and support detoxification from heavy metals and other organic compounds. 

According to a 2017 review published in the Journal of Chemistry, bioactive carbons help detoxification from heavy metals (49). According to a 2013 review published in Chemosphere, humic acid may help detoxification from pesticides (50). Humic acid and fulvic acid may also bind to and help remove benzo(a)pyrene from tobacco smoke, charred meat, coal tar, and pentachlorophenol from pesticides and disinfectants.

Bioactive carbons offer antioxidant protection, improve immune defense, microbiome support, and restoration of nutrients. They offer a natural delivery, offer strong binding, help the removal of toxins through bowel movements, and are safe long-term (51, 52, 53, 54, 55).

Final Thoughts

Throughout your life, your body has been exposed to air pollution, pesticides, herbicides, mold, chemicals, and other environmental toxins. Since toxins in your body can affect nutrient absorption, detoxification can become even more important than nutrition. I recommend using toxin binders to support detoxification from environmental toxins and support your overall health.

If you want to work with a functional health coach, I recommend this article with tips on how to find a great coach. On our website, we offer long-distance functional health coaching programs. For further support with your health goals, just reach out—our fantastic coaches are here to support your journey.

Full reference article is available at this link :
https://drjockers.com/toxin-binders/

As a doctor of natural medicine, I have spent the past 20 years studying the best healing strategies and worked with hundreds of coaching clients, helping them overcome chronic health conditions and optimize their overall health.

In our Inflammation Crushing Ebundle, I have put together my very best strategies to reduce inflammation and optimize your healing potential.  Take a look at what you will get inside these valuable guides below

• FDA DisclaimerThe information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other medical body. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Information is shared for educational purposes only. Learn More
• Affliliate DisclosureIn compliance with the FTC guidelines, please assume the following about links and posts on this site: Many of the links on DrJockers.com are affiliate links of which I receive a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. If I post an affiliate link to a product, it is something that I personally use, support and would recommend without an affiliate link. Learn More
• Privacy PolicyPlease read the Privacy Policy carefully before you start to use DrJockers.com. By using DrJockers.com or by clicking to accept or agree to Terms of Use when this option is made available to you, you accept and agree to be bound and abide by the Privacy Policy. Learn More