More common toxicity symptoms include headache, fatigue, mucus problems, aches and pains, digestive problems, "allergy" symptoms, and sensitivity to environmental agents such as chemicals, perfumes, and synthetics. People who experience these and others on the list may benefit from diet changes or avoidance of the drug or agent that may be influencing the symptom. What Is Detoxification?

Detoxification is the process of clearing toxins from the body or neutralizing or transforming them, and clearing excess mucus and congestion. Many of these toxins come from our diet, drug use, and environmental exposure, both acute and chronic. Internally, fats, especially oxidized fats and cholesterol, free radicals, and other irritating molecules act as toxins. Functionally, poor digestion, colon sluggishness and dysfunction, reduced liver function, and poor elimination through the kidneys, respiratory tract, and skin all add to increased toxicity.

The Solution

This dysfunction can underlie many apparently unrelated conditions including gastritis, peptic ulcer, colon cancer, diverticulosis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, constipation, bloating, flatulence, irritable bowel syndrome, nutrient malabsorption and esophageal reflux.

Over a lifetime, the average person ingests more than 25 tons of food that provide the nutrients each of us need to survive; however, this food may also contain damaging bacteria, viruses and toxins. The GI mucosal layer, whose surface covers more than 320 square meters, has the unique role of providing protection to the body and allowing in only health-promoting nutrients, molecules, and other substances. In the perfect scenario, only the beneficial nutrients and phytonutrients are absorbed into the body, while non-beneficial substances are excreted without interacting with the host cells.

Not only are some bad molecules absorbed by our systems but many of the good molecules aren’t. Digestion and absorption of nutrients from food is an extremely complex process requiring a multitude of specialized enzymes and other processes. A lack of any of the digestive enzymes or mucosa can seriously impair the health of our entire system, not only because of their effect on nutrition, but also because the digestive process provides a protective function.

Yet there’s a solution. A systematic approach to managing GI dysfunction and individualizing therapies and restoration has been developed. Referred to as the 4R GI restoration program, “Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Regenerate,” this approach provides a framework in which to focus clinical assessment and intervention, all of which leads to better health.