This post will answer the question what is a toxin as well as define the two types. It also explains how toxins affect your body and mind and steps you can take to detox your liver. But let's start by defining what a toxin is?
The following is a medical or scientific definition that answers the question what is a toxin?:
What is a Toxin?
Toxin – noun – “A toxin is a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of inducing antibody formation.”
Professor Tom Brenna studies biomedicine and nutrition at Cornell University’s College. To make it simpler to understand that extended definition, he says to just remember this – “toxin = poison.”
Your digestive system and liver do the best they can to process the toxins (your liver's job is to be the housekeeper of the body.) If your liver is functioning well, they may pass through your system unnoticed. But, when too many toxic substances accumulate in the body, your health is compromised.
Two Types of Toxins
1. Environmental Toxins
The first type of toxin is environmental. They come from pesticides, chemical fertilizers, preservatives, additives and GMO foods.
They enter your body from the food you eat, in the air, you breathe, liquids you drink and even through your skin.
The problem in today's chemical-filled world is that there are hundreds of environmental toxins you may come into contact with on a daily basis.
2. Ama
The second type of toxin is a waste product of poor digestion. This type of toxin known in Ayurveda as Ama is a sticky toxic byproduct of poor or incomplete digestion.
So, if you eat foods that are too heavy to digest, like fried foods, hard cheese, meats, processed foods, and junk food… These types of foods can overload your digestion and cause toxic ama to form.
Once toxins are present in the body, disease symptoms usually follow… Which is why detoxing is vital if you want to avoid chronic diseases.
You can find a deep review of Ayurvedic detox here.
What are signs & symptoms your liver may be toxic?
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You are constantly sick. This is due to an immune system that is not functioning correctly, which can lead to any sickness or disease
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Chronic fatigue
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Chronic itching and redness or puffiness in your eyes
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Type II diabetes and prediabetes
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A yellow tint to your eyes, evidence of jaundice
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You are angry and emotional for no reason
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Chronic skin conditions. Your skin may feel itchy frequently, or you display brown spots and blemishes
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Heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as unpredictable mood changes
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Eczema, acne, the visible appearance of blood vessels on your face and a yellowish tint to your skin
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Irritable bowel syndrome, vomiting, indigestion, acid reflux, and hemorrhoids
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The palms of your hands and the soles of your feet are itchy
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A slow metabolism, leading to weight gain
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A swollen abdomen
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A foul body odor that won't go away
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Stiff joints
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A coated tongue
So learn how to detox your liver in this handy guide.
How toxins affect the human body?
When your body cannot cleanse itself naturally of these harmful stressors, you can suffer mild to severe health conditions.
Heart disease and acne, hair loss and obesity, premature aging, chronic fatigue and neurological problems like Alzheimer's disease and dementia are just a few of the many health conditions which can be caused by toxins.
Inflammation is the real cause of all diseases
How ever a toxin enters your body, your immune system's first response is to get rid of that poison. This may happen through the passing of urine or feces, sweat, saliva, and even earwax.
What happens if a toxic substance gets past your immune system's first line of defense?
If your doctor has ever diagnosed you with some “itis” condition, you are experiencing inflammation. The suffix “itis” is defined as “the inflammation of”. So colitis is another way of identifying inflammation of the colon, and tonsillitis occurs when your tonsils are inflamed.
What is inflammation and why is it such a problem?
Doctors will tell you that inflammation affects every aspect of your health. It's linked to heart disease and cancer and has even thought to be the primary force behind the visible signs of aging.
Inflammation is your body's response to toxins and stress. When you catch a cold, your body responds by creating inflammation in the form of a fever. Your body heats up to remove the effects of the invading virus which caused your cold.
When your body continues to experience inflammation because your liver is overworked with too many toxic substances, you become more at risk for contracting diseases, infections, sickness, and illness.
How dangerous is inflammation really?
It is directly related to a myriad of health problems and conditions.
What are the risks and dangers of inflammation?
Inflammation can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes. Chronic pain and arthritis, cancer and acid reflux, osteoporosis and urinary tract infections are also symptoms of inflammation.
Inflammation can cause skin conditions which make you look years older than you are. If you have tried but failed to lose weight, participating in every diet plan that comes along, inflammation may be the problem. From head to toe, inside and out, human beings suffer a wide variety of diseases, infections, and sickness linked to inflammation.
One of the major causes of inflammation is a toxic liver. As I mentioned above, your liver is in charge of removing toxins from your body. When more toxins are entering your body than your liver can process, you could benefit from a healthy liver cleanse.
A toxic liver making you angry
Did you know your liver is connected to your anger level? When you are angry, for whatever reason, you cause inflammation in the liver. And when your liver is toxic, you will find yourself getting angry very easily.
Some people experience emotional instability and outbursts of anger for years or even decades. They think that this is “just who they are.”
They have a hard time controlling their emotions, good and bad, and this causes a lot of stress and feelings of self-hatred. This pressure then causes the liver, even more, damage, and an unhealthy cycle of chronic anger and a sick mind and body develop.
The person thinks, “Why can't I control my emotions?” They may seek the advice of doctors and psychiatrists when all the time all they need is to reset their liver to a healthy state.
If you have noticed you get angry easily; it may be that your liver is trying to protect you. When you take in too many toxins, your liver stores them to keep them from entering your blood. Enough of a poisonous build-up in your liver, and you find it hard to stay calm and collected when stress hits.
This can lead to failed relationships and careers, and a lifelong feeling that you have no control over your emotions.
Don't let this persist, especially when a healthy and straightforward liver detox can give you back control of your emotions.
Detox your liver to look years younger
Your skin is one of the first places you'll see evidence of a toxic liver. Also, your hair will show the effects of a poisoned liver.
Inflammation can cause you to look much older than you are!
When you look in the mirror, you may see skin that is wrinkled, saggy, and flecked with brown spots. So you rush to buy topical solutions and see little results because no amount of miracle skincare produces can fix premature aging caused by a toxic liver.
Treat the cause, not the symptom
When you detox your liver, your skin and hair become healthy and strong as well. Your hair regains its sheen and volume, and your skin is soft, toned and radiant. Noticeable improvements in skin and hair health are some of the first recognizable benefits of a liver detox.
Honor yourself with a natural liver cleanse, and you can expect to see the benefits of a healthy liver that can turn back the clock, making you look and feel years younger.
Your weight gain might just be a toxic liver
Your weight gain might just be a toxic liver. I mentioned it above, but I want to emphasize it again:
Not ever before have we been vulnerable to so many toxic, poisonous, dangerous chemicals as we are today.
Many weight loss experts, physicians, and health professionals believe that this is why we're more overweight and obese today than at any other time in history.
Your liver is trying it's best to rid your body of toxins, but it just can't keep up with the regular exposure to poisons and harmful chemicals and substances.
This could be the reason you've tried so hard to lose weight in the past but have failed. It is not because you are lazy or have a lack of willpower. It is because your body just doesn't understand how to get thinner.
Your liver is key to excellent digestion. When it's not working correctly, you do not digest well. A stressed-out liver causes fat to build up, especially around the stomach. You also experience inflammation that associated with being overweight.
A healthy liver also leads to a healthy metabolism, meaning that as your liver becomes more toxic, your ability to process food and fat weakens.
You start storing fat rather than burning it, which could lead to unhealthy and unattractive weight gain even if you eat smart and exercise.
The Benefits of a Liver Detox
No doubt the most significant benefit of a healthy liver detox has to do with self-awareness and how you feel about yourself. You'll realize that there's a clear and accessible answer to so many physical and mental health problems – cleaning your liver. You start to look and feel better, and your self-confidence rises as your liver heals and returns to a healthy, normal state.
Your risk of developing chronic health conditions like cancer, heart disease, and Parkinson's disease fall steeply. You have way more energy and feel good in your body. Your skin and hair are strong and healthy looking, and you are no longer known as that angry person anymore.
Your vitality is boosted, your sex drive and performance benefit, and your natural ability to resist any disease, infection or sickness are strong once again.
These are the benefits of a liver cleanse. Your liver is probably the most excellent multi-tasker in your body. It has over 500 jobs to do!
Unfortunately, the air you breathe, the food and drink you consume and everything that comes into contact with your skin has the opportunity of delivering dangerous and unhealthy poisons into your body.
This can make your liver sick, which as you have already seen can lead to a nearly endless list of painful and dangerous health conditions from head to toe. A liver cleanse naturally delivers so many wonderful benefits. Why suffer needlessly when such a simple process can help you become the best and healthiest YOU possible?
Start a health-boosting liver detox today, and you could see noticeable results in as few as 24 hours!
Now try our 10 day superfood liver detox program
I read about the effects of toxins and hear people talking about them casually, but walked away still feeling uniformed. Thanks for giving me something to work with so I can understand not only what they are, how we’re exposed to them, plus how we make them.
This is the first time I heard about Ama.
I find it amazing how our emotions are directly tied to the health of our organs. Your example of the liver and anger is an eye opener.
I knew that eating certain foods are hard on our systems, but I never knew that hard cheeses fit into that category.
Thank you for explaining the details. I’m walking away feeling more informed. I’m definitely more interested in cleansing my liver so that I can be more healthy and avoid the symptoms of a toxic liver.
Hello Becky, The best thing you can do is make sure you’re digesting well. Good digestion is the key to health. Here are 10 tips: How to Improve Digestion – 10 Keys To Health If you have good digestion, you won’t have to worry about Ama. (Toxic digestion)
Thanks for connecting. I really enjoyed reading your comment.
Hey Jackie!
you offer some interesting information, and I fully agree with you that it is important to address the cause of illness, not just leave the symptoms.
How unwise it is to waff the smoke away, and leave the fire blazing away.
Toxins effect our health more than we realise. I studied toxicology with the Health Sciences Academy of London and am a fully qualified dietary detox specialist.
Did you realise that the body also creates fat JUST to stores a large number of toxins that it is unable to process, also contributing to stubborn weight?
Hi Marcie,
Yes, thanks Marcie… So happy to connect with you here. Most people who cleanse the liver end up taking off stubborn weight they’ve been carrying for sometimes many years.