The recognizable homily, "A stitch in time saves nine" really applies to gastrointestinal (GI) binders. GI binders latch on to toxic toxins and chemicals, rendering them inactive and allowing us to excrete them safely. In the simple act of binding toxins, they are a powerful aid to our detoxification system, not only in the level of the gut, but also in the kidneys and liver, and in a cellular level inside all our cells.
Though we know the importance of gut health, many are unaware of the mechanisms by which gut health affects detoxification. Toxins, including heavy metals and pesticides or herbicides, are irritating to the mucosal lining of the GI tract and result in inflammation.1,2,3,4 An inflamed gut lining soon becomes "leaky"--allowing bacterial toxins seep into the bloodstream, where they excite our body's inflammatory response.5,6 Bacterial endotoxins, and the cascade of inflammatory cytokines they activate, can also damage the liver and gut, further impairing detoxification.7,8 Exposure to endotoxin also has an effect on detoxification directly, downregulating critical Phase III transporters, the pumps which serve to transport toxins out of our cells and body -- causing us to become even more toxic.9,10 Endotoxin and the associated inflammation also results in glutathione depletion, which contributes to even more damage since we are no longer are able to transport toxins from the cells or protect them from the increased oxidative stress and damage.11,12 What a vicious cycle!
But GI binders can offset all that. Tried and true organic binders like activated charcoal and clay have been used for thousands of years as remedies for stomach upset, minor food poisoning, and to promote intestinal cleansing.13 Binders are really a powerful tool in our healing armamentarium, for they can detain this spiral of inflammation and impaired detoxification until it begins. They are a fundamental first step to fixing our detoxification channels - supporting our ability to excrete toxins and so restoring our own detoxification systems.
Not all binders are created equal. Discover more on this affiliated portfolio - Click here: acr regen. There isn't any universal toxin binder which has an equal affinity for all toxins--bacterial, heavy metal, mold and more. Identify further on our affiliated encyclopedia - Hit this link: liposomal site. We could line up a pharmacopeia of binders on our kitchen countertop, but which would we choose, and when? A comprehensive blend of GI binders, carefully selected to provide effective coverage for a selection of common toxins and poisonous heavy metals, is a simple and effective approach. Because binders, like charcoal, on their own can result in constipation, it may be useful to improve them with additional elements which help bulk up the stool, soothe the intestinal lining, and support the balance of healthy gastrointestinal flora for normal motility and function. Here follows a brief list of gentle but powerful binders that together offer unparalleled synergy and potency.
*Activated Charcoal. The use of activated charcoal to bind toxins dates back to the 1800s. In 1831, a French doctor took a lethal dose of the poison strychnine, standing before the French Academy of Medicine, and suffered no ill effects since he also consumed charcoal in the same time.14 Since that time, the adsorbing capability and clinical advantages of charcoal have been well described.15 Activated charcoal effectively adsorbs pesticides and herbicides,16 mold toxins,17 endotoxin,18 and more.
In addition to its adsorptive properties, charcoal has demonstrated benefits during infections where a person's strong inflammatory response to a pathogen is potentially damaging. Charcoal was shown to adsorb and remove the inflammatory molecules associated with the immune response (such as interleukins and tumor necrosis factor) that are primary contributors to cellular damage.19 Research indicates it may be useful as an adjunctive treatment for this reason in settings of disease.20
*Bentonite Clay. Bentonite clay is also known as Montmorillonite clay, for the area in France where it was first found.21 The use of healing clays dates back to ancient civilizations in the Andes, who carried balls of clay for consuming at will, to protect against toxins and toxins.22 Bentonite clay readily absorbs liquids and their toxins also, expanding in quantity. Bentonite clay is particularly good at absorbing aflatoxin, a mold toxin often found in peanuts and on some grains,23 pesticides and herbicides,24 and cyanotoxins, found in lakes polluted by harmful algal blooms.25 Bentonite clay also has intrinsic broad-spectrum antibacterial properties and has a curative effect on the gastrointestinal lining.26
*Chitosan. Learn further on our affiliated article by navigating to health products. Derived from shellfish, chitosan is caused by enzymatic treatment of chitin, a component of the shell. Chitin has been utilized since ancient times, and these instructions can be found in a publication of medicine dating back to the Ming Dynasty: "Break a crab shell, grind it, make a ball out of it and eat it to treat whatever swells or grows." 27 Chitosan consists of long-chain sugars known as oligosaccharides and has a prebiotic effect, promoting the development of friendly Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus gastrointestinal flora.28 Chitosan can bind to the bile salts that emulsify fat, and thus serves to reduce fat absorption.29 More importantly where detox is concerned, it also binds and eliminates the conjugated toxins present in bile salts. Chitosan binds to a lot of metals in addition to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates, and bisphenol A (BPA), compounds with many known adverse effects on health that we are widely exposed to in the environment.30,31,32,33 Like bentonite clay, chitosan may be a helpful approach to bacterial infection also, inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in 1 research.34 Chitosan has been shown to have some protective effects against mercury-induced genotoxicity.35
*IMD. The Intestinal Metals Detox (IMD) is a proprietary product which consists of highly purified silica with covalently attached thiolic metal-binding groups. This proprietary thiol-functionalized silica delivers insoluble thiol groups to bind and remove mercury and other heavy metals accumulated in the intestines, also directly quenching free-radicals. Both the silica base as well as the binding agents out-compete other chemicals for metals in the intestines. IMD does not enter the bloodstream, and thus it will not lead to redistribution or surges of mobilized metals that may potentially lead to kidney/liver overload.
The use of thiolated resins dates back to the 1970s when they were used to address methylmercury (MeHg) poisoning in Iraq, and were found to significantly lower the half-life of MeHg from 61 to 20 days, performing better than penicillamine, a medical metal chelating agent.36,37 IMD intercepts MeHg and other metals trapped in enterohepatic circulation, binding them and escorting them out of the intestines.38 By doing this, this allows organ and tissue bound mercury to safely drain in the blood at a natural speed.
*Aloe and Acacia Gum. Both aloe and acacia gum are healing and soothing to the gastrointestinal tract, and may offset the constipation which can sometimes occur with the use of GI binders. Acacia gum comprises water-soluble dietary fibers which have a prebiotic effect, stimulating the growth of favorable Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bacteria in the gut, as well as improving levels of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid with anti-inflammatory effects which also helps to reduce intestinal permeability.39,40 Bifidobacteria support the reduction of the damaging endotoxin, and normalize gut function, reducing irritation and inflammation.41,42 Acacia gum also has antioxidant and free-radical scavenging action.43 As a prebiotic fiber it is well tolerated at high doses with less symptoms than other prebiotics like fructooligosaccharide (FOS).
Aloe vera is best known for the calming effect it has, commonly being found around many households and used topically for mild burns to the skin. The topical soothing properties are not only experienced by the skin, and it has a long history of usage for various gastrointestinal conditions associated with inflammation: peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.44,45,46 Aloe vera gel has been shown to have immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory consequences, which might support healing in a number of settings.47,48,49.