Unfortunately, we are all living in a toxic environment, being constantly exposed to chemical-laden foods. Therefore, toxicity is almost impossible to avoid, which means that our digestive system and liver can easily become overwhelmed. We are all designed to continuously and naturally remove toxins from the body.
Toxins can be divided into two categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble toxins are easily flushed out of the body via the blood and kidneys.
On the other hand, the fat-soluble toxins are more challenging to be eliminated. However, the human body is designed to continuously and naturally remove toxins. These fat-soluble toxins include pesticides, preservatives, food additives, heavy metals, pollutants, plastics and other environmental chemicals. They need to become water-soluble in order the body to be able to eliminate them entirely.
The liver is crucial in this process. Nevertheless, if the function of the digestive and detox pathways is functioning optimal, the situation gets worse. Namely, these toxins find their way from the liver to the blood, fat cells, and brain, where they can store for years.
It is believed, however, that in the case of a balanced digestion, stress levels and detoxification pathways, the storage of these harmful toxins and chemicals in our bodies can be prevented.
To be more specific, when we digest a meal, the nutritional and toxic fats are shuffled through the stomach into the small intestine where bile secreted from the liver and gallbladder emulsifies them. There are millions of small villi and lacteals in the small intestine, which are little finger-like “grasses,” or mucus membranes.
They sweep the gut and help the absorption of nutritional fats and send the toxic fats on to the liver for processing. If this detoxification pathway is damaged, the body will not remove toxic fats, but will store them instead.
Moreover, the very beginning of the body’s lymphatic system is called the Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue (GALT), and it surrounds the entire intestinal tract. It is here, in fact, that lacteals help absorb and process both nutritional and toxic fats.
It is extremely important that the ¼ inch on the inside of the gut wall has those villi and lacteals functioning well. Also, the ¼ inch on the outside of the gut (which is that lymph tissue) must not be congested.
Then, the lymphatic system around the gut will bring all the absorbed fats back to the liver, which will use the good fats in order to make cholesterol, cell membranes, hormones, brain cells and skin. The liver processes them and marks them for elimination. In the case of a congested lymphatic system, this natural process of using good fats and eliminating bad fats can be severely harmed.
The following are the symptoms of a congested GALT affecting the lymphatic system:
Bloating
Breast swelling and tenderness during the menstrual cycle
Holding extra weight around your belly
Hypersensitivities
skin irritations or itching
Joint stiffness
Swollen hands and feet
Elimination concerns
Occasional headaches
The intestinal villi (grass-like mucus membranes) can be damaged by numerous factors, such as diet and stress, which can compromise the function of the bowels.
The intestinal villi can even dry out in the case of excessive stress, and lead to occasional constipation. A history of constipation can dry out these villi and force them to produce reactive mucus.
When the mucus is excessive, the stools could appear normal (1-3 regular bowel movements a day), but you could still be bloated, unhealthy or carrying extra belly weight.
If the mucus is even more excessive, the stools can become more frequent, looser and diarrhea-like. However, note that in the case of mucus in your stool, you should immediately address the issue. It signifies that the villi become congested and bogged down in the excess mucus.
In this case, the process of breaking down of toxins is blocked by the delivery of good fats, excretion of toxic fats, the normal immune response, and the health of the intestinal skin. Normally, the neutralization of toxins absorbed into the lymph is performed by immune-boosting white blood cells in over 500+ lymph nodes in the lymphatic system.
Yet, if the mucus is excessive, it may not happen and the toxins are directed back to the liver.
In order to prevent the toxins from defaulting back to the liver, a delicate balance of the mucus membranes of the intestinal tract should be achieved, they should not be too dry or too wet. The intestinal villi may also be compromised by some other factors, including stress, worry, processed food, coffee, soft drinks, food additives, and hyperacidity.
Moreover, the optimal bile flow from the liver is extremely important for our health, as the bile gobbles up fats and acts as the great immune system responder in the digestive tract.