Detox diets and detoxification programs are appealing to health buffs, as it gives a promise of ridding the body not only of toxins but also of carcinogens. We should be aware that while we are looking for ways to prevent cancer from happening to our body, scientific studies have shown that half of the cancers that were prevented were results of healthy lifestyles.
Many promoters of detox supplements throw in other benefits produced by body cleansing, such as weight loss, reduced inflammation, better digestion better digestion, increased energy, and reduced inflammation. However according to doctors and science experts, detoxifying the body is not always a necessity because the body has its own system of removing toxins from the body.
A leading liver specialist and liver cancer surgeon who goes by the name of Dr. Thomas Aloia, explains that the liver functions as the body’s detoxification machine. It’s the organ that keeps us alive by removing the toxins from the substances we take eat, ingest or breathe.
The Meaning of Detoxification in the Medical World
In the medical world, discussions about detox typically refer to the act of removing a toxic substance by way of a detox treatment program that also involves managing the withdrawal symptoms brought about by the detoxification processes.
What Exactly is a Detox Program?
Detoxification or cleansing is the important preliminary phase in a detoxification program that aims to work toward the rehabilitation and recovery of individuals suffering from substance abuse. Entering a detox program, let’s say in a detox center Phoenix az can be life-saving. Here, the facility offers a medication-supported treatment to help reduce the pain experienced by patients during the period of withdrawal. After completing a successful drug detoxification, the patient will then be ready to move on to a rehabilitation program and therapy, either as inpatient or outpatient.
It should be clear therefore that a patient cannot go into drug or substance abuse rehabilitation without first successfully undergoing a detoxification program. A detoxification program on the other hand, does not provide therapy for the psychological, behavioral and social problems to which the drug or substance abuse is associated, in order to achieve full and long term recovery from addiction.
Aside from the substance or substances abused, the duration of a detox program also depends on the age, gender, physical and mental health conditions of the patient.