Interviewed by Raena Morgan
Raena Morgan: Dr. Lepisto, the organs in the body are affected by toxicity—which organs in particular?
Dr. Christopher Lepisto: Right. Well, first and foremost, we’ll talk about the primary organ of detoxification and that’s the liver. So, the liver handles all the chemicals, the drugs, medications, anything that comes into the body that is not what it wants to have inside [of it].
RM: Like alcohol?
CL: Like alcohol is another good example, exactly. And, when the liver gets overwhelmed and busy it’s not able to do the other 400 functions that it normally does in the body.
RM: 400 functions!?
CL: Yes, like producing bile for digestion, like balancing the hormone levels in the body, like making cholesterol which every cell needs for normal function. It can’t do these things normally when it’s overwhelmed. And so, what we want to do in a detoxification process is to help cleanse the liver and help it to eliminate what’s already stored inside of it.
RM: And, what are some of the remedies for cleansing the liver?
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| Dandelion |
CL: Some of the classic, basic things to do are to modify the diet to a nice health promoting diet. We’ll usually tuck in a little bit of fiber to help bind toxins that do get eliminated in the gut. And, we may use some herbs like milk thistle, or artichoke or dandelion, which not only encourage elimination of toxins from the liver but also protect it, and that’s especially true in the case of milk thistle.
RM: Some of the other organs that are affected—organs of elimination?
CL: Um Hum, let’s talk about the kidneys. Heavy metals are a good example where the kidneys are responsible for the elimination. I’m talking about mercury and lead and arsenic. About 80% of heavy metals are eliminated through the kidneys, which is quite often why we start to see kidney symptoms associated with heavy metal toxicities. So, we want to promote kidney detoxification that, of course, is what we urinate out of the body in any detoxification process.
RM: And, what would be a good way to detoxify the kidneys?
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| Corn silk |
CL: First of all, we can offer some natural herbal support, things like corn silk, and hops, and there are other herbs that are natural diuretics, ones that actually help elimination of toxins by promoting urination. And, on a short term basis they’re fine and safe. We also encourage things like infra red saunas which promotes circulation and promote[s] the body’s natural ability to eliminate toxins, increasing the amount of blood flow through the kidneys so that the body can start to eliminate on its own.
RM: So, that’s a very pleasant way to do it, isn’t it?
CL: Yes, that’s right. An unpleasant way is to detoxify or to pass kidney stones.
RM: So, that’s a very pleasant way to do it, isn’t it?
CL: Yes, that’s right. An unpleasant way is to detoxify or to pass kidney stones.
RM: Okay.CL: Another way—that’s the body’s own natural method; it’s trying to eliminate what’s formed inside of it. By the way, kidney stones are merely protective; the body’s trying to eliminate excess calcium and other toxins in a way it can be eliminated from the body; it’s just that they become these very sharp agents that don’t feel good to pass.
RM: All right. Well, thank you very much Dr. Lepisto.
7 December 2007Watch Video
