View source for Detoxification

{{Short description|Removal of toxic substances from an organism}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Other uses}}
{{More citations needed|find=Detoxification |date=December 2023}}
'''Detoxification''' or '''detoxication''' ('''detox''' for short)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/detoxification |title=detoxification - definition of detoxification by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia |publisher=Thefreedictionary.com |access-date=2013-04-21}}</ref> is the physiological or medicinal removal of [[toxic]] substances from a living [[organism]], including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. Additionally, it can refer to the period of [[drug withdrawal]] during which an organism returns to [[homeostasis]] after long-term use of an addictive substance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/detoxify |title=detoxify - definition of detoxify in the Medical dictionary - by the Free Online Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia |publisher=Medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com |access-date=2013-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uic.edu/sph/glakes/kids/case1/tox_primer.htm |title=Toxicology Primer |publisher=UIC |access-date=2013-04-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031083314/http://www.uic.edu/sph/glakes/kids/case1/tox_primer.htm |archive-date=2013-10-31 }}</ref> In [[medicine]], detoxification can be achieved by [[Poison#Decontamination|decontamination of poison ingestion]] and the use of [[antidote]]s as well as techniques such as [[Kidney dialysis|dialysis]] and (in a limited number of cases) [[chelation therapy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birds.cornell.edu/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1508 |title=Get the Lead Out - Autumn 2009 Living Bird |date=15 October 2009 |publisher=Birds.cornell.edu |access-date=2013-04-21}}</ref>

Many [[alternative medicine]] practitioners promote various types of detoxification such as [[Detoxification (alternative medicine)|detoxification diets]]. [[Sense about Science]], a UK-based charitable trust, determined that most such dietary "detox" claims lack any supporting evidence.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4576574.stm|title=Scientists dismiss detox schemes|date=3 January 2006|access-date=26 July 2016|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/no-proof-so-called-detox-products-work-scientists-1.357496 |title=No proof so-called detox products work: scientists |date=January 5, 2009 |website=[[CTV News]] |access-date=25 December 2023}}</ref>{{obsolete source|date=May 2024}}{{third party inline|date=May 2024}}

The liver and kidney are naturally capable of detox, as are intracellular (specifically, inner membrane of mitochondria or in the endoplasmic reticulum of cells) proteins such as [[Cytochrome P450|CYP enzymes]]. In cases of [[kidney failure]], the action of the kidneys is mimicked by [[Kidney dialysis|dialysis]]; [[Kidney transplantation|kidney]] and [[Liver transplantation|liver transplants]] are also used for kidney and liver failure, respectively.

==Types==

===Metal detoxification===
{{main|Heavy metal detoxification}}
{{Further|Chelation therapy}}
{{excerpt|Heavy metal detoxification}}

===Alcohol detoxification===
{{Main|Alcohol detoxification}}
Alcohol detoxification is a process by which a heavy drinker's system is brought back to normal after being [[habituation|habituated]] to having alcohol in the body continuously for an extended period of substance abuse. Serious alcohol addiction results in a downregulation of [[GABA]] [[neurotransmitter]] receptors. Precipitous [[alcohol withdrawal|withdrawal]] from long-term alcohol addiction without medical management can cause severe health problems and can be fatal. Alcohol detox is not a treatment for [[alcoholism]]. After detoxification, other treatments must be undertaken to deal with the underlying addiction that caused alcohol use.

===Drug detoxification===
{{Main|Drug detoxification}}
Clinicians use drug detoxification to reduce or relieve [[Drug withdrawal|withdrawal]] symptoms while helping an addicted person adjust to living without drug use. Drug detoxification does not aim to treat addiction but rather represents an early step within long-term treatment. Detoxification may be achieved drug-free or may use medications as an aspect of treatment. Often drug detoxification and treatment will occur in a community program that lasts several months and takes place in a residential setting rather than in a medical center.

Drug detoxification varies depending on the location of treatment, but most detox centers provide treatment to avoid the symptoms of physical withdrawal from alcohol and from other drugs. Most also incorporate [[counseling]] and therapy during detox to help with the consequences of withdrawal.

===Metabolic detoxification===
An animal's [[metabolism]] can produce harmful substances which it can then make less toxic through [[Organic redox reaction|reduction]], [[oxidation]] (collectively known as [[redox]] reactions), [[xenobiotic conjugation|conjugation]] and [[excretion]] of molecules from cells or tissues.<ref name="mdcom.qc.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.mdcom.qc.ca/ |title=Detox |access-date=2009-07-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804171000/http://www.mdcom.qc.ca/ |archive-date=2009-08-04 }}</ref> This is called [[xenobiotic metabolism]].<ref name="amigo.geneontology.org">{{cite web|author=xenobiotic metabolic process |url=http://amigo.geneontology.org/cgi-bin/amigo/term-details.cgi?term=GO:0006805&session_id=6158amigo1247950855 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725080140/http://amigo.geneontology.org/cgi-bin/amigo/term-details.cgi?term=GO:0006805&session_id=6158amigo1247950855 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-07-25 |title=AmiGO: xenobiotic metabolic process Details |publisher=Amigo.geneontology.org |date=2013-04-13 |access-date=2013-04-21 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080109235956/http://www.usd.edu/med/som/somdept/biochem/courses/bioc520/b520_60.htm L-60: Xenobiotic Metabolism] (archived version).</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://zoology.muohio.edu/oris/ZOO462/notes/03_462.html |title=Metabolism of Xenobiotics |publisher=Zoology.muohio.edu |access-date=2013-04-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601201828/http://zoology.muohio.edu/oris/ZOO462/notes/03_462.html |archive-date=2013-06-01 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080724032850/http://www.oxfordbiomed.com/commerce/ccc2433-xenobiotic-metabolism.htm Xenobiotic Metabolism-Oxford Biomedical Research Inc] (archived version).</ref> Enzymes that are important in detoxification metabolism include [[cytochrome P450|cytochrome P450 oxidase]]s,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Danielson P |title=The cytochrome P450 superfamily: biochemistry, evolution and drug metabolism in humans |journal=Curr Drug Metab |volume=3 |issue=6 |pages=561–97 |year=2002 |pmid=12369887 |doi=10.2174/1389200023337054}}</ref> [[Glucuronosyltransferase|UDP-glucuronosyltransferases]],<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=King C, Rios G, Green M, Tephly T |title=UDP-glucuronosyltransferases |journal=Curr Drug Metab |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=143–61 |year=2000 |pmid=11465080 |doi=10.2174/1389200003339171}}</ref> and [[glutathione S-transferase|glutathione ''S''-transferase]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Sheehan D, Meade G, Foley V, Dowd C |title=Structure, function and evolution of glutathione transferases: implications for classification of non-mammalian members of an ancient enzyme superfamily |journal=Biochem J |volume=360 |issue=Pt 1 |pages=1–16 |year=2001 |pmid=11695986 |doi=10.1042/0264-6021:3600001 |pmc=1222196}}</ref> These processes are particularly well-studied as part of [[drug metabolism]], as they influence the [[pharmacokinetics]] of a drug in the body.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ionsource.com/tutorial/metabolism/met_slide5.htm |title=Small Molecule Drug Metabolism |publisher=Ionsource.com |date=2012-09-01 |access-date=2013-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tpx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/1_suppl/161 |title=Comparison of the Levels of Enzymes Involved in Drug Metabolism between Transgenic or Gene-knockout and the Parental Mice |publisher=Tpx.sagepub.com |date=2001-01-01 |access-date=2013-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=D M Dulik|author2=C Fenselau|name-list-style=amp |url=http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/abstract/2/7/2235?ck=nck |title=Use of immobilized enzymes in drug metabolism studies |journal=FASEB Journal  |date=1988-04-01 |volume=2|issue=7|pages=2235–40|doi=10.1096/fasebj.2.7.3127263|doi-access=free |pmid=3127263|s2cid=27415918 |access-date=2013-04-21|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== Alternative medicine ==
{{Main|Detoxification (alternative medicine)}}
Certain approaches in [[alternative medicine]] claim to remove alleged "toxins" from the body through herbal, electrical, electromagnetic or other treatments. These toxins may not be linked to symptoms and treatments have no scientific evidence,<ref name=sbm>{{cite web |publisher=[[Science-Based Medicine]] |url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/detox-what-they-dont-want-you-to-know |author=Scott Gravure |date=1 January 2015 |title=Detox: What 'They' Don't Want You To Know}}</ref><ref name="Mayo Clinic Website">{{cite web |title=Do detox diets offer any health benefits? |first=Katherine |last=Zeratsky |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/detox-diets/faq-20058040 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303195528/https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/detox-diets/faq-20058040 |archive-date=3 March 2022 |access-date=26 July 2016 |website=[[Mayo Clinic]]}}</ref> making the validity of such techniques questionable. There is little evidence for toxic [[bioaccumulation|accumulation]] in these cases, as the [[liver]] and [[kidney]]s automatically detoxify and excrete many toxic materials including [[Metabolism|metabolic]] wastes.<ref name="Mayo Clinic Website" /> Under this theory, if toxins are too rapidly released without being safely eliminated (such as when metabolizing fat that stores toxins), they can damage the body and cause [[malaise]]. Such alternative therapies include [[contrast shower]]s, [[detoxification foot pads]], [[oil pulling]], [[Gerson therapy]], [[snake-stone]]s, [[body cleansing]], [[Scientology]]'s and [[Narconon]]'s [[Purification Rundown]], [[water fasting]], and [[metabolic therapy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Metabolic_Therapy.asp|title=More information on complementary and alternative medicine |website=American Cancer Society|access-date=26 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602211101/http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Metabolic_Therapy.asp |archive-date=June 2, 2008}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Organisms involved in water purification]]
* [[Toxification]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Detoxification| ]]