Q. Can Green Detox help with weight loss?
A. There are several reasons why Green Detox may be particularly helpful with weight loss. Most obviously, Green Detox is a concentrated source of nutrients. During periods of caloric restriction and increased energy expenditure (i.e., exercise), concentrated sources of nutrients can supply for the body's micronutrient needs without supplying additional calories.
As it contains sea vegetables, Green Detox is a particularly rich source of iodine and other trace minerals. Iodine is a necessary nutrient for proper thyroid function and healthy metabolism*, but the detoxifying properties of Green Detox may also play a role in supporting proper thyroid function, metabolism, and weight loss*.
Many environmental chemicals happen to be fat–soluble, and are largely stored in our bodies' adipose (fatty) tissue. Because adipose tissue is relatively metabolically inactive, storage of metabolism–disrupting toxins in fat cells may be our bodies' way of protecting valuable metabolic machinery from disruption via these toxins. And, because of their ubiquity and resistance to degredation, it's safe to say that nearly every man, woman, and child in the industrialized world has some degree of toxic burden from these environmental chemicals.
Studies have found that weight loss (i.e., losing bodyfat) causes large amounts of these stored pesticides and other fat–soluble environmental toxins to be released from storage in adipose tissue and into the bloodstream where they can then do great damage:
Quote from the above study:
Organochlorine pollutants were found in every subject and all 19 compounds detected had their plasma concentration increased following treatment (mean body weight loss 9.5 kg), 15 of which were statistically significant... Body weight loss increases plasma and subcutaneous adipose tissue concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in obese subjects. These results raise concerns about an undesired and potentially harmful side effect of weight loss in some obese patients who seem to be at greater risk of health problems than leaner subjects since they show higher organochlorine body burden.
Where the weight loss they experience is often so dramatic, people who have undergone bariatric weight loss surgery are at particular risk of harm from fat–soluble toxins stored in adipose tissue:
Quote from the above study:
This weight loss yielded significant increases in total plasma organochlorine concentration (increase of 23.8% for obese and 51.8% for morbidly obese individuals). For morbidly obese individuals, the weight loss at 1 year after surgery (46.3%) yielded a 388.2% increase in total plasma organochlorine concentration.
The thyroid gland (and the cellular function of thyroid hormone) is particularly inhibited by organochlorines and related chemicals. If these chemicals flood the bloodstream during weight loss, it's easy to see how this toxic burden could impair the metabolism, and may quickly bring weight loss to a screeching halt. Studies have found that this does, indeed, happen during periods of weight loss:
Quote from the above study:
Organochlorine compounds are released from body fat into the bloodstream during weight loss. Because these compounds may impair thyroid status, which is implicated in the control of resting metabolic rate (RMR), the aim of this study was to determine if the augmentation in plasma organochlorine concentrations might be associated with the decrease in serum T3 concentration and RMR observed in response to body weight loss... In conclusion, organochlorines released in plasma during weight loss are associated with the documented decrease in serum T3 concentration and RMR.
It's well–known that those who diet often reach a "plateau" where metabolism slows down and weight loss stops regardless of dieting efforts. It has often been thought that reduced caloric intake is solely responsible for this metabolic slowdown, but the above research provides strong evidence that it may be the toxic burden released during fat loss which is also largely responsible.
To ensure that the fat–burning machinery of the metabolism continues to run smoothly, dieting and exercise efforts should always be accompanied by practices – such as supplementation with Green Detox – which facilitate the body's detoxification of organochlorines and other fat–soluble toxins.*
Yet another way in which Green Detox may be able to support weight loss is by supporting beneficial bacterial populations in the intestines. Emerging research gives reason to believe that the bacterial composition of the intestines has far–reaching effects on overall health.
Generally speaking, dietary fiber is composed of indigestible starch from plant foods. It's well–known that fiber can support digestive health and regularity, but until recently, even scientists themselves hadn't realized that dietary fiber is capable of impacting literally every aspect of health.
Dietary fibers are composed of different types of sugars with widely varying molecular arrangements. While all dietary fiber is indigestible to humans, different types of fiber act as fuel sources to "feed" and support the growth of different species of bacteria in the intestines.
Fibers which support the growth of certain strains of beneficial bacteria in the intestines have been dubbed prebiotics, and have been the subject of intensive study in recent years. Seaweeds happen to contain unique prebiotic fibers and polysaccharides not found in any land–based plant food:
Study Link – Prebiotics from Marine Macroalgae for Human and Animal Health Applications.
A healthy bacterial environment in the intestines has been linked to a reduced risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome, appetite reduction, and even positive changes in mood–related symptoms. As the research unfolds, it's becoming clear that dietary fiber is far more than just the "roughage" that sweeps out our insides.
Studies have found a fascinating relationship between intestinal bacterial populations and obesity. Certain types of intestinal bacteria – found in obese individuals, but not in their lean counterparts – may be particularly efficient at extracting food calories and facilitating their storage in adipose tissue. In addition, intestinal bacteria uniquely associated with obesity may trigger the systemic inflammation and fatty liver associated with elevated blood lipids and metabolic syndrome:
Study Link – Gut Microbiota and Its Possible Relationship With Obesity.
Quote from the above study:
...the gut bacterial flora of obese mice and humans include fewer Bacteroidetes and correspondingly more Firmicutes than that of their lean counterparts, suggesting that differences in caloric extraction of ingested food substances may be due to the composition of the gut microbiota. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide derived from the intestinal microbiota may act as a triggering factor linking inflammation to high–fat diet–induced metabolic syndrome... Existing evidence warrants further investigation of the microbial ecology of the human gut and points to modification of the gut microbiota as one means to treat people who are overweight or obese.
People in seaweed–eating cultures have been found to harbor a unique intestinal microbiota which evolved to feed on the polysaccharides in seaweed:
It's likely no coincidence, therefore, that cultures consuming seaweeds as major dietary staples (Asian cultures, for example) are often known for their health, longevity and relative freedom from obesity and related disorders.
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