At its core, the concept of detoxification is quite simple: whatever goes in, must come out, in order to maintain balance (homeostasis) in the body. For many people, this process happens without any conscious thought or intervention. For children with neurobehavioral or neurodevelopmental complications, this doesn't always happen according to plan, and detoxification must be assisted.
I liken detoxification to the way a household air filter works. If the air filter is in proper working condition and the air pollution in the room is low, the filter has no trouble maintaining a healthy environment. However, if the air filter is placed in a large room with many airborne toxins, it may not be able to keep up with the demand and may not be very effective. Imagine now that the air filter is placed in a polluted environment AND is not in optimal working order. The combination of the two is overwhelming, and the air filter eventually may not have any impact at all in keeping a healthy home.
Our bodies are made of up several "air filters," or organs of detoxification, including the respiratory system, the liver, the skin, the digestive system, and the immune system. Each of these plays an important role in reducing harmful chemicals or pathogens that can trigger inflammation in the brain, which is the primary cause of neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental symptoms.
That's it! Honestly, "detox" is just the body's process of packaging and excreting harmful substances, and it is often functioning sub optimally in our kids. This can be caused by genetic predisposition, insufficient nutrient status, infection, abnormal inflammation response, or excessive exposure to toxicants.
The basics of detox are simple:
- Diet
- Stooling
- Exercise
- Sleep
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Support
DIET
Emphasize whole foods that are organic and unprocessed. Prioritize a variety of the following:
- High anti-oxidant foods such as berries, artichokes, kale, spinach, beets, dandelion greens, red cabbage, and dark chocolate
- Culinary herbs and spices like ginger, garlic, cilantro, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.
- Cruciferous vegetables including kale, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts etc.
- High fiber foods like nuts and beans
- Grass-fed organic meats and wild-caught fish
- Filtered water; a general guideline suggests consuming half your body weight in ounces (e.g., 150-lb adult should consume roughly 75 ounces of water per day)
- Remove sugars, additives, and preservatives
- Avoid specific food sensitivities
Not convinced? Give it five days. A 2006 study found that five days of "eating clean" reduced the mean urinary excretion of organophosphorus pesticides to nondetectable limits (Lu et al, 2006)!
STOOLING
I always recommend to my patients that they have at least one bowel movement per day, of sufficient
quantity. Ideally, it’s even better to have a bowel movement after every meal! However, I understand that achieving this can be challenging, especially in children in general, and particularly with children who have neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders. Its’ worth noting that even if you’re having a daily bowel movement, you can still be constipated. Look out for these signs of constipation in children:
- Hard, small, pellet/ball-like stools
- Encopresis (soiling of underwear when past the age of toilet training)
- Posturing on hard surfaces at abdominal area
If your child is presenting with aggression or self-injurious behavior, it is likely gut-related, and we
need to investigate constipation and other potential causes of gastrointestinal dysbiosis.
My preferred methods for addressing constipation include:
- Increasing fiber in diet (e.g., whole grains, vegetables, fruits, etc.)
- Increasing fluids – at least half their body weight in ounces daily
- Probiotics
- Magnesium Citrate or Magnesium Oxide
- Certified organic aloe vera
- Vitamin C
Additional strategies to try include:
- Sucking on a lollipop or homemade ice pop, as sucking can help with peristaltic movements to stimulate bowel movements
- Consistently having your child sit on the toilet at the same time each day for 10-15 minutes
- Using a Squatty Potty
- Qi Gong Massage
- Rub abdomen in counterclockwise direction fast, 9 times
- Rub abdomen in clockwise direction slowly, 9 times
- Rub abdomen in counterclockwise direction fast, 9 times
- Pat down their legs from thighs to toes
- Gently squeezing and massaging from calf to ankle behind the legs
Additionally, consult your healthcare team about incorporating antimicrobials if gut dysbiosis, such as yeast overgrowth, clostridia, or parasites, is a concern.
EXERCISE
Exercise remains one of the most underutilized treatments for chronic illness across all age groups! While opinions on the best way to exercise approaches may vary between practitioners, but my simple rule of thumb is to aim for a level of activity that induces sweating. I recommend engaging in at least 30 minutes of continuous exercise several times per week, but shorter sessions with higher intensity alternating between exercise and rest can also be effective.
Some of my preferred exercises for children with sensory processing issues, neurobehavorial, and neurodevelopmental disorders include:
- Jumping on a trampoline
- Bouncing on a stability ball
- A gentle game of “tag”
Exercise helps maintain excellent digestion and sleep cycles but also offers additional benefits such as
improving motor skills, social skills, and overall health (Toscano et al, 2018). In addition, regular exercise can decrease autistic traits such as stereotypy (Ferreira et al, 2018 and Petrus et al, 2008)!
SLEEP
Sleep is critical role in the brain’s detoxification process. During sleep, our bodies efficiently clear
byproducts of neural activity that accumulate throughout the day. This remarkable process is facilitated by the glymphatic system in our brains, which works to remove toxins and waste products. Interestingly, our glymphatic system is approximately ten times more active during sleep than when we are awake, underscoring the importance of sleep as a key method for brain detoxification. As we sleep, our brains undergo physical changes that enhance the glymphatic system’s efficiency. Brain cells shrink by 60%, increasing the spaces between them, thereby facilitating the flushing away of toxins more effectively (Xie et al, 2013).
Here are some tips to improve the quality of your sleep:
- Establish a nighttime routine with a consistent bedtime.
- Avoid using electronics at least one hour before bed
- Block out blue light from all electrical devices
- Utilize phone features such as the "night shift" setting and blue light blocking apps
- Try blue light blocking glasses
- Consider turning off WiFi in the house at night
- Evaluate your home for electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
- Dim lights around 60 minutes before bed
- Ensure the bedroom is completely dark at bedtime
- Maintain a cool temperature in the bedroom
- Consult your healthcare team about the potential benefits of melatonin or various herbal supports to aid with sleep
SUPPORT
Sometimes, the body could benefit from additional detoxification support in the form of supplementation. This is particularly true for those who have genetic mutations, such as MTHFR, which can interfere with the body’s ability to produce sufficient amounts of glutathione. Therefore, supplementation can be beneficial.
Here are some supplements to support detoxification:
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L-5-MTHF (5-methyltetrahydrofolate) is folate in its bioidentical and bioactive form. Folate plays a crucial role in cell division, growth, detoxification, and homocysteine metabolism. L-5-MTHF stands out as superior to folic acid, particularly in maintaining optimal serum folate levels, especially among individuals with specific genetic mutations.
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Glutathione is one of the most powerful antioxidants produced by the body. It helps protect cells against oxidative stress from dietary and environmental free radicals, and those resulting from normal metabolic processes. Glutathione protects vulnerable DNA from damage, while also serving as a key factor in proper detoxification. Liposomal delivery is uniquely effective for reaching and interacting with target tissues making it superior to oral supplementation of glutathione.
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N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) is an amino acid that is a precursor to glutathione, the body’s most powerful antioxidant, which helps support optimal liver detoxification, lung health, antioxidant status, and muscle recovery. NAC is also beneficial to help protect against normal exposure to heavy metals. In addition, NAC is helpful for OCD support.
- Binders help support the body’s normal clearance of microbes, environmental toxins, biotoxins, and heavy metals. It also may help support elimination pathways and healthy detoxification in the gastrointestinal tract.