Distinctive Detoxification: The Case for Including the Microbiome in Detox Strategy

Exposure to environmental toxins contributes to both acute and chronic illnesses, and is of growing concern. The importance of the microbiome to gastrointestinal (GI), as well as systemic health, has been the topic of much research recently. The microbiome influences health, and can either be a source of beneficial metabolites, or contribute to poor health. Dysbiosis, particularly in the GI tract, or oral cavity is a source of endogenously produced toxicity in the form of proinflammatory mediators-most notably lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS is cleared by the liver from enterohepatic circulation, and contributes to its workload. Bacterial overgrowth has been shown to be a contributing factor to liver disease. Further influences of the microbiome on detoxification include the Gut-Liver axis and biofilm production. Botanicals can have beneficial effects on microbial balance, favoring probiotic abundance, while addressing pathogen load. Additionally, plants offer antioxidant, biofilm disruption, antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Inclusion of botanical medicine to modulate the microbiome is a novel therapeutic target to reduce endogenously produced toxins and total toxic load.