In recent years, detoxing your body has become quite the health trend.
But is detoxing your body all that good for your health?
Not necessarily — especially when it comes to thyroid health.
Some approaches may place added stress on the body rather than offering support.
Why?
The ability to clear toxins depends a lot on healthy liver and thyroid function.†
When thyroid activity isn’t fully supported, your liver may not work as efficiently, which means pushing detox too hard can sometimes have the opposite effect.†
It’s a bit like trying to put out a fire with gasoline — instead of helping, it can make things more stressful for your body.
It can quickly backfire and leave you feeling worse instead of better.
That’s because certain natural detox pathways don’t always work as smoothly when your thyroid isn’t at its best.
Why Forcing Detox May Backfire on Your Thyroid Health
Toxins generally come in two forms, water soluble (able to dissolve in water) and fat soluble (able to dissolve in fats, but not water).
Water soluble toxins are easy to detoxify.
You simply excrete them through your urine.
It’s the fat soluble toxins that are tricky because they can’t be excreted quite so easily.
For fat soluble toxins, your body depends on a process called glucuronidation.
Glucuronidation is a very important detox pathway that allows your liver to take fat soluble toxins and hormones and make them water soluble by attaching glucuronic acid (an acid derived from sugar).†
This allows you to make these “fat soluble toxins” water soluble and excrete them through your urine as well.
Sounds simple right? Attach the glucuronic acid and presto!
You can now detoxify these problematic toxins.
Well, not exactly.
Research suggests that when your thyroid isn’t at its best, these detox pathways may not work as smoothly — which means your body may not process fat-soluble compounds as efficiently.†
So think about this.
If you can’t handle these toxins, what do you think happens when you attempt to force them out of your fat cells?
They may circulate back through the body, adding to the body’s burden, before being stored right back in your fat cells again.
There’s a safer approach.
Instead of forcing detox, it’s better to support your body’s natural detox pathways so they can do their job effectively.
I’ll show you some simple ways to support your detox pathways in a second.
But first, you need to understand this…
Toxins that Can Influence Thyroid Function Are Not Always What You Think
Sure, toxins are all around us.
And we’ve all become increasingly concerned about the increase in use of toxic chemicals in everything we come into contact with including, but not limited to, toxins in our:
- Water supply
- The air we breathe
- Cosmetics and beauty products
- Personal care products
- Pesticides and Herbicides
- Beds, carpets, paints, and other household items
- Plastics
- Drugs and medications
- And the list goes on and on…
There’s a lot we can do to minimize our exposure to these toxins which is always recommended as the best approach.
But not all the compounds that affect thyroid health come from the outside world.
Some are actually produced inside your own body.
The toxins I’m referring to are actually certain hormones including:
- Estrogens
- Cortisol
- Aldosterone
- And others…
While all of these hormones serve specific physiological purposes… they are designed to be quickly detoxified and NOT exist in large amounts in your body for extended periods of time.†
However, when glucuronidation doesn’t work smoothly, your body may not detoxify these hormones as efficiently.†
So, they can build up within your tissue where they can create added stress.
And then there are the natural toxins in your food.
I’m not talking about chemicals from pesticides and herbicides.
I’m talking about foods that you may be unknowingly eating every day.
Take polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) for example.
While common in many diets, research suggests they may influence natural hormone pathways and may even influence detox processes like glucuronidation.†
Over time, this can make it harder for your body to maintain balance.
(Note: Learn more about your Thyroid Hormone Pathway and how supporting it can help you support your thyroid health by clicking here.)
5 Detox Pitfalls That Could Leave You Feeling Worse
From cleanses and fasts to special detox diets, there’s no lack of recommendations and celebrity endorsements out there.
They’re almost always pushing some new and improved way to lose weight and get healthy.
The problem?
Many of these trends are not well supported by science, and they often don’t deliver the benefits people expect.
To make matters worse, most of these fad detox trends typically leave you feeling more depleted than supported.
Let’s take a look at some common examples.
1. Water Detox
The idea of forcing yourself to drink excessive amounts of water throughout the day may not be the best approach.
While it does increase urination, over-consumption can also flush out important electrolytes your body needs to stay balanced.
And when your thyroid isn’t at its best, flooding the body with extra water may add stress rather than support — sometimes leaving your cells sluggish and making it harder to maintain steady energy levels.†
The best advice is to simply listen to your body and drink based on your thirst.
2. Fiber Detox
Another common detox fad is the use of large amounts of dietary fiber to help sweep toxins out of your digestive tract.
While there is some merit to this idea, there’s one major problem.
Some forms of fiber can actually encourage less-beneficial bacteria in the gut — which may create extra digestive stress instead of support.†
That’s why gentler fiber sources, like raw carrots or bamboo shoots, are often considered more supportive, since they don’t tend to feed those bacteria.
(Note: Learn how to use a carrot a day to support your thyroid health in this article on “How to Boost Your Thyroid in 60-Seconds with a Carrot”.)
3. Vegetable Juice Detox
Vegetable juices like green drinks and carrot juice have become quite the fad as well, with many problems of their own.
Whole carrot fiber can be supportive, but carrot juice is a different story.
In concentrated amounts, carrot juice can contribute to an overload of beta-carotene, which isn’t always processed efficiently — sometimes leaving people with unwanted changes, like the tone of their skin.
Some leafy greens, like kale, also contain natural compounds (called goitrogens) that, in large amounts, may work against your thyroid balance.
And concentrated vegetable juices can also be higher in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which as mentioned previously, research suggests may interfere with thyroid hormone pathways and detox processes.
4. Exercise Detox
Another common detox trend is using intense exercise with the idea that sweating can help clear toxins.
While regular physical activity is important, pushing too hard in the name of detox may not work the way people expect.
Over-exercising can leave the body depleted and place extra stress on important systems, which may end up working against balance rather than supporting it.
When it comes to thyroid health, a more balanced approach to exercise is generally the most supportive.†
5. Fasting Detox
Much like over-exercising, fasting in its many forms, including intermittent fasting, may not be the best approach for thyroid wellness.
Going without food for long stretches can place added stress on the body and make it harder to maintain balance.
Instead of supporting thyroid health, restrictive fasting practices can sometimes work against it.†
5 Thyroid-Friendly Ways to Support Detoxification
Before you jump at the next detox fad that likely won’t live up to the hype, know that there are plenty of simple, supportive steps you can take.
Rather than forcing detox, it’s gentler — and often more helpful — to focus on supporting your body’s natural pathways.
That means not only reducing exposure where possible, but also giving your body the right nourishment to function at its best.
Here are five easy ways to do just that.
1. Support Healthy Thyroid Hormone Activity
Your liver depends on thyroid hormones to carry out many of its natural functions, including detoxification.
As mentioned, research suggests that when thyroid activity is low, certain pathways — like glucuronidation — may be less efficient.
Focusing on ways to support thyroid balance can in turn help your body’s natural detox processes work more efficiently.†
2. Be Mindful of PUFAs
As mentioned earlier, polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are common in many foods, but research suggests they may work against thyroid balance and can also influence the way the liver processes certain toxins.†
A simple way to support your body’s natural detox processes is to reduce foods that may interfere with these pathways.
By being mindful of PUFA intake, you can help lighten the load on both thyroid and liver health.
3. Enjoy a Daily Carrot Salad
Your liver plays an important role in helping your body process and clear what it doesn’t need. But sometimes, certain compounds can add extra stress to this process.
That’s where simple food choices can make a difference.
Raw carrots, for example, provide unique fibers that may help support balance in the gut and lighten the load on your liver.†
Making a daily carrot salad part of your routine is a simple way to give your body extra support.
(NOTE: Get our Carrot Salad recipe and learn how it can help support your thyroid health in this article on “How to Support Your Thyroid in 60-Seconds with a Carrot“.)
4. Get Adequate Protein
Protein plays an important role in overall wellness, including helping the body maintain balance and supporting natural detox processes.†
Research and experts in the field, like Dr. Raymond Peat suggest that getting enough high-quality protein each day can make a noticeable difference.
Dr Peat recommends aiming for around 70 to 100 grams per day, though individual needs can vary.
Gentle, easy-to-digest sources like collagen protein, broth, and dairy can be especially helpful for giving your body what it needs.
(NOTE: Learn how Grass-Fed Collagen Protein can help support thyroid health on this page detailing the health benefits of Collagen Protein Powder.)
5. Orange Juice to the Rescue
Not only is protein important, but carbohydrates also play a role in keeping the body’s natural detox pathways running smoothly.
For example, glucuronidation — one of the body’s key processes — depends on the production of glucuronic acid, which is derived from sugar.
Orange juice provides a natural source of carbohydrates and can be a supportive food for liver balance and detox processes.†
Some people also find that including orange juice as part of a balanced diet may help them feel more steady energy throughout the day.
And when paired with other nutrient-rich foods, it can be an easy way to round out thyroid-friendly eating habits…
…just like we show you in our 3 Food Triple-Thyroid-Boosting Daily Protocol.
Want a simple way to see how orange juice fits into a broader thyroid-friendly routine?
Download our 3-Food Daily Protocol here and get started today.
See how simple daily food choices can help support your thyroid health.
KEY IDEA
If you’re focused on thyroid wellness, it’s best to be cautious with popular detox fads. Research suggests that when thyroid activity is low, certain natural detox processes—like glucuronidation—may not work as smoothly.† Forcing detoxification through juice cleanses, fasting, excessive water intake, or intense exercise can sometimes backfire, leaving the body under added stress rather than support.
To make matters more complex, some of the compounds that place extra stress on thyroid balance don’t come from the outside world at all—they’re actually hormones produced within the body, like estrogen and cortisol.
The good news? Instead of extreme detox methods, you can take simple, sustainable steps to support your body’s natural pathways: focus on thyroid-friendly nutrition, be mindful of fats, enjoy a daily raw carrot salad, prioritize adequate protein, and include supportive foods like orange juice. These habits may help your detox pathways function more smoothly and encourage overall balance and wellness.†
