Are you aware of how detoxification impacts your wellness? In our IV therapy Toronto Lounge, we offer natural ingredients to support this through intravenous therapy. This is because improving detoxification can lead to beneficial effects, such as promoting healthy hair growth, energy production, and enhancements to mental clarity. 

Toxin removal can play a major role in optimal health and functioning. We’re exposed to contaminants on a daily basis through plastic packaging, inhaling air pollutants, and touching chemicals found on toys, cosmetics, in gardening practices, and other personal care items. 

Regular toxin exposures can potentially trigger health concerns related to cellular functioning, chronic inflammation, and the formation of age-related conditions. 

Our clinicians adhere to the principles of integrative functional medicine. This format emphasizes educating patients on how their bodies work, how to sustain wellness through the consumption of optimal nutrients, and how the quality of life can be improved outside of a clinic. You may come across certain words used by our functional medicine/IV therapy providers or from articles that describe detoxification therapies. Here, the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC) lists some related keywords and their definitions – knowing these can help you stay on track of your treatment plan and implement lifestyle modifications for health goals.  

Terms to know for understanding detoxification

Free radicals: These are unstable molecules that are naturally made in the body via cellular metabolism. However, free radicals are also spawned from environmental factors; they can accumulate in the body and impair DNA, proteins, and lipids. They may be produced from exposures to carcinogens, chemicals (i.e. pesticides), UV rays, consuming fried food, drinking alcohol and smoking. 

Oxidative stress: This is the disparity between your current levels of antioxidants and free radicals. Once oxidative stress has formed, it can be a struggle to regulate harmful free radicals from accumulating. This is because oxidative stress can also cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as brain fog, chronic fatigue, persistent illnesses, and poor muscle function. 

Antioxidants: These are also molecules, but their goal is to fight free radicals and oxidative stress! Antioxidants can contribute to preventing/delaying damage to cells caused by unstable molecules. We can produce our own antioxidants (i.e. the powerful antioxidant glutathione), but it’s necessary to continually consume foods and supplements with antioxidant properties. This can help control the prevalence of free radicals and oxidative stress. 

Cleanse: It’s a process for removing toxins from the body, however, it tends to focus on one organ that participates in detoxification processes, such as the liver. For example, a liver detoxification cleanse may include taking supplements (i.e. milk thistle) to help optimize the organ’s functioning for flushing out toxins. 

Chelation therapy: “Metals…serve as essential components of the normal health physiology yet on the other hand, can cause serious toxic manifestations. Chelation therapy has been the mainstay treatment against metal toxicity,” states an International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health article. This specific treatment service removes excessive amounts of heavy metals (i.e. lead, mercury) from the body. A type of chemical agent – usually EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) – is administered in therapeutic doses as an oral supplementation or intravenous treatment. Once the agent is inside your body, it collects harmful metallic particles from various body tissues. Then, when you urinate, the chemical is excreted along with the collected metals. 

Recommended Reading: How To Recover From A Hangover With IV Therapy In Toronto

So, if you’ve been feeling “off” lately, try exploring the health benefits of detoxification! The definitions stated above may help with comprehending your personal therapies and goals. Please reach out to access functional lab tests and a modified treatment plan for your biology. 

Improve immune health, cognitive function, and more in our IV Lounge

Our IV Lounge is located inside the TFMC, where we provide a personalized approach to wellness. Boasting over 50 years of experience combined, our practitioners can modify treatments for a wide range of symptoms and conditions linked to brain and immune function, muscle recovery from physical performances, chronic stress, cellular damage, hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, blood pressure regulation, and form adjunct support to  cancer treatments to correcting vitamins and   mineral deficiencies. 

Functional medicine principles are applied to each treatment service/modality offered at the TFMC, including intravenous therapy drips and booster shots. Therapeutic doses of vitamins are individualized for each custom-made IV drip, which is how we cater to unique biological needs. You’ll find an array of essential nutrients available for vitamin IV therapy, including vitamin C (ascorbic acid), trace minerals, vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, alpha lipoic acid, and a medley of amino acids with glutamic acid. Glutathione, vitamin B6 and vitamin D injection therapies may also be prescribed. 

Take note that safety is on the top of our list inside our IV Lounge! We make sure that each session is supervised by our wellness team, which includes a naturopathic doctor, nurse practitioners and registered nurses. Let us know if you have any questions about your treatment plan or the key nutrients compounded for your intravenous drip.  

FYI: A consult must be conducted prior to your initial vitamin injection or drip from our IV Lounge. We’ll rule out allergies and contraindications, as well as get an understanding of your chief health concerns. If you’d like, you may also have access to your first IV drip or injection immediately after this consult. Your duration of treatment depends on various factors, such as the types and amounts of nutrients prescribed,  and the sizing of the IV bag. 

In addition to healthy lifestyle choices, oral supplementation, and other health interventions, IV therapy can help upgrade liver detoxification and your quality of life. What changes need to be made to shift towards optimal function? Let’s explore this notion together! Simply click here to contact us learn more about IV therapy from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

Aggarwal, V., Mehndiratta, M. M., Wasay, M., & Garg, D. (2022). Environmental Toxins and Brain: Life on Earth is in Danger. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 25(Suppl 1), S15. https://doi.org/10.4103/aian.aian_169_22

Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2006. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 45.) 1 Overview, Essential Concepts, and Definitions in Detoxification. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64119/

Flora SJ, Pachauri V. Chelation in metal intoxication. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 Jul;7(7):2745-88. doi: 10.3390/ijerph7072745. Epub 2010 Jun 28. PMID: 20717537; PMCID: PMC2922724.

Lobo V, Patil A, Phatak A, Chandra N. Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010 Jul;4(8):118-26. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.70902. PMID: 22228951; PMCID: PMC3249911.

Pizzino, G., Irrera, N., Cucinotta, M., Pallio, G., Mannino, F., Arcoraci, V., Squadrito, F., Altavilla, D., & Bitto, A. (2017). Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/8416763

“Understanding Antioxidants” from Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing, published January 31, 2019, viewed on February 28, 2024.

Warraich UE, Hussain F, Kayani HUR. Aging – Oxidative stress, antioxidants and computational modeling. Heliyon. 2020 May 31;6(5):e04107. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04107. PMID: 32509998; PMCID: PMC7264715.