In our first article on toxins and diabetes, we saw that the rise in diabetes correlates well with a simultaneous increase in environmental chemicals. Also, the scientific evidence indicates a clear link between specific chemicals and impaired insulin production, decreased insulin sensitivity, systemic inflammation, and epigenetic changes in gene expression. Toxins are part of the puzzle that needs to be solved to fully reverse diabetes.
In his 2016 editorial, Dr. Joseph Pizzorno not only pointed out the problem but also provided solutions for detoxifying and eliminating these diabetes-causing chemicals, or diabetogens, from our bodies. We'll take a look at what he said, and then also include some highlights from biohacker Bryan Johnson's experience with sauna therapy.
Dr. Pizzorno's Core Strategies for Detoxification
Dr. Pizzorno emphasized that while some diabetogens are easily eliminated, others persist in fat tissue for many years. He has five key strategies to eliminate them:
1. The Best Defense: Avoidance. Minimizing exposure is much easier than eliminating chemicals after they're already in your body. So, this starts with eating organic foods to avoid pesticides. Avoid charred meat to eliminate a common source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Choose glass containers or stainless steel water bottles over plastic to reduce intake of BPA and phthalates. Be careful of the liners in cans as well. Choose natural cosmetics and personal care products.
2. Increase glutathione production. Glutathione is a major intracellular antioxidant, and it is a key player in detoxifying harmful chemicals in the liver. This can be done by using Glutathione Promoter from Hallelujah Diet. It contains N-acetylcysteine, alpha-lipoic acid, selenium, zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
3. Increase dietary fiber. Fiber helps bind toxins in the gut, preventing their absorption into the body. The higher the fiber in your diet, the easier it is to bind up those extra toxins and eliminate POPs and other fat-soluble toxins.
4. Use toxin-specific interventions for elimination. For arsenic, curcumin and resveratrol help eliminate it. For BPA, probiotics bind it in the gut. Curcumin helps eliminate dioxins and PCBs. Alpha-lipoic acid can detoxify phthalates. Chlorophyll also binds to some organic pollutants in the intestinal tract, preventing their absorption.
5. Use toxin-specific interventions to prevent damage. Antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E protect against PAHs.
Eliminate Chemicals with Sauna Therapy: Bryan Johnson's N=1 Insights
Sauna bathing is also a potent detoxification tool. Sauna works by heating you up and causing you to sweat, so you eliminate toxins passively through your sweat. Sauna bathing has been studied in Finland, where the common sauna is a dry sauna at 180 to 200°F. In 2015, Laukkanen and colleagues reported in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine that when men use a sauna four to seven times per week for at least 20 minutes per session, they have about a 50% drop in sudden cardiac deaths, fatal coronary heart disease, cardiovascular death, and all-cause mortality—a very significant drop from doing sauna bathing.
It's been hard for me to find solid information on how well sauna detoxifies. There aren't many good studies. But there's recent information that Bryan Johnson, the founder of the Blueprint Longevity Project, shared about his sauna protocol. This is an n = 1 study, but Bryan Johnson is very meticulous in recording details and doing testing. So at least it is a good n=1 study.
Bryan Johnson recorded detailed reductions in his urine toxin panel post-sauna after 15 dry sauna sessions of 20 minutes each.
- 65% drop in 2,4-D (a herbicide linked to endocrine disruption)
- 100% drop in MEP (a phthalate metabolite)
- 15% drop in MBP (another phthalate)
- 100% drop in MEHP (phthalate, undetectable post-sauna)
- 56% drop in NAPR and HEMA (environmental toxins)
- 100% drop in Perchlorate (thyroid disruptor, undetectable post-sauna)
Johnson also reported vascular benefits, such as a 10-year reduction in his arterial age, so that his arteries are equivalent to those of an elite 18- to 20-year-old. You can read more details about his protocol here, here, or here.
Because of the extreme loss of sweat, Brian Johnson rehydrates with 16 to 32 ounces of electrolyte-rich water post-session and uses a moisturizer to counteract skin dryness. His data show that sauna is a potent therapy for eliminating toxins from your body.
The Hallelujah Diet Approach to Detoxification
At Hallelujah Diet, we teach you that you can feed your body and detoxify simultaneously. We use organic fruits and vegetables to support the body's natural detox pathways. You do not need to go on a water fast and become debilitated. Several of these detox methods brought up by Dr. Pizzorno are already part of the Hallelujah Diet:
- Avoiding toxins by eating organic? Yes.
- Lots of fiber? Yes.
- Using cruciferous vegetables to support the body’s detoxification pathways? Yes.
- Providing supplements to boost glutathione? Yes.
- Excellent source of curcumin? Yes. Professional strength curcumin. Joint Health is an excellent product, with grape seed extract, curcumin, and boswellia extract all included.
- Probiotics? Yes. Our Professional Strength Probiotics has 25 billion CFUs in 10 strains per capsule.
If you add sauna therapy to your Hallelujah Diet, you're well on your way to detoxifying from chemicals that promote diabetes and cause a lot of other troubles for you as well down the road.
So the prudent foresee danger and take precautions (Prov 22:3). That's probably you. So take action today. Save up money for a sauna. And work on detoxifying. If you are currently struggling with prediabetes or full-blown diabetes, you would do well to adopt a plant-strong, fruit and vegetable-rich diet like the Hallelujah Diet. Check it out here. A few supplements and some sauna therapy will get you on your way to losing weight, detoxifying, and feeling great. And then you will be equipped to fulfill the mission to which God has called you.
