The Top 5 Detoxifying Foods to Eat This Summer

Courtesy of Happy Gut

In a perfect world, we’d be able to avoid toxin exposure. But I don’t think you need me to tell you that our world isn’t perfect. To help our body recover from the toxins it will inevitably face, we need to invest in ways to support detox, which is best done by optimizing nutrition.

Here are 5 foods that can help you detox this summer. Make sure you buy organic if possible!

1. Pineapple

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is key to detoxifying the body from pesticides and other toxins, like heavy metals. Luckily, pineapple contains more vitamin C than oranges. It also contains manganese, which is a mineral important for detoxification that isn’t found in many other foods.

2. Broccoli & Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli has one of nature’s most powerful detoxifying compounds, called N-acetyl cysteine, or NAC. NAC is a key factor in producing another compound called glutathione, which is your body’s most powerful antioxidant. Glutathione works to repair damage caused by toxins and may even be linked to longevity. Broccoli sprouts — which are just 3 to 5 day old broccoli plants — also contains a compound called sulphoraphane, which demonstrated an ability to reduce liver injury and induce detox-related gene expression in scientific studies. You can buy these sprouts at most health food stores — just make sure you don’t overcook broccoli or broccoli sprouts as that can break down some of these detox-supporting nutrients!

3. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are high in B vitamins, which are key to a process called methylation, which helps the body break down toxins and prepare them to be excreted from the body. Like NAC, B vitamins are also necessary to make glutathione — the body’s most powerful antioxidant.

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