12 Best Detox Foods to Gently Detox your Body

We live in a toxic world made up of thousands of chemicals, harmful particles, pollutants, pesticides, heavy metals, and all sorts of toxins our bodies have a hard time eliminating.

Yet, detoxification is essential for good health, and while our bodies are well-equipped to do it on their own, they sometimes need a little help. And here come the best detox foods!

Related article: 18 benefits of sea moss for your health and wellness.

The 12 Best Detox Foods to Cleanse your Body  

Detox diets are having a moment on the health and wellness trends. But they often involve harmful methods with rarely lasting effects. 
 
At Organics Nature, we're all about balance. So, instead of putting your body through radical diets, we reckon body detox has to be done gently, within a consistent and healthy routine.
 
Fortunately, nature has gifted us with efficient detox organs and puts wonderful detox foods within easy reach.
 
Without further ado, here are the 12 best detox foods to naturally and gently help your body detox itself!
 

1. Sea Moss, the #1 Best Detox Food

 

Sea moss, scientifically known as Chondrus crispus, is an edible seaweed used in traditional Irish and Caribbean medicines for centuries to prevent and treat a wide range of chronic and acute health conditions.
 
One of the reasons why it’s so beneficial for our health is that it boosts our body’s natural detoxification process and helps cleanse itself.
 
Sea moss contains numerous essential detox minerals and vitamins such as powerful antioxidants, iron, vitamin B, copper, zinc, Vitamin E, C, and A. Consuming it regularly detoxes the entire system, including the urinary tract, lymphatic system, digestive system, lungs, blood, and skin. It's also a natural diuretic that helps the body flush excess water and toxins out of the kidneys.
 
Detoxifying with sea moss is safe and all-natural. It does not involve any fasting or restriction. Instead, it naturally, gently, and efficiently strengthens our body's abilities to get rid of toxins and rejuvenate.
 
Ultimately, there are many ways in which sea moss helps detox and cleanse the body. Our related article below provides detailed information about using sea moss for detox.

Related article: How does sea moss detox and cleanse your body?

 

2. Lemons & Citrus Fruits for Full Body Detox

Lemons are one of the best natural detox foods and are unconditional parts of any detox diet. They can be used to detox our entire body, especially the liver, kidneys, and digestive system.
 
They're packed with antioxidants and vitamin C that help combat free radicals responsible for cellular damage, illnesses, and aging. In addition, lemons act as diuretics and help flush out most toxins in our system.
 
Although lemons and other citrus fruits are considered acidic, they actually have an alkaline effect that helps balance our body’s pH to optimize the immune system and overall health.
Besides detox, there are numerous health benefits to reap from lemons, including immunity boosting, weight loss support, increased energy levels, improved digestion, and more.
 
Related article: The right way to use sea moss for weight loss.

 
How to use lemon for detox

Detoxing with lemon is very simple. All you have to do is squeeze fresh lemon juice into warm water and drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Add two tablespoons of sea moss gel to your lemon water for optimal results.
 

 
We do not recommend following the lemon detox diet. This new detox trend claims that consuming just lemon juice-based mixtures for 2 weeks, with no solid foods, cleanses your body and removes toxins. While lemons are efficient natural detox foods, there’s no need to put your body through such an extreme diet that can harm your health.

3. Ginger, Best Food to Detox the Digestive System

 
Detoxing with ginger is used in most detox programs and diets, especially to cleanse the digestive system, liver, and colon and remove toxins accumulated by excessive consumption of fatty foods and alcohol. In addition, this superfood stimulates digestion, blood circulation, and sweating, which are all parts of our body’s natural detoxing process.
 
Besides, ginger is loaded with gingerol, a natural compound scientifically proven to have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It helps reduce oxidative stress caused by too many free radicals in the body[1].
 
Other than its detox effects, consuming ginger can have the following health benefits: treating nausea, promoting weight loss, reducing joint pain and inflammation, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, reducing risks of heart disease, treating chronic indigestion, fighting infections, and even preventing cancer.
 
Related article: Why is sea moss so good for blood pressure and heart health?

How to use ginger for body detox

To use ginger for body detox, simply add it to your diet and daily nutritional plan through your foods and drinks.
 
The most popular way is to have ginger tea, often combined with lemons. But you can also add freshly grated ginger to your smoothies or food recipes, like a tasty chicken with ginger, for example.

4. Garlic, a Potent Detox Food

 
Garlic is widely known for its numerous health properties, including its powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties and its positive impacts on heart health. But it's also one of the best detox foods!
 
Garlic is rich in allicin, a natural compound that promotes white blood cell production, helps fight toxins, and boosts the body's detoxification enzymes. Studies show that the allicin present in garlic enhances the liver’s antioxidant and detoxification capabilities.[2]

How to take garlic for detoxification

Garlic is best consumed raw or in powder. Avoid cooking it for too long or boiling it, as it may destroy its natural compounds and annihilates its detox properties.
 
The best way to use garlic for body detoxification is by consuming it daily and incorporating it into your foods. Remember that detoxing the body is more about regularity and a consistent routine than fast diets.
 
One or two cloves of fresh, organic garlic daily are ideal for most adults. However, if you don't like the garlic taste, you can take garlic capsule supplements.
 
We recommend taking one garlic capsule and two sea moss capsules daily for optimal detox results.
 

Organics Nature Sea Moss Capsules

5. Beetroot, Great Detox Food for the Liver 

There's no detox diet without beetroots! Beetroots owe their deep purple color to their high content of betalain, a powerful antioxidant.  

Another essential nutrient to eliminate toxins found in beetroots is betaine. Betaine is known to support healthy liver function and boost liver detoxification by increasing detox enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase.
 
Additionally, beetroots are packed with healthy nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. As a result, they offer a wide range of benefits for human health, including decreasing inflammation in the body, preventing heart disease, boosting the immune system, and others.
 
Related article: What are the minerals and vitamins found in sea moss?

How to have beets for a detox diet

There are many ways to include beets in your daily meal plan. They can be eaten raw or cooked, although raw is always better for nutrient preservation. Beetroots make a tasty and colorful addition to salad or grain bowls.
 
They're also easy to add to your favorite smoothie recipes, like this one below that we really like: 

Beets & Sea Moss Detoxifying Smoothie Recipe:

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 1/3 cup peeled organic raw beet

• 1 cup frozen raspberries

• ¼ ripe banana

• 2/3 cup apple juice

• 2-4 tablespoons Organics Nature’s sea moss gel

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Serve cold, and enjoy!

Related article: How much sea moss gel should you take daily?

More Great Detox Foods

Nature is wonderful and provides a handful of delicious natural detox foods to help boost our body's natural detoxification process. So, instead of torturing yourself through extreme detox methods, juicing, restrictive diets, and nauseating concoctions, try incorporating these detox foods into your nutritional plan:

• Artichokes are packed with antioxidants and fibers to help the body’s digestion process and boost the liver’s detoxifying function.

• Green tea is one of the best detox drinks. Its high content of catechins antioxidants helps neutralize free radicals in the body. Fluids are essentials to detox, as they help flush toxins via the urinary tract.

• Grapefruit is loaded with healthy nutrients for detox and helps boost fat-breaking enzymes in the body.

• Asparagus is a natural diuretic that helps flush the excess toxins from our system. Besides, studies have found that asparagus helps alleviate hangover symptoms and remove alcohol toxins in the body.

• Broccoli supports the body’s natural detox pathways and helps eliminate waste from the digestive tract. It's also packed with antioxidants to combat free radicals that cause inflammation.

• Kiwi is great for detox too. It's high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. It clears toxins and improves digestion while promoting weight loss and reducing water retention.

• Berries are praised in Ayurveda medicine to be excellent foods to support the body’s natural detox abilities.

Other detox foods include spinach, almonds, collard greens, bananas, cacao powder, turmeric, white tea, avocado, hibiscus infusions, sauerkraut, turmeric, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, etc. 

What about you? What’s your favorite detox food?

References:  

[1] Mashhadi NS, Ghiasvand R, Askari G, Hariri M, Darvishi L, Mofid MR. Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger in health and physical activity: review of current evidence. Int J Prev Med. 2013 Apr;4(Suppl 1):S36-42. PMID: 23717767; PMCID: PMC3665023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/

[2] Wu CC, Chu YL, Sheen LY. Allicin modulates the antioxidation and detoxification capabilities of primary rat hepatocytes. J Tradit Complement Med. 2012 Oct;2(4):323-30. doi: 10.1016/s2225-4110(16)30118-3. PMID: 24716147; PMCID: PMC3942910. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942910/