Can You Cleanse Your Blood?

Your circulatory system is like the network of canals in Venice, Italy, which enable passengers to travel to various destinations, according to Gene Bruno, coauthor of What’s in Your Blood & Why You Should Care: How to Cleanse & Detoxify Your Blood for Optimum Health. Oxygen and nutrients are delivered, and carbon dioxide and waste products are removed in a 24/7 process.

But there’s a catch: “Unwanted compounds, too, can travel to various organs of your body via your bloodstream, which may lead to illness,” says Bruno; “In addition, if your blood isn’t circulating as well as it should, nutrients will not be utilized as efficiently.”

What to Do

The blood doesn’t have its own built-in detox mechanism, but your gut, liver, and other organs involved in detoxification will cleanse it. To enhance the process, Bruno recommends exercising regularly; staying hydrated with pure water; focusing your diet on vegetables, fruits, fermented foods, protein, and fiber from nuts, seeds, and whole grains; and drinking green tea. In addition, these are some of his top supplement picks:

• N-acetylcysteine (NAC): Supports liver detoxification; promotes the excretion of arsenic, other poisons, and heavy metals such as mercury and lead.
• Milk thistle extract: Protects the liver against harm from toxic chemicals and drugs; reduces recirculation of toxins, and helps regenerate damaged liver cells.
• Glycine: Reduces liver damage from low oxygen levels and toxins released by dying bacterial cells; minimizes alcoholic liver injury by decreasing blood alcohol levels.

How Much to Take

• NAC: 600 mg daily.
• Milk thistle extract: 175 mg of an extract standardized to 80% silymarin, two to three times daily.
• Glycine: 500–1,000 mg daily.