We find the cause of disease in today’s society to come from chemicals, pollutants and toxins that accumulate in people’s bodies. Over time the body succumbs and the disease process begins. It takes many years for the body to show signs.
For instance, heavy metals such as mercury cause immune suppression. The metals accumulate in the brain, heart, adrenals, liver and cause organ malfunction. Over time the normal function is decreased and you start to experience problems.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that toxins accumulated inside human bodies are the cause of many human diseases and senility. There are external toxins, internal toxins, and a combination of both toxins. The external toxins include harmful elements in our surroundings like bacteria, viruses, chemical fertilizers, polluted air and water, etc. The internal toxins include a variety of wastes and byproducts generated during the course of body metabolism and the toxins produced via improper metabolism of sugar, fat, and proteins in the body. This will generate endogenous toxins caused by breakdowns in the nervous system, endocrine system, or metabolism.
Modern medicine believes that an essential function of life is metabolism. During metabolism, our body regulates itself with certain enzymes and this manifests as either good or bad byproducts. The bad products are toxic compounds. In the human body, the spleen and kidneys work with each other to complete the digestion and elimination of food. In this process, our body absorbs the beneficial ingredients and discharges the toxic compounds. This is the basis of Chinese disease treatment and body nourishment.
All the substances that the body does not need are harmful to the body. The substances generated by the body’s metabolism must be discharged. If these wasteful substances remain in the body, they will become toxic. The accumulated toxins in turn will adversely affect the normal metabolism, and eventually lead to diseases and senility. Thus, the key for maintaining a healthy body and slowing down the aging process is to regularly discharge the toxins from the body in order to keep all systems functioning properly. The main means of discharging toxins are through: stool, urine, sweat, and respiration. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is considered that discharging toxins from the stools, urine and skin are the most rapid and effective means.
