5 Benefits of Binders
Here are our top 5 benefits of Binders.
1 – Assist With Herxheimer Reactions
Herxheimer reactions are essentially “die off” symptoms that occur when pathogens are killed off and consequently release toxins that the body may not be able to eliminate quickly enough. This may eventuate into symptoms such as chills, rashes, fatigue, night sweats, a flare up of latent infections, nausea, vomiting, aggravation of current symptoms, and cold or flu-like symptoms [1]. With the aid of using the correct type of binding agents, herx reactions can be significantly reduced as it prevents toxins recirculating back into the body.
2 – Low Risk
Good quality binders pose little to no negative side-effects when prescribed by an experienced practitioner. Some binders such as charcoal and zeolite may cause constipation in sensitive individuals which may easily be rectified by dietary modifications.
3 – Alleviate Digestive Issues
Besides the sensitive few who may experience some constipation, binders can alleviate digestive symptoms such as food poisoning, bloating and gas. In fact, charcoal is commonly prescribed in countries such as Thailand and Indonesia for food poisoning and traveller’s diarrhea.
4 – Supports Overall Detoxification
By incorporating binders into an anti-microbial regimen, this takes a huge burden off the elimination pathways such as the digestive tract, lymphatics, liver and kidneys. Furthermore, this creates more space for the detoxification pathways to correctly do their job of further removing more toxic encumbrance, without being burdened by retox.
5 – Other non-related benefits
Binders such as silica which is used for the removal of aluminium but also improves the integrity of hair, skin and nails and other forms can contain prebiotics, minerals and antioxidants to further support gut and healthy glowing skin.
Takeaway:
To effectively reduce herx symptoms, retox and lessen the burden on elimination pathways, binders are THE essential component of any successful anti-microbial or detoxification protocol. The caveat is that they need to be reputably sourced and targeted towards the individual’s health needs, which an experienced functional medicine health practitioner will be able to assess.
Some binders we love and use regularly in clinic include:
– Charcoal
If you are interested in learning more about binders and how they can help you, book in to see one of our knowledgeable practitioners here or give us a call on 03 9889 8008.
References
Dhakal A, Sbar E. Jarisch Herxheimer Reaction. 2021 Nov 23. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 32491752.
By Fallon Cashell – Naturopath & A.R.T practitioner
