Binders are a crucial part of any healing protocol.
Binders are essentially insoluble fibers. While dietary fiber plays an essential part in daily detoxification, selective binders are used to increase the excretion of specific toxins.
The process of detoxification is a multi-stage process that involves mobilizing, transforming, and eliminating toxins.
When the liver processes toxins, they get bound to the bile, excreted into the gastrointestinal tract, bound with insoluble fibers, and then eliminated via the stool.
When insufficient insoluble fiber or binders absorb the bile, the overflow is picked up in the colon and recirculated via the hepatic portal vein and onto the vagus nerve, where it recirculates in the body.
Therefore, binders reduce the number of toxins recirculated, reduce the load on the liver and kidneys, and speed up the process of elimination, preventing toxin overload.
Homeostasis
Health depends on the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis, and toxins or foreign substances can cause a loss of homeostasis.
Removal of toxins or foreign substances is integral to the body’s design. Whole organs, including the liver and kidney, are dedicated to detoxification.
Problems only occur when the volume of toxins exceeds the body’s ability to recirculate them, and the autonomic nervous system can become overwhelmed, resulting in a blocked autonomic nervous system.
The immune system is under the control of the autonomic nervous system, so the minute it becomes overwhelmed, histamine intolerance, autoimmunity, and mast cell activation are inevitable.
As Dr. Klinghardt recently said:
“Most psychiatric disorders, most neurological disorders, most chronic illnesses are not a failure of the genes. It’s the number of toxins stored in the central nervous system and immune system that determines the fate of us humans.”
In around one-third of my client base, toxin overload is the root cause of mast cell activation.
Restoring homeostasis, therefore, requires reducing exposures to toxins and blocking their absorption or upregulating the elimination of toxins (through, amongst other things, the use of binders).
Food As Binders
Our diet provides a vital source of fiber to detoxify our daily exposure to toxins.
Many foods bind to bile and assist the body in detoxifying toxins.
Therefore, a healthy diet with plenty of fiber is crucial for toxin elimination.
The table below compares the bile binding capability of fibers from common food sources compared to cholestyramine (Questran).
This is not an exhaustive list, and many fibrous foods (including barley, oats, lupin, corn, rice bran, and psyllium husks) have been shown in the research to act as binders.
Binder Selection
While a healthy diet is essential to daily detoxification, diet alone is unlikely to be sufficient in the modern world.
Specialized binders are typically essential for restoring homeostasis and ongoing maintenance.
The selection of a suitable binder for the right toxins is a skill. The binder that works well for someone can differ significantly based on their toxin load, and what works well can also change during different phases of healing.
While there are many studies on individual binders, few comprehensive studies compare all binders. I have, however, now tested using autonomic response testing for hundreds and hundreds of people. This has provided a detailed study on which individual binders work for which toxins. I am unaware of any other way to get such precision testing for hundreds of products across hundreds and hundreds of people.
My free eBook, The Insiders Guide to Binders, summarizes the one or two products that work for most people based on autonomic response testing.
The brand used matters. The products used mustn’t introduce new foreign substances. This is true for all binders, especially bentonite clay and zeolite, contaminated with aluminum.
Here are some of the binders that test well and that I use with clients:
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is manufactured from wood, peat, or coconut shell. The charcoal is ‘activated’ during manufacturing by creating holes within its structure. Activated charcoal is a broad-spectrum binder that will bind a little bit of everything. This means it will bind toxins, mycotoxins, vitamins, minerals, and inflammatory molecules.
It is best used in acute poisoning or chronic die-off situations. Alternatively, in small amounts as part of a blend for a limited time.
Recent studies show that a particular type of charcoal (AST-120 or Kremezin®) available in Japan and Korea is exceptionally effective with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to its high histamine binding capability.
Suitable products include:
Quicksilver Ultrabinder (combination product)
Takesumi Supreme
Bulletproof Activated Charcoal
Bentonite Clay
Bentonite Clay is also known as Montmorillonite clay. It is perfect for absorbing mycotoxins in peanuts and on some grains, pesticides, herbicides, and cyanotoxins in lakes polluted by harmful algal blooms. Bentonite clay also has intrinsic broad-spectrum antibacterial properties and has a healing effect on the gastrointestinal lining. Due to contamination, including the presence of aluminum, the source matters.
Suitable products include:
Quicksilver Ultrabinder
Chitosan
Chitosan is equivalent to Welchol, used for mycotoxin binding, cholesterol, and weight reduction. Chitosan works by binding to the bile salts themselves, so it binds to all fatty acids. For this reason, it should not be used long-term. Derived from shellfish, chitosan is the result of the enzymatic treatment of chitin, a shell component. People who are allergic to shellfish may not tolerate Chitosan.
Suitable products include:
Chlorella
Chlorella is blue-green algae rich in vitamins, minerals, iron, and amino acids with a high affinity for heavy metals, but not aluminum, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, herbicides, and mycotoxins. Because chlorella is a living organism, it has evolved to bind only to toxic substances, not essential minerals. For this reason, it can be used long-term with no risk of nutritional deficiency over time.
Suitable products include:
Pure Encapsulations HM Complex
Biopure Chlorella pyrenoidosa
Biopure Chlorella Vulgaris
Ecklonia Cava
Ecklonia Cava is an alga with essentially the same properties as Chlorella. It is often tolerated when nothing else is and can be used long-term. Ecklonia cava also has various compounds that have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-retroviral, and prebiotic activities. It is also used for prostate and erectile difficulties.
Suitable products include:
Biopure PC Ecklonia Cava.
Enterosgel®
Enterosgel is a silica-based gel that is a household name in Russia and has been extensively studied. Despite its chemical-sounding ingredients, it is exceptionally well-tolerated and does not bind to micronutrients or beneficial bacteria.
Like zeolite, it binds to histamines. It is marketed for radiation poisoning, food poisoning, traveler’s diarrhea, and a hangover. It also has extensive studies showing it improves irritable bowel syndrome, candida, urticaria, dermatitis, and eczema. It also has a very high affinity for aluminum.
Suitable products include:
Humic and Fulvic Acids
These are made from decomposed plant matter. They are best known for binding to environmental chemicals such as glyphosate. Taking humic and fulvic acids before a meal may counteract any glyphosate consumption in that meal. They are also relatively weak binders of heavy metals suitable for daily maintenance use.
Humic and fulvic acids also provide antioxidant protection, improve immune defense and microbiome support, restore nutrients, and are safe for long-term use.
Suitable products include:
Modified Citrus Pectin
Modified citrus pectin is manufactured from the inner white pulp of citrus fruit peels. It has a high affinity for lead and a moderate affinity for arsenic and cadmium. It does not bind to nutrients or minerals, making it safe to consume long-term and in conjunction with meals.
Suitable products include:
Pure Encapsulations HM Complex
Silica
Unlike most binders, which do not bind to aluminum, silica selectively binds to aluminum and other metals like thallium and tin.
You can get silica through 1 liter of silica-rich mineral water like Volvic (30mg a liter), Fiji (91 mg a liter), or Acilis water, but these come at the expense of being in plastic bottles.
Product alternatives include:
Purified Silica
Purified silica attaches to thiolic (sulfur) metal-binding groups. It has a very high affinity for methyl-mercury, lead, and cadmium. Product options include:
Biopure Metal Sweep
Zeolite
I have written extensively about how Zeolite binds histamines.
It also binds to mercury, cadmium, lead, and mycotoxins. Klinghardt reports that a Russian study found it superior to all other binders (including cholestyramine and bentonite clay) in detoxifying mycotoxins. Indeed, it has excellent coverage of mycotoxins.
Due to the mineral content of zeolite, it is highly alkaline. If you have low stomach acid, taking the zeolite in capsules is vital to alter your stomach acid balance.
The zeolite source matters as there needs to be sufficient silica to bind the aluminum naturally contained within the zeolite. The ratio needs to be more than 5 silica to 1 aluminum molecule.
These brands meet this criterion:
Biopure Zeobind
Timing of Binders
Binders should be taken away from food so as not to interfere with nutrients.
It is generally recommended to take them at least 30 minutes before or 1 – 2 hours after eating or taking any supplements or medications two times a day. Charcoal should be taken 3 hours away from food, supplements, or medications.
In people with a gallbladder, the binder’s timing coincides with the release of bile in response to food. People who have had their gallbladder removed so that bile flows continuously may benefit from dispursing binders four times a day.
Binders can also be taken acutely, in higher dosages, during “die-off” reactions.
For example, with a histamine flare, I take two to three times the amount of zeolite, regardless of whether my stomach is empty, and it resolves in 30 minutes.
Length of Use of Binders
When using binders as part of a healing protocol for chronic heavy metal toxicity, parasites, bacterial infections, candida, Lyme disease, or mold, it may be necessary to pulse the binders.
Some binders, such as chlorella and ecklonia cava, are “intelligent” binders that only bind to toxins and are safe for long-term usage.
Others, like activated charcoal, cholestyramine, and welchol, bind indiscriminately and are best used for acute relief for days (unless in a small amount in a mix).
Yet others fall somewhere in between. While prioritizing certain toxins, they can bind to small amounts of nutrients over time. I usually rotate them 60 days on and 60 days off.
Conclusion
Binders have been used for centuries as a remedy for toxin exposure. They are even used in acute hospital settings today.
They are usually the first part of the protocol I introduce. And the first product I reach for with a histamine flare or die-off reaction.
The selection of which binder is suitable for you will depend on your circumstances. Yet, in my experience, using binders can dramatically improve protocol outcomes.
To learn more about how to use binders, download my free eBook, The Insiders Guide to Binders.
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Additional Reading
Food Based Binders
Iida, T., et al. “Clinical trial of a combination of rice bran fiber and cholestyramine for promotion of fecal excretion of retained polychlorinated dibenzofuran and polychlorinated biphenyl in Yu-Cheng patients.” Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi= Hukuoka Acta Medica 86.5 (1995): 226-233.
Activated Charcoal
Bentonite Clay
Chitosan
Chlorella
Biosorption of Heavy Metals. (1990). Egypt: CRC-Press.
Enterosgel
Humic and Fulvic Acid
Modified Citrus Pectin
Silica
