Jay Shetty & Dr. Darshan Shah ON How to Flush Toxins from Your Body

What if the everyday products you trust - your water bottle, shampoo, or even your favorite snack - are slowly ruining your health?

In this On Purpose episode, Jay Shetty sits down with Dr. Darshan Shah, a board-certified surgeon, longevity expert, and founder of Next Health, the world’s first health optimization and longevity clinic. With over 20,000 surgeries performed and a passion for proactive wellness, Dr. Shah breaks down the invisible threats hiding in our air, food, water, and daily routines. He reveals how to reduce toxins, avoid chronic disease, and take control of your long-term health starting today.

Air Quality: The Overlooked Threat Indoors

People spend most of their time indoors, whether at work or the time spent in the bedroom, sleeping. What we don't always acknowledge is that the air we exhale needs to be replaced by clean air regularly. Dr. Darshan Shah told Jay Shetty that the air quality in closed spaces can become critical for our health. He suggests checking the Air Quality Index (AQI) available on most tracking apps. Dr. Shah claims that outside air is most often cleaner than the "old" air indoors, so regularly letting fresh air inside is a must to maintain clean air.

Use portable air filters in areas where windows cannot be opened. But you need to make sure to replace the air filters regularly, as many forget to do so. Dr. Shah explained that such small steps can offer a significant health benefit with minimal effort.

Water Contamination Through Microplastics

The water we consume is not always as clean as we think, and that is the case in many municipalities. It sometimes contains chemicals, such as fluoride and heavy metals. Therefore, Dr. Shah shared with Jay Shetty how to purify your home water by installing a reverse osmosis filtration system under your sink. It's an affordable way to ensure you drink clean water.

If you regularly consume beverages from plastic bottles, Dr. Darshan Shah warns you to change that immediately. Water bottles are a source of concern. They leak microplastics, which have now been found in blood vessels, reproductive organs, and even the brain. 

Dr. Darshan Shah told Jay Shetty that they are more harmful than once believed. Today, they are suspected of blocking hormones, disrupting neural communication, and contributing to chronic disease. So, to minimize exposure, he recommends using glass water bottles, glass containers to reheat your food, and as little single-use plastics as possible.

Plastics in Our Kitchens and Wardrobes

Beyond water bottles, the average consumer interacts with plastics on a daily basis. Your plastic kitchen tools, cutting boards and containers all leak chemicals, and more so when exposed to heat. Therefore, it's essential to replace these utensils with wooden, ceramic, or metal alternatives over time, Dr. Shah told Jay Shetty.

Even our wardrobe is filled with more and more plastic nowadays. Many synthetic fabrics contain microplastics and forever chemicals that remain in our bodies indefinitely. To protect yourself from their harm, Dr. Shah recommends opting for longer-lasting natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, whenever possible. But you don't need to change it all at once; gradual change is still an improvement. While it may be slightly more expensive than plastics, view it as an investment in yourself and your health.

Skin Exposure and Personal Care Products

Toxins enter our bodies also through skin pores. Dr. Shah warns that using too many cosmetics may have harmful effects on your health, too. On average, women use up to twelve skincare products daily, while men use up to eight. And not everyone understands the labels. Dr. Shah shared with Jay Shetty that most supermarket brands contain a great amount of unregulated chemicals. If you want to understand your products better, you can use apps like Think Dirty or Skin Deep to scan and identify harmful ingredients.

You don't need to make drastic changes all at once. A daily 1% improvement is a small step forward, and it compounds over time.1 Dr. Shah warns that chemicals are present in all types of products, including fragrances and deodorants. He explained that a safer alternative is oil-based products. Yet, it's better if you minimize the number of products you apply to your skin and hair to reduce the daily chemical intake.

Even shampoo can be harmful - over-washing your hair leads to a damaged scalp microbiome. Dr. Darshan Shah suggests washing your hair only once per week with shampoo, or even once every other week. This way, your scalp has time to produce and retain natural oils, and to prevent dryness and dandruff. And you also reduce chemical exposure by using shampoo less frequently.

Food, Pesticides, and the Misleading Health Halo

The food industry is also not immune to health concerns regarding chemical usage. Dr. Shah explained to Jay Shetty that modern agriculture uses harmful pesticides to preserve the crops. Amongst the chemicals used, there is also glyphosate, which easily penetrates fruit and vegetables' thin skin.

Dr. Darshan Shah shared that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases an annual list called the Dirty Dozen, which identifies produce with the highest pesticide residue. If you are interested in what you ingest, he recommends consulting this list before your next grocery shopping. Dr. Shah and Jay Shetty agree that organic produce is best; if you can't get it, try washing your fruit and vegetables thoroughly.

No matter how small, even berries can contain high amounts of pesticides. To ensure you consume fewer chemicals, consider properly washing your food before eating it.

Mental Health and the Role of Toxins

Dr. Shah told Jay Shetty that mental and physical health are closely connected. Many patients with anxiety or depression also suffer from hormone imbalances, poor gut health, or nutritional deficiencies. So, if you feel like something is not right, you may check your physical health for clues. Dr. Shah also explains that fixing the root cause can improve your mental clarity and reduce medication dependency.

Our gut plays a critical role in our overall health. It influences inflammation levels, immune function, and overall vitality. Dr. Shah explained to Jay Shetty that 80-90% of our immune cells reside in our guts; when the intestinal lining is compromised, toxins leak into the bloodstream, triggering chronic inflammation. As a result, the immune system gets overwhelmed and illnesses appear.

To generally improve your health, it's essential to get enough sleep. Stress management is equally important, and so is a fiber-rich diet. Dr. Darshan Shah advises the listeners to limit unnecessary Advil and antibiotics usage, because they act like nuclear bombs on gut bacteria. They should be used sparingly, in order to protect long-term health.

The top three death causes in the United States are heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. While genetics plays a role in the disease's appearance and development, Dr. Shah emphasized to Jay Shetty that lifestyle and the environment play a much larger role. Depending on external factors, genes can be turned on and off, he added. Your sleep and eating habits alone have the potential to steer your health in one direction or the other, alongside toxin exposure.

Avoiding Heart Disease

Many people don't realize they have heart disease until a fatal heart attack. There are many signs leading up to it, many of which people aren't aware of, and Dr. Shah shared them with Jay Shetty:

• Metabolic disease (e.g. insulin resistance
• Inflammation
• Blood vessel damage (often due to high blood pressure)
• High levels of Apolipoprotein B (APO B) cholesterols

Dr. Shah encourages the patients to monitor their APO B levels regularly to get an accurate assessment of their health.

Sugar poses another health risk, but there is a lack of public awareness around the link between sugar and metabolic health. Even foods considered healthy, like bread, condiments, or processed meats, all contain sugar. Make sure to consume fiber before a meal to stabilize glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Take a walk after each meal, too.

High blood pressure is another silent killer. Even if you think you're too young, it's still worth it to check your blood pressure regularly. Dr. Shah told Jay Shetty that the optimal value is 120/70. Ensure you obtain a small blood pressure device and learn how to use it correctly. If you have higher values than the recommendation, there are a few things that you can do to improve your health before medicating. Dr. Darshan Shah recommends meditation, breathing exercises, doing physical activity, and changing your diet.

How to Prevent Alzheimer's

Jay Shetty learned from Dr. Shah that Alzheimer's disease can be postponed through lifestyle choices. To keep your brain healthy and functioning for longer, it's important to lead a life as stress-free as possible. Make sure to constantly train your brain and learn new things, allowing it to remain engaged and plastic. When the brain is stimulated, chronic inflammation shrinks.

A new test checking the p-tau 217 protein has been developed. This specific protein serves as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease, aiding in its early detection. Now it's much easier to monitor your brain health proactively and see whether interventions are working for you. Yet besides monitoring, Dr. Shah emphasized to Jay Shetty the importance of deliberately keeping your brain trained, to sustain your nerve cells' function for as long as possible.

Catching Cancer Early

One of today's most widespread diseases is cancer, and people rightfully fear it. Dr. Shah explained to Jay Shetty that modern technology allows for more screenings, which in turn leads to more diagnoses. Yet the sooner you catch it, the more chances of recovery there are. Diagnosing cancer at stage one dramatically improves the odds of survival compared to any later stages.

To minimize the risk of developing cancer, it's essential to focus on reducing inflammation in the body. You also need to look into stress management methods, toxin exposure, and metabolic health. All these factors are interconnected, and if you take care of your body, you can also prevent heart disease or Alzheimer's.

Biomarkers Everyone Should Monitor

Dr. Shah shared with Jay Shetty 10 biomarkers that everyone should track whenever doing a health check. He explained them on his website (drshah.com), and they include:

• Hemoglobin A1C (for glucose)
• HS-CRP (for inflammation)
• APO B (for cardiovascular risk)
• Vitamin D,
• Blood pressure
• Muscle-to-fat ratio

Dr. Darshan Shah recommends keeping a spreadsheet of these values, and updating them regularly. His goal is to empower people to take control of their health before symptoms appear.

More From Jay Shetty

Listen to the entire On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast episode “Dr. Darshan Shah: Can’t Focus, Sleep, or Lose Weight — it Could be From the Toxins in Your Every Day Products! (Do These SIMPLE Daily Swaps to Undo the Damage NOW!)” now in the iTunes store or on Spotify. For more inspirational stories and messages like this, check out Jay’s website at jayshetty.me.

Disclaimer: The practices described are based on personal experiences and preliminary research. They are not medical advice, nor are results guaranteed. Individual outcomes vary, and some claims are still being studied. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning any new health, wellness, or therapeutic practice.

‍¹Clear, James. Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. New York New York: Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2018.