Detox teas, juice cleanses and “resets” are often the first thing people reach for when energy is low, weight feels stubborn or brain fog won’t lift.
But for many, detoxes don’t bring clarity or vitality, they bring headaches, exhaustion and feeling worse than before.
The reason isn’t that detoxing doesn’t work.
It’s that detoxing can’t work properly when your cells are low on oxygen.
Your body already knows how to detox
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The liver uses oxygen-dependent enzymes to convert toxins into water-soluble compounds
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The kidneys filter waster from the blood
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The lungs remove carbon dioxide and volatile toxins
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The gut eliminates waste via bile and stood
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The skin helps remove toxins through sweat and supports overall detoxification
Detox pathways are oxygen-dependent
At a cellular level, detoxification is an energy-intensive process powered by your mitochondria, the tiny “batteries” inside cells that produce ATP (energy).
Most detox reactions depend on:
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Aerobic (oxygen-based) metabolism
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Healthy mitochondrial function
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Phase 1 and Phase 2 liver enzymes
When oxygen levels drop, cells shift into survival mode.
“Energy production falls, detox enzymes slow down, and the body prioritises keeping cells alive rather than clearing toxins,” says Caroline.
This is why detoxing during periods of chronic stress, inflammation or fatigue often backfires.
Inflammation restricts oxygen delivery
Low oxygen rarely exists on its own. It’s commonly linked with:
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Chronic inflammation
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Poor circulation
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Sluggish lymphatic flow
Inflammation can narrow blood vessels and limits oxygen delivery to organs, including the liver and kidneys. When oxygen can’t reach tissues effectively, toxin clearance slows and symptoms build.
Common signs include:
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Fatigue and brain fog
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Headaches
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A heavy or “toxic” feeling
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Aches, bloating and low resilience
Why fad detoxes often makes symptoms worse
Most commercial detox products don’t improve oxygenation or cellular energy.
Instead they often:
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Act as laxatives or diuretics
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Cause short-term water loss rather than toxin removal
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Increase stress on the liver and kidneys
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Add pressure to an already depleted system
As Caroline puts it:
“No juice, supplement or tea can override basic physiology. If oxygen delivery isn’t supported, detox products can actually slow detox rather than support it.”
How hyperbaric oxygen therapy supports real detox
True detox isn’t about restriction – it’s about supporting the systems that already exist.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) works by increasing the amount of oxygen dissolved directly into your blood plasma. This allows oxygen to reach inflamed or under-oxygenated tissues that normal breathing can’t easily access.
HBOT supports detox by:
Improving oxygen delivery to the liver and kidneys
Reducing inflammation
Enhancing cellular energy production
Supporting circulation and tissue repair
When oxygen levels are restored, detox pathways can finally function as they’re designed to.
Supporting the body, not forcing it
If detoxes have left you feeling worse rather than better, it’s not a failure – it’s feedback.
Your body may not need another cleanse.
It may need oxygen, energy and space to recover.
That’s why at HybO2 House, we focus on supporting detox at a cellular level, using hyperbaric oxygen therapy, often alongside red light therapy, to create the right internal environment for the body to rebalance naturally.
If you’d like to understand whether oxygen therapy could support your energy, clarity and overall wellbeing, our team would love to talk you through it.
Contact HybO2 House to book your Signature Experience; a taster of both hyperbaric and red light therapy, and we’ll introduce you to our in-house naturopath, Caroline Longmore, for a free 20-minute consultation and help you on your pathway to feeling your best.