Chlorophyll and Coriander Pesto Heavy Metal Detox

A while back I wrote a blog post questioning a health product called Adya Clarity that was heavily promoted (in the raw food community and on Facebook). Unfortunately, when I looked at the patent application for the product, it didn’t look kosher to me. Ultimately, Adya Clarity was found to contain (among other things) 1200 ppm aluminum (which was not stated on the label). Now we have a slew of unsuspecting Adya Clarity consumers who need to detoxify aluminum (and possibly other metals) from their system!

Coriander & Chlorophyll Detox

Since most of us would only benefit from detoxifying our bodies from aluminum, lead, mercury, etc., I’m going to share a very simple (and tasty!) Way to do this. If you need a very serious detox, you can also add infrared saunas, chlorella, and spirulina to this detox program:

1. When you wake up, drink 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice in 1 cup of warm / hot water. Remember, lemon juice is acidic in the glass but becomes alkaline when ingested.

2. On an empty stomach (whatever time of day), take 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorophyll in a glass of water, then eat 2 teaspoons of cilantro pesto (recipe below). You can eat the coriander pesto with other foods – on top of crackers, baked potatoes, etc. – but I think it will get stronger if consumed on an empty stomach at least 10-15 minutes before other foods.

3. Magnesium is also a powerful detoxifier and mineral that most people are deficient in. I wrote an extensive post on magnesium (types, absorption, etc) so you can refer to it for a lot more information. For our purposes here, take 2-3 tablespoons of QuikPlus (nano size) magnesium per day. Because it is instantly absorbed into the bloodstream, it does not require digestion and therefore does not cause diarrhea or loose stools.

Follow this regimen for 3-4 weeks. If you need a more serious detox, also take 1-2 teaspoons of chlorella and 1-2 teaspoons of spirulina in 8 ounces of liquid once a day. Mixing these with fruit in an Absorb Plus shake or whey protein shake really helps mask the taste.

Or use a ready-made, high quality detox product like Flora’s FlorEssence Gentle Detox Tea – this one is great because it has a very mild taste, is safe for even people with sensitive digestive systems, yet very effective. If your system is sensitive, start with a reduced dose or only take it once a day and build up gradually from there. Even if I only take it once a day, I can feel a positive difference.

Infrared saunas are also great for detoxing, and have many other benefits – but don’t overdo it if you are underweight as they usually result in weight loss.

The most delicious way to detoxify heavy metals is to use coriander (parsely in Chinese). The serious detoxification ability of this herb has even been documented in PubMed: this study showed that after removing amalgam fillings and despite the use of normal holistic dental practices of a rubber dam and proper ventilation and suction, mercury deposits that had previously occurred were absent in all important organs of the body (lungs, kidneys, endocrine organs, liver, and heart) found.

The mercury deposits were then successfully removed by ingesting 400 mg / day of Chinese parsley or coriander for a period of about 4 weeks. Instead of taking a pill, here’s an easy and tasty way to get the same detox power from cilantro (and other powerful detox foods):

Coriander chelated pesto

4 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup Brazil nuts (selenium)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (cysteine)
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (zinc, magnesium)
2 cups of fresh coriander packed [also called coriander] (Vitamin A)
4 tablespoons lemon juice (vitamin C)
2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of Dulse powder [or kelp powder/granules]2/3 cup of flaxseed oil [or Udo’s oil]Sea salt to taste

1. Finely chop the coriander, garlic, nuts, seeds, dulse, olive oil and lemon juice in a blender.

2. Then add flax oil and a pinch of sea salt and mix on low speed (do not heat flax oil) until the mixture is mixed into a paste.

3. Store in the refrigerator, if possible in dark glasses.

* This pesto freezes well so buy cilantro in season and fill enough glasses to last year round. The coriander will begin to turn dark green / brown in 4-5 days. So if you want it to look super fresh, just keep a small supply in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed.

Coriander has been shown to chelate toxic metals from our body in a relatively short amount of time. When combined with the benefits of the other ingredients, this recipe makes a powerful fabric cleaner. This recipe was originally published by “Muffet” on my Adya Clarity blog. She says that:

“Two teaspoons of this pesto daily for three weeks is said to increase the excretion of mercury, lead and aluminum in the urine, effectively removing these toxic metals from our body. We can consider doing this cleaning at least once a year for three weeks. Coriander is really a healing food. A friend who had high blood pressure from mercury poisoning had blood pressure normalized after eating two teaspoons of this pesto a day for just a week. Whether you want to detoxify heavy metals from your body or just use them preventively, 2 teaspoons a day is all you need to take. This pesto has become an integral part of my diet. Enjoy!”

I slightly changed the recipe from what was published to include flax or Udo’s oil (I use Udo’s) instead of just olive oil, as you’ll get the added benefits of omega-3s as well as evening primrose oil can – if you use Udo.

The pesto also tastes great with baked potatoes, pasta, vegetables, sandwiches, toast or crackers and goat cheese.

So you can keep consuming this pesto as part of your normal diet even after your detox. Four of my friends tried and immediately asked for the recipe to go home and make their own! It really is that good. The picture above (blurry – sorry!) Right below the recipe was taken in my kitchen so you can see what it looks like.

Changes in bowel movements

As you implement this protocol, your bowel movements may change – either they become looser or your stool may become harder. Remember that as you detox your body needs to get rid of the toxins. Therefore, it is normal for this to lead to changes in bowel function.

If your bowel movements become too loose, reduce the dosage for a while so that the detox process will slow down.

If your bowel movements are harder to pass, add magnesium citrate to your regime – starting at around 150 mg and increasing up to 1000 mg per day as needed. Also, don’t be surprised if you experience more fatigue or even other detox symptoms (headache, rash, nausea, etc.) that usually go away within 7-10 days. If you have a symptom that lasts longer, seek other treatment or see your naturopathic doctor.

Originally posted November 2012. Last updated April 2021.

Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural digestive disease healing. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been drug and surgery free for over 20 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcast, television and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to cure their Colitis, Crohns, Diverticulitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in all natural methods . Her books on natural digestive disease cures have been sold in over 80 countries around the world.