Throughout our lives, various harmful substances enter the body. The liver breaks these substances down or converts them into forms that are easier to expel, which are then eliminated through urine via the kidneys and other organs. Among the foods we eat, watercress, green tea, and lentils are representative examples that assist in this process.

1. Watercress

Watercress contains phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a plant compound found in cruciferous vegetables. PEITC helps harmful substances such as benzene and acrolein to be processed in the body and excreted through urine. Benzene is a carcinogen that can be found in automobile exhaust, while acrolein is an irritating toxic substance generated during combustion processes. According to the journal Carcinogenesis, when 188 adults consumed freeze-dried watercress three times a day for two weeks, their urinary excretion of acrolein metabolites increased by 65.6% and benzene metabolites by 37.3% compared to those who consumed a placebo drink. Additionally, urinary metabolites increased in six out of the seven harmful substances investigated.

2. Green Tea

The theanine (an amino acid found in tea) and catechins (plant compounds with antioxidant properties) in green tea play a role in binding to certain reactive harmful substances in the body. Representative examples include acrolein, methylglyoxal, and glyoxal. These substances enter from the outside or are generated during the body's metabolic processes; if they become excessively abundant, they can damage cells. According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, when participants drank four cups of green tea containing about 200 mg of theanine, urinalysis detected substances where acrolein, methylglyoxal, and glyoxal were bound to theanine, and some were also identified in forms bound to green tea catechins. Theanine and catechins in green tea bound to these substances, and the resulting complexes were successfully excreted through urine.

3. Lentils

Lentils are rich not only in protein and dietary fiber, but also in selenium, a trace nutrient required in small amounts by the body. Selenium helps convert arsenic inside the body into a form that is easily excreted through urine. Arsenic can enter the body through contaminated groundwater or certain foods, and long-term exposure to large amounts can harm health. According to a study published in Environmental Research, when 405 residents chronically exposed to arsenic consumed about 65g of selenium-rich lentils daily for half a year, the amount of arsenic excreted in their urine was significantly higher than that of a control group that consumed lentils with low selenium content. At the same time, the urinary excretion of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), a processed form of arsenic within the body, also increased.

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