( Part 1 of 3)
A Legacy Rooted in Innovation
By: Lennard M. Goetze, Ed.D / Gail
Bravermann, Ph.D - Editorial team @ HealthTechReporter.com
Dr. David Root’s journey into detox medicine began in the early 1980s when, as the medical director of the Sacramento Occupational Medical Group, he confronted the challenge of treating workers exposed to industrial chemicals. One of his most pressing cases involved SR-71 Blackbird ground crews—military personnel who routinely came into contact with exotic jet fuels and volatile compounds. These substances were fat-soluble and lingered in the body, evading the body’s normal elimination processes. At the time, there was no recognized medical solution for such exposures.
Dr. Root adapted a controversial but effective
framework—originally known as the Hubbard Method—into a clinically safe,
non-sectarian program. His adaptation eliminated any religious affiliation
while retaining the methodology’s physiological core: the combination of niacin-induced
lipid mobilization and sauna-based thermal detox.
Despite skepticism, the California Medical Board allowed his work to continue
after reviewing a 50-page defense of the program’s science and outcomes. In
time, the State of
Daniel Root and the Refinement of
a Method
When Dr. Root retired in 2019, Daniel—having worked alongside his father—took up the mantle. He modernized the protocol through research, technology updates, and practical refinements, all while staying true to its original mission: removing fat-stored toxicants that the liver cannot fully metabolize.
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Daniel’s refinement involves carefully timing sauna sessions to coincide with this lipid release, using far-infrared saunas rather than traditional dry heat. Far-infrared wavelengths penetrate deeper into the skin, melting sebum in the sebaceous glands and producing what Daniel calls sebaceous sweat—a lipid-rich perspiration that carries fat-soluble contaminants out of the body. This process is further supported by binders such as zeolite, activated charcoal, or bentonite clay, which can help capture and remove circulating toxins before they are reabsorbed.
Beyond the Sauna: A Structured
Detox System
While saunas are the visible symbol of this program, Daniel emphasizes that detoxification is not simply “sweating it out.” The process involves:
1.Niacin Dosing Protocol – Gradual, individualized increases in niacin to trigger predictable rebound lipolysis.
2.Thermal Mobilization – Targeted far-infrared sauna sessions designed to optimize sebaceous sweating.
3.Nutritional Support – Supplementation to replenish vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants depleted during detox.
4.Binding Agents – Internal binders to trap mobilized toxins and prevent enterohepatic recirculation.
5.Hydration and Electrolyte Balance – Essential for preventing dehydration and supporting cellular recovery.
Daniel’s 2019 book, Sauna Detoxification Using Niacin, details these steps and presents both the science and real-world applications of the method.
Occupational Health and First
Responders
A significant application of the Root Method has been in first responder health programs. Police, firefighters, and emergency personnel face chronic exposure to combustion byproducts, industrial chemicals, and environmental contaminants—from smoke inhalation at fire scenes to hazardous materials encountered during rescue operations.
This is where Daniel Root’s work intersects with specialists like Dr. Leslie Valle Montoya, an expert in bioenergetic medicine, and Dr. Robert L. Bard, a diagnostic imaging pioneer. Both have been active in screening and supporting the health of first responders, particularly in detecting early signs of toxicant-related illness.
· Dr. Valle Montoya applies bioenergy-based assessments and functional health strategies to monitor and guide detoxification efforts, complementing Daniel’s protocol with metabolic and hormonal evaluations.
· Dr. Bard, as a cancer diagnostics specialist, uses advanced ultrasound and Doppler imaging to identify early tissue changes in organs and glands—especially relevant for toxin-exposed individuals who face elevated cancer risks.
Together, these professionals form a multidisciplinary bridge between prevention, early detection, and active detoxification.
Detox in the Broader Medical
Context
Traditional medicine offers solutions like chelation therapy for heavy metals, but few recognized protocols exist for chemical toxicants. Many environmental contaminants—pesticides, solvents, flame retardants, and fuel additives—are lipophilic, meaning they accumulate in fat tissue and persist for years. The "Root Method" addresses this gap. By mobilizing lipids and enhancing excretion via sebaceous sweat, Daniel’s protocol provides a physiologic pathway for clearing compounds that otherwise remain sequestered in the body.
Critically, Daniel distances his program from unverified “detox” trends that dominate wellness marketing. His method is data-driven, based on documented metabolic effects, and shaped by decades of occupational medicine experience. Testimonials, case images, and clinical reports continue to add weight to its legitimacy.
From Controversy to Credibility
Because the protocol traces its roots to a system once linked with Scientology, Daniel is candid about its history. He stresses the clear separation his father made decades ago, transforming it into a clinical, religion-free intervention. Over time, this transparency and a growing record of occupational health successes have helped shift the method’s image from fringe to functional.
The turning point for many observers came when government and law enforcement agencies began referring personnel for treatment—validating its role in protecting workers whose toxic exposures exceeded standard medical options.
Looking Forward: Integrative
Detoxification
Daniel envisions the future of detox medicine as integrative and multidisciplinary. He sees partnerships with oncologists, endocrinologists, environmental health experts, and imaging specialists as essential. As the science of toxicology evolves and the list of environmental contaminants grows, so too does the need for tailored detox interventions.
By working alongside practitioners like Dr. Valle Montoya and Dr. Bard, Daniel hopes to expand research on measurable health outcomes—linking biochemical detox markers with imaging-based assessments of organ health. This could help define detoxification not just as a supportive therapy but as a recognized preventive medical intervention.
The Personal Mission
For Daniel, the work is personal. Having witnessed decades of patients reclaim health and function after debilitating toxic exposures, he views detoxification as both a medical necessity and a human right. “We live in a world where toxicants are unavoidable,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean we have to accept them as a life sentence. The body has the ability to heal if we give it the right tools—and my job is to make sure those tools are as effective and accessible as possible.”
C L I N I C A L A F T E R T H O U G H T :
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Perspective on Niacin-Infrared Detox from an Endocrine Standpoint
By: Dr. Angela Mazza / Integrative Enocrinologist
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The niacin–sauna detoxification protocol, originally developed in the context of environmental medicine, is designed to mobilize and eliminate fat-soluble toxicants that can persist in adipose tissue for years. These toxicants—such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, pesticides, and certain plasticizers—are lipophilic, resist normal metabolic clearance, and can act as endocrine disruptors. The protocol typically involves staged dosing of niacin to promote lipolysis, moderate exercise to enhance circulation, and repeated sauna sessions to facilitate excretion via sweat. Supplemental antioxidants, electrolytes, and specific nutrients are used concurrently to support hepatic biotransformation and prevent oxidative stress.
Additionally, because adipose tissue is both a storage site for toxicants and an active endocrine organ, mobilizing and clearing these compounds may help reduce chronic low-grade inflammation and support healthier leptin, adiponectin, and cortisol dynamics. While more high-quality randomized trials are needed, integrative clinicians have reported improved energy, mood stability, and hormone regulation following such protocols, especially in patients with occupational exposures (e.g., firefighters, industrial workers) or environmentally linked metabolic disorders. As with any detoxification protocol, careful monitoring, individualized dosing, and attention to hydration and electrolyte balance are critical to safety and efficacy.
References
(1). Baird IM, et al. Effects of nicotinic acid on plasma free fatty acids in man. Metabolism. 1969;18(8):664-672. (2). Crinnion WJ. Sauna as a valuable clinical tool for cardiovascular, autoimmune, toxicant-induced and other chronic health problems. Altern Med Rev. 2011;16(3):215-225. (3). Genuis SJ, et al. Human excretion of heavy metals through sweat. Biomed Res Int. 2011;2011:1-10. (4). Dahl J, et al. Heavy metal excretion in sweat. Arch Environ Health. 1984;39(5):333-336. (5). Kilburn KH, et al. Neurobehavioral and pulmonary impairment in firefighters exposed to the World Trade Center disaster. Am J Ind Med. 2002;42(6):605-615. (6). Kilburn KH. Evaluating the sauna detoxification method for chemically exposed individuals. Toxicol Ind Health. 2003;19(3):89-106. (7). Proctor SP, et al. Health status of Persian Gulf War veterans: self-reported symptoms, environmental exposures, and the effect of stress. Int J Epidemiol. 1998;27(6):1000-1010. (8). Root DE, Lionelli GT. Excretion of a lipophilic toxicant through the sebaceous glands: a case report. J Toxicol Cut Ocul Toxicol. 1987;6(1):13-17.
DETECTION AND DETOXIFICATION
By: Dr. Robert L. Bard
In medical imaging, we often see the downstream consequences of chronic xenobiotic accumulation: organ inflammation, vascular compromise, and tissue changes that reflect years of biochemical stress. Many of these patients are first responders, industrial workers, or veterans—individuals with repeated exposure to complex chemical environments. In these populations, it is rarely a single agent that causes harm, but the cumulative and synergistic effects of multiple toxicants.
What makes the Root protocol stand out is its comprehensive targeting of three essential barriers in toxicant clearance—mobilization, circulation, and excretion. From an imaging perspective, this sequence matters. Mobilized toxins that are not efficiently cleared can redistribute into other tissues, sometimes worsening the very pathology one is trying to treat. The inclusion of binders to interrupt enterohepatic recirculation and the preference for far-infrared induction of sebaceous sweating demonstrate an awareness of these risks and an effort to mitigate them.
As our understanding of environmental medicine expands, it is clear that identifying toxins is only part of the equation; we must also address their removal. The niacin–sauna detoxification protocol offers a physiologically sound, evidence-informed approach that deserves greater attention—not as an alternative to conventional care, but as a complementary tool in the ongoing effort to protect and restore health in high-risk populations.
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The REAL Cause and Effect of ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS
Source: ECOSMART NEWS Vol 2-2024
By: Dr. Roberta Kline / Women’s Health Digest – Editor
The role of environmental toxins in a wide variety of health issues is a huge public health crisis that is not receiving the attention it needs. While it is well known that making healthy diet and lifestyle choices can significantly improve health outcomes, this is only one part of the equation. Putting the burden of responsibility solely on the individual is no longer effective when their greater environment is full of toxic threats they cannot see or control.
HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM REALLY?
The reality is that we are exposed to numerous toxins over the course of our lives – starting even before birth. Over the last 50 years, more than 87,000 chemicals have been approved for commercial use. Yet only about 1% (about 1,000 chemicals) have been actually evaluated for health risk. Half of those have been found to have some risk of causing cancer by the WHO: 120 as known carcinogens, 81 as probably carcinogens, and 299 as possible carcinogens. [1]
Here in the U.S. we have lagged behind. To date, the EPA has only banned 9 chemicals, and the National Toxicology Program has identified 27 chemical substances as carcinogens. [2] Clearly, there is much more work to do.
Neither of these addresses the increasing burden of a newer class of chemicals called endocrine disruptors. Classic carcinogens cause cancer through cell damage and mutations. Endocrine disruptors operate differently, mimicking hormones and causing subtle but significant alterations in our biological communication system. [1] Often there is synergy between the effects of these different types of chemicals, making it difficult to show direct cause-and-effect for health risks.
A recent update by the EPA revealed that less than half of the 87,000 identified chemicals are currently in commercial use). [3] That may sound promising, but it is estimated that many more chemicals are present in our everyday environment, including pharmaceuticals and byproducts of degradation. On top of this, most monitoring protocols only report on a small number of these. Thus, while it is impossible to state the exact burden of toxins accurately, it is clear that this is a significant problem.
A COMPLEX INTERACTION
Not everyone who is exposed to environmental chemicals will develop disease or cancer. The outcome for each individual is the result of a complex interplay of their genetic predispositions, epigenetics, and environmental exposures over their lifetime. We all have biological processes to clear many different chemical substances from our bodies. How well these systems function can be affected by many factors, including genetics and epigenetics, along with a person’s health and nutrition status, exposure level, and even stress. The more suboptimal these are, the higher a person’s risk for consequences to their health from environmental toxins.
By looking at larger trends, it is possible to get different perspectives on how these risks manifest. The role of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) is the focus of many health initiatives, including the CDC’s Healthy People 2030. People who are of lower economic status are exposed to more toxic environments, often accompanied by fewer resources to offset them. [4]
Image source: Healthy People 2030, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Retrieved 2.8.2024 from https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health
The role of these factors included in SDoH cannot be underestimated. In fact, research has shown them to be significant independent risk factors for many health issues. One of the most shocking insights is that a person’s zip code can reveal more than their genetics. [5] A large part of this is the disparity in exposure to environmental toxins, access to healthy food, health care services, and life stressors.
BEYOND LOCAL
Environmental pollution is not just a local issue. Once chemicals enter the local environment, they are difficult to contain, so they often pollute multiple aspects of the environment – often as far away as other continents or even deep in atmospheric space.
One of the most obvious sources comes from our insatiable appetite for more goods, and the manufacturing plants that make them continue to dump chemicals into the surrounding air, soil, and water. Consumer products themselves contain a variety of chemicals. Computers, smartphones, and other communication devices are central to our everyday lives, and yet processes from extracting raw materials to manufacturing leave their toxic footprint. Plastics are omnipresent, and their outsized role in the long-term environmental dangers is becoming quite clear. Our need for transportation, utilities to heat, cool, and light our homes and offices, and even our medications, medical supplies, and treatments all contribute. Current large-scale agricultural and food distribution practices play a role as well.
Clearly, many of the products created make our lives better. But how we think about them - and the actual cost of producing them - has to change.
NATURAL DISASTERS INCREASINGLY PLAY A ROLE
It’s not just these obvious sources that are contaminating our environment. Natural disasters produce their own share of toxins, directly and indirectly. Toxins that normally aren’t released into the environment directly can pose new threats when natural disasters overwhelm current measures. For example, today’s fires release toxins as materials burn, whether these materials are those found in nature or those that are manufactured. Floods cause sewage and industrial or agricultural waste to enter waterways and groundwater systems. As these natural disasters these become increasingly more frequent and more devastating, we’ll need new ways of addressing their impact.
Image source: G. Muir, D. C., Getzinger, G. J., McBride, M., & Ferguson, P. L. (2023). How Many Chemicals in Commerce Have Been Analyzed in Environmental Media? A 50 Year Bibliometric Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(25), 9119-9129. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c09353
INVISIBLE ENEMY
A stealthy adversary, environmental toxins are often invisible, and the diseases they cause are not often immediate. Rather, they often alter a person’s biology so that illness develops over time. This makes it difficult to connect with the abstract concept of their risk. Additionally, many toxins individually may not have such potent effects, but collectively the risk is magnified. Thus, the risk from our exposure to multiple toxins over many years can be much greater than the risk of a single or short-term exposure to a single toxin.
The current level of scientific and clinical knowledge is more than enough to demonstrate the ongoing risks to health and the role of a wide array of environmental toxins in devastating diseases, including cancer. We have been contaminating our food, water, and air for centuries. But with a sharp increase in new chemicals being developed over the past 30 years, it is now accelerating at a breakneck pace.
It is impossible to rid our world of every environmental toxin, and inconceivable that we could ever go back to a world where no chemicals will be utilized to create the goods and services we need. So the way forward is to reimagine the future to alter how we support modern lifestyle needs in a way that also supports a healthy environment for all.
CHANGE REQUIRES FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT
Change is possible, but it is not easy nor is it fast. Just look at the slow progress since the passage of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 1976. With all existing chemicals being deemed “safe for use” and grandfathered in, it was only designed for evaluating new chemicals. And yet, only about 20% of new chemicals were reviewed, with the remaining 80% allowed to go to market without any oversight.
It was only in 2016 that this legislation was updated in an effort to address these shortcomings. The EPA has since completed its initial evaluation of all chemicals in its database, finding that only about half of the 87,000 listed chemicals were still in commercial use. But safety data is still unknown for most of these, and the next task is to start addressing this large void. [6]
Altering course demands a shift in societal values that will support critical evaluation of current practices, and the will to enact significant modifications in public and private policies operating under an old paradigm. Many may need to be completely overhauled at a high short-term monetary cost. But this short-term cost will be more than offset by long-term savings in environmental toxin-related health services and the cost of premature loss of health and life.
Creating this paradigm shift will require extensive education and advocacy to communicate the existing research and knowledge about risks and potential solutions and put them into action. We must also prioritize ongoing research and development to address this crisis with practical solutions on both a local and global scale.
REFERENCES
1) Cohen, L., & Jefferies, A. (2019). Environmental exposures and cancer: Using the precautionary principle. Ecancermedicalscience, 13. https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2019.ed91
2) https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances
3) https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-releases-first-major-update-chemicals-list-40-years
4) https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health
5) Graham GN. Why Your ZIP Code Matters More Than Your Genetic Code: Promoting Healthy Outcomes from Mother to Child. Breastfeed Med. 2016 Oct;11:396-7. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2016.0113. Epub 2016 Aug 11. PMID: 27513279
6) https://www.epa.gov/reviewing-new-chemicals-under-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca/statistics-new-chemicals-review
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