The Detox Powerhouse: The Liver
In a previous post, I shared a quiz about whether a detox or cleanse is right for you. If you' haven’t already taken the quiz, go for it and tell me how you did.
You can review your results here.
How does the body detoxify itself?
Your body can help you to eliminate toxins by either neutralizing them or eliminating them. I’ll save you the graphic images, but going to the bathroom, or sweating or through respiration are the elimination methods. The liver, intestines and kidneys are the primary organs of detoxification. But, we want to focus in on the liver, supporting it, protecting it and repairing it.
The liver
The liver plays a key role in most metabolic processes and detoxification is one of its primary roles. Even through metabolic processes, toxins are produced and the liver efficiently neutralizes them. The liver filters the blood to remove the larger toxins and secretes bile and other fat-soluble toxins, and disassembles chemicals through an enzymatic process.
This brings us to the two phases of detoxification in the liver. Phase I and Phase II. Pretty obvious, I know. But what exactly are these processes and what do you need to keep yours in tip top shape?
If you’re ready to ready more on Phase I detoxification, click here. I’ve summarized below for the TLDR fans.
THE QUICK EDITION: Phase I detoxification in your liver
Essentially, this is where the chemicals are modified so that the Phase II detox process can easily find them and target them.
The liver neutralizes toxins with enzymes. Trying to make them either water-soluble so the kidneys can excrete them in the urine, or neutralizing them all together. Lastly, the toxins can be transformed into more chemically reactive forms and move along to Phase II detoxification.
When all of this Phase I detoxification is going on, we are dealing with toxins after all. So, we may end up with free radicals. In this process, antioxidants neutralize these free radicals. To stimulate the Phase I detoxification process, these foods are recommended.
Stimulants to Phase I detoxification:
Brassica vegetables: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage
Oranges, tangerines
Caraway seeds
Dill seeds
Vitamin B1, Niacin, Vitamin C
THE COCKTAIL PARTY: Phase II detoxification in the liver
This is where toxins chelate or bind with a protective compound in a process known as conjugation. You know the parties where everyone “conjugates” around in the kitchen?…Yeah, same thing. Well, sort of. There’s six pathways or “cliques”. Some toxins are “sociable” and will hang around in multiple cliques/pathways and neutralize through several. They know how to play in the sandbox.
But in order for these conjugation systems to be effective, they need nutrients to activate and produce the binding molecules. Plus, like most processes, they need energy. So, if your liver’s mitochondria are not working properly due to a deficiency in magnesium, the aging process, or even not exercising the body, the whole detoxification process can slow down.
Getting to the root
The thing is, knowing what’s missing in our nutrition can help to solve the issue. But understanding the actual system or process needing the boost is near impossible to figure out.
“My recommendation: eat a well-balanced diet full of nutrients with phytochemical diversity; exercise in a manner that is agreeable to your body, mind and spirit. Rejuvenate your soul with this sweating. Breathe. Move. Drink water. And avoid toxicity, the emotional and chemical varieties!”
There is a common theme throughout the detoxification process and the liver: B vitamins. A deficiency in various B vitamins can affect several conjugation systems.
There’s so much more to it than this, including glutathione. You can read more here, or hit me up for a chat.
