The Basics of Detoxing Your Liver
by Frances Albrecht, M.S., C.N.
A gentle cleansing can benefit the body in myriad ways including improved
health, mental clarity, restful sleep and recharged vitality.
Every day we're bombarded by an assortment of poisons. The daily
accumulation of metabolic by-products, environmental pollutants,
pharmaceutical drug residues and chemicals in processed food can result in
toxicity within our bodies. A
healthy diet and natural detoxification supplements such as herbs and
nutrients can help stimulate internal cleansing.
The benefits of internal
cleansing include improved health, mental clarity, restful sleep, enhanced
immune strength, clear skin and recharged vitality. If your body
would appreciate a gentle cleanse, here's what you need to know. Please seek
the advice of your health care practitioner before beginning a cleanse.
What Is Internal Cleansing?
Internal cleansing encompasses a
variety of methods to rid the body of accumulated irritants, waste products
and toxins, while restoring intestinal and organ health. "Toxins"
refer to substances that can provoke inflammatory and other negative
reactions in the body. One class of substances called endogenous toxins
(literally meaning "originating inside") are poisons produced internally as
a metabolism by-product.
Some endogenous toxins can be destructive. For example, endotoxins formed
by bacteria or yeasts absorbed into the bloodstream and carried throughout
the body have been implicated in many diseases including ulcerative colitis,
thyroid disease, allergies and immune disorders, say Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.,
and Michael Murray, N.D., in The Textbook of Natural Medicine (Prima
Press).
A second class of substances called exogenous toxins ("originating
outside") includes all forms of industrial chemicals, pesticides, solvents,
drugs and food additives. For example,
each year the average American is
exposed to 14 pounds of food preservatives, additives, waxes (used to
preserve produce), colorings, flavorings, antimicrobials, and pesticide and
herbicide residues.
In 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that approximately
70,000 chemicals were commonly used
in pesticides, foods and drugs, according to Elizabeth Lipski, M.S.,
C.C.N., in Digestive Wellness (Keats). Exposure to some chemicals can
have serious health consequences including psychological and neurological
damage. Symptoms manifest in a
variety of ways and may include depression, headaches, mental confusion,
abnormal nerve reflexes or other signs of impaired nervous system function,
as well as higher incidence of cancers and respiratory tract allergies,
according to Pizzorno
and Murray.
The primary goal of internal cleansing is to improve the liver's function
and restore good gastrointestinal health. The liver is the largest gland of
the body (a normal liver weighs about 2.5 pounds) and is located in the
upper right portion of the abdominal cavity. The liver, one of the body's
most complex organs, is responsible for cleansing endogenous and exogenous
toxins from the body. To do this, the liver transforms fat-soluble chemicals
into water-soluble compounds so the body doesn't store them in fat but
instead releases them via the kidneys and bowels.
The liver also metabolizes proteins, fats and carbohydrates (thus
providing energy and nutrients); processes blood hemoglobin for use of its
iron content; stores vitamins and minerals; breaks down and eliminates
excess hormones; and produces bile, a yellow-green fluid stored in the
gallbladder for secretion into the intestine to emulsify fats.
The liver detoxifies substances in two steps.
Phase I reactions are primarily
performed by a group of enzymes called
the P450 system. These enzymes have affinities for different drugs,
chemicals and other toxins. In addition, they're responsible for starting
the process of detoxifying substances such as car exhaust, medications and
internally derived molecules including steroid hormones and other end
products of metabolism that would be toxic if allowed to accumulate,
according to Dan Lukaczer, N.D.
Phase I reactions produce highly reactive intermediates that are often
more dangerous than the original compounds. These intermediates are then
handled by the Phase II enzymes.
In Phase II, the reactive
intermediates are converted to harmless waste products excreted via the
urine or bile, which binds with digested food in the intestine to form
stool. Sluggish Phase I or Phase II function can result in the
buildup of toxic intermediate products.
When the liver works properly, detoxification occurs effectively, and the
human body can tolerate a wide range of substances without any noticeable
side effects. However, when the body
is exposed to toxic substances that are difficult to neutralize such as many
forms of pesticides, or if the liver isn't working optimally, toxicity and
disease can occur.
Some substances can inhibit the liver's detoxification abilities. For
example, cimetidine, an ulcer medication, limits the liver's ability to
detoxify foreign substances, resulting in a buildup of toxic compounds in
the liver, according to Lipski.
Inefficient detoxification is suspected to play a role in many diseases and
can lead to toxic reactions such as inflammation, arthritis and skin
disorders. It may also play an important role in difficult-to-treat
illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome.
7 Liver Cleansers
Despite the array of damaging substances presented daily to the liver,
this organ has an amazing ability to restore itself. Listed below are some
of the natural substances commonly used to help detoxify the body and
support liver function and regeneration.
1. Milk thistle. Silymarin, a flavonoid (plant pigment) extracted
from the milk thistle plant, protects the liver by inhibiting factors
responsible for liver cell damage — free radicals and leukotrienes (a form
of the hormone-like substances called prostaglandins). Silymarin can also
alter the structure of the outer walls of liver cells so poisons can't
penetrate. In addition, silymarin stimulates protein synthesis of the liver
cells, which helps the liver regenerate itself after damage, says herbalist
Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., in Milk Thistle — The Liver Herb (Botanica
Press). Silymarin inhibits depletion of glutathione (one of the liver's most
important antioxidant enzymes) induced by alcohol and other liver toxins.
2. Dandelion root. "The chief benefits of this herb are exerted
upon the function of the liver. It has the capacity to clear obstructions
and stimulate the liver to detoxify poison," says Michael Tierra, C.A.,
N.D., in The Way of Herbs (Washington Square Press). Dandelion is a
diuretic, thus helping eliminate toxins from the body via the urine. It also
helps stimulate bile flow. (Bile flow facilitates elimination.) Dandelion
also helps release bile from the liver, important because if the liver
doesn't eliminate bile, it can suffer damage. Much of the beneficial action
of this herb on the liver and blood results from its high content of easily
assimilated minerals.
3. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). NAC is a form of the amino acid
cysteine converted to the important antioxidant and liver-supportive enzyme
glutathione in the body. NAC has shown significant ability to enhance Phase
II detoxification reactions in the liver.
4. Artichoke. Studies show that artichoke leaves contain compounds
called caffeylquinic acids including cynarin, which have demonstrated
liver-regenerating effects similar to milk thistle's (Arzneim-Forsch,
1968, as cited by Murray and Pizzorno).
5. Phospholipids (lecithin). Phospholipids, a form of fat, help
maintain integrity of body cells including liver cells. Research conducted
by Charles Lieber, M.D., of New York's Mt. Sinai School of Medicine
indicates that the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine (PC), also known
as lecithin, can help normalize bile function and regenerate damaged tissue.
PC may be useful in treating hepatitis, a serious liver disease. In
addition, PC protects the liver against choline deficiency. Choline, which
is generally considered a vitamin, is essential for fat metabolism. It helps
prevent the deposition of fats in the liver, guarding against fatty liver
damage. PC also protects against damage from an array of toxic substances
including alcohol and pharmaceutical medications.
6. Turmeric. This common spice helps regenerate liver cells and
cleanse the liver of toxins. Turmeric also increases the production of bile
and may help reduce liver inflammation, says Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., in
his book Herb Bible (Simon & Schuster). Turmeric has been shown to
increase levels of two liver-supporting enzymes: glutathione-s-transferase (GST)
and UDP glucuronyl transferase (UDPGT), important for the promotion of Phase
II detoxification reactions (Plant Foods & Human Nutrition, 1993,
vol. 44, no. 1). In addition, turmeric has been shown to lower
cholesterol levels, Murray and Pizzorno say.
7. Diet. For optimum liver function, you should try to eat a diet
rich in fiber and plant foods, low in refined sugar and fat, and as free
from pesticides and pollutants as possible. Liver cleansing regimes
typically emphasize consuming simple diets rich in fresh fruits and
vegetables (naturally rich sources of the antioxidant vitamins and minerals
used as liver enzyme co-factors) and free of animal foods, processed foods,
and artificial food additives, preservatives or colorings.
If you consume alcohol, prescription or nonprescription drugs, take extra
antioxidant nutrients and herbs to stimulate detoxification of these drugs.
Supporting the liver is particularly important if your job involves applying
pesticides, paints, solvents or toxic chemicals. Heavy use of Tylenol® (acetominophen),
which destroys glutathione when combined with alcohol intake, also causes
liver damage. If you're undergoing long-term medication, consult your health
professional for information on how to protect and support your liver.
More Herbs for Internal Cleansing
Cleansing the blood and the intestinal tract while you cleanse the liver
enhances your purification program. Blood can contain potentially dangerous
substances such as
pesticides, herbicides, viral particles, yeast cells and bacteria, according
to Christopher Hobbs in Foundations of Health (Botanica Press). Blood
cleansers may stimulate increased blood flow through the liver, relieving
congestion, and help eliminate wastes and toxins through the skin, kidneys,
breath and bowels. These herbs help cleanse the blood:
Burdock is recommended primarily as a blood purifier, says Varro
E. Tyler, Ph.D., in The Honest Herbal (Haworth Press). This herb
helps rid the body of toxins through sweating and increased urine flow.
Burdock promotes kidney function to help clear the blood of harmful acids.
It contains iron, which carries oxygen from the tissue to the lungs.
Red clover helps cleanse the blood by eliminating metabolic waste
products through the skin, kidneys, breath and bowels. It also increases the
activity and efficiency of phagocytes, immune cells that engulf and remove
wastes and organisms from the blood and mucus, according to Hobbs.
For cleaning the intestinal tract, use a gel-forming fiber such as
psyllium seed or oat bran to prevent reabsorption of toxic chemicals dumped
into the intestinal tract by the bile, Murray and Pizzorno say. Also,
occasional use of a natural laxative may be helpful. Caution: Long-term
use of any laxative may lead to habitual use.
Here are some natural intestinal cleansers:
Psyllium (guar gum) is used in most detoxification regimens as an
intestinal binder and laxative. Psyllium is able to bind toxins released by
cleansing practices and safely remove them from the body.
Senna, an herbal laxative that's used to speed elimination, works
within 12 hours of ingestion through its biochemical triggering of
peristalsis, the muscular contractions along the colon that lead to emptying
the bowels, says David Hoffmann, B.Sc., M.N.I.M.H., in An Elders' Herbal
(Healing Arts Press). Senna is commonly used in combination with
psyllium to promote elimination of bound toxins.
Frances Albrecht, M.S., C.N., is president of Nutrition Education Services
and is a distance learning instructor at Bastyr University.
Therapeutic
Dosage
