How the Liver Handles Toxins and What You Can Do To Help It

Note: The information on this website is presented for educational purposes and is not a substitute for the advice of and treatment by a qualified professional.

You have to ask yourself: with globalization of toxic substances, how safe is your health?

The world today is a very toxic place. We produce tons of chemicals every year with devestating consequences to the environment and our bodies. Pollutants can be found from pole to pole. There is no place on the planet that is safe from toxic chemicals. Our children are exposed to hundreds of chemical toxins even while still in the womb.

Since it is impossible to avoid all chemical toxins, what can we do?

Detoxification by the liver: metabolic detoxification
The liver is the main detoxification organ in the body. It detoxifies hormones and many manmade substances by adding chemical groups to them until they are water soluble for elimination through the sweat, urine or feces. The problem is that we lack many of the nutrients that are needed to do this.

Manmade toxins are called xenobiotics. These are chemicals that are not made by the body. They include drugs/medication, toxins from plastics, hormones that are used in livestock, pesticides and other pollutants. Many xenobiotics are eliminated by the liver in the same pathways as hormones that are no longer needed. For example, estrogens are eliminated in this way. I mention estrogens because they are the ones that cause many problems if they are not broken down completely. They are one of the main causes of cancer. Male bodies produce and eliminate estrogens too, so this is important information for everyone.

The biochemistry — not too complicated…I hope
The liver breaks down fat soluble hormones and xenobiotics in two phases. Phase one consists of two steps. Some substances only need two of these.

In the first part of phase I the substance is attached to an oxygen molecule which makes it very reactive, an oxidant. These highly oxidative substances are a major causes of cancer. Oxidative estrogens are the biggest culprit. This is one of the reasons people are encouraged to take plenty of antioxidants so these oxidative substances can be rendered harmless.

In the second step of phase I the liver adds a methyl group which is a carbon atom with three hydrogen atoms attached. This means that to eliminate the oxidative substances created in the first step, a methyl donor must be available. This is a supplement that can give up a methyl component for this process. The most common supplement needed for this is dimethylglycine or DMG. DMG is an amino acid that is available in many health food stores today.

If the detox process stops here then you still have a toxic substance left in your body. Methylated estrogens for example, cause fibroids like some women find in their breasts. These fibroids are fairly benign, but when fibroids build up in the body a painful condition called fibromyalgia can result. Also, methylated estrogens block the effectiveness of thyroid hormones leaving people and often doctors to suspect thyroid problems. Many people with chronically cold fingers and toes have this issue. And, methylated estrogens can cause prostate cancer, but it is usually benign.

Phase II has seven possible pathways. Phase II liver detoxification is called conjugation in which the toxin is combined with something else to make it water soluble for elimination. The most common and important pathway is with glutathione.

Glutathione is the master antioxidant. Not only does it detoxify directly, but it reactivates other antioxidants like vitamin C and E. It is mostly found in the lungs, kidneys and liver. Being the main detoxification organ in the body, the liver has more glutathione than any other organ. And, most glutathione is made in the liver.

Glutathione is made from amino acids, vitamins and minerals. It is not readily absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, so it is necessary to take supplements with the needed cofactors so it can be made by the body. The main cofactors that are missing for most people are the amino acid L-cycteine, the mineral selenium and the vitamin pyrodoxyl 5 phosphate or P5P, the enzyme activated form of B6. Another mineral that is often needed is zinc.

Another step in phase II detoxification is sulfation which combines the toxin with sulphur. This can usually be supplemented with any sulphur supplement, MSM is a good one. Vegetables that are high in sulphur are mustard greens and asparagus.

In acetylation the liver adds an acetyl group with its coenzyme or acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA can be found in supplement forms. The best is a blend from Metabolics which includes panthethine, an activated form of B5 with ATP the main energy packets that are in every cell. It also has magnesium and acetic acid.

Glucuronidation is binding a substance to glucuronic acid. The food source for glucuronic acid is from Jerusalem artichokes. Metabolics is the only good supplement source for glucuronic acid that I know of.

Conclusion
Not all of these supplements will be needed for Phase II. The main ones are P5P, cysteine, and selenium. Sulphur shows up sometimes, so some form of sulphur may be needed. A good one is MSM. Muscle testing can be used to find the exact supplements needed. I will post an article soon on how to do muscle testing.

Many of these supplements are lacking in our diets. Not all of them will be needed for the liver to do its job, and I didn’t list all the cofactors here. I’ll post an addendum soon.

Finally a warning for those on medication. Taking these supplements can cause the liver to detoxify your medication much more efficiently which means that you won’t be getting the same effect. I recommend that you consult with your doctor before taking any of the above supplements. This often is a major issue for insulin dependent diabetics. Be sure to monitor your blood sugar even more closely if you start taking any of the above supplements, it’s a good idea anyway.