Liver and Body Detoxification
DETOXING YOUR BODY BEFORE PREGNANCY
Integrative physicians often consider a person’s accumulation of all toxins in all organ systems. Standard blood tests can be entirely normal even in the presence of a high total body burden of toxins. This is why many people go from doctor to doctor with various health problems, yet find no answers because their healthcare providers have not ruled out exposure to toxins.
To complicate the picture further, we are not all born with the same ability to clear toxins. This is intuitively obvious, if you think about it. Some people smoke two packs of cigarettes per day and never get lung cancer, while others develop lung cancer by just living with a smoker. Likewise, a pain medication or alcoholic beverage affect each person differently because everyone has a unique set of genes and lifestyle choices that determine their ability to clear toxins. Even newborn babies are born with hundreds of toxins in their umbilical cord blood, so this topic is one to consider now, while there is still plenty of time to reduce your total body burden of toxins before conception.
The liver is the body’s most important organ for eliminating toxins. It does so by producing glutathione, a compound with many functions. Glutathione assists the liver in the elimination of most toxins and is also our most potent antioxidant. Some of us produce high levels of glutathione and others have genetic or environmental disadvantages that severely limit glutathione production. Regardless of where you fall, you need to optimize your liver health, which will optimize your glutathione production and ability to clear many toxins.
The very fact that the liver acts as a filter for all the toxins ingested or metabolized from whatever source makes it particularly vulnerable to damage and disease as soon as the toxic load begins to overwhelm its capabilities. If it’s pushed too hard; symptoms of liver stress will start to appear. These may include:
Lethargy and decreased energy
Brain fog
Mood swings
Depression
Bad breath
Dark eye circles
Abdominal weight gain
Fat deposits beneath the skin
High general toxicity levels
Leaky gut - increasing absorption of toxins, allergens and pathogens
Hormone imbalances such as insulin, adrenalin, cortisol and serotonin
Candidiasis and constipation
Many individuals with health issues like gut dysbiosis, constipation, and other gastrointestinal problems may worsen toxin production and absorption into the bloodstream, as all toxins pass through the gut. A healthy gut and liver are both essential for effective detoxification, helping to reduce your overall toxic burden and support better health.
TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER:
If you're curious about how our bodies clear toxins, check out our blog to learn more about methylation and toxin pathways. Don’t worry if chemistry isn’t your thing—what’s most important to take away is that simple, everyday nutrients can support these crucial detox pathways, helping ensure your body remains a safe and healthy home for your baby.
HOW CAN I SUPPORT MY LIVER?
Toxins are eliminated in two main steps, known as phase 1 and phase 2. In simple terms, phase 1 transforms toxins to make them easier to eliminate, while phase 2 completes the detox process. The following nutrients are key for supporting these crucial detoxification steps.
PHASE 1 – ACTIVATION
This is the removal of fat bound toxins before they are passed onto phase 2. One of the most important phase 1 enzymes is superoxide dismutase (SOD). Detoxification via SOD is supported by many nutrients, including:
Zinc
Magnesium
Selenium
Molybdenum
Manganese
Vitamin A (best provided as beta carotene)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B6 or its more active form, P5P
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Iron
PHASE 2 - CONJUGATION
This is where the fat bound toxins convert to water-soluble toxins for excretion. The heavy lifting in phase 2 detoxification is performed by glutathione peroxidase and other enzymes. These detox pathways are supported by a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including the following:
Vitamin B6 or its more activated form known as P5P
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
Vitamin B12
Magnesium
Selenium
A number of amino acids
OTHER WAYS OF SUPPORTING THE LIVER AND DETOX PATHWAYS:
Cut out all refined and processed foods that include refined carbohydrates, sugar, and trans fats.
Increase filtered water consumption to half your body weight in fluid ounces daily. If you spend time outside, work out strenuously, or live in a dry climate, you may need even more water.
Increase consumption of vegetables that support the liver: garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions, brussels sprouts, broccoli, parsley, beetroot, radish, cabbage, collards, kale, dandelion, watercress, sesame seeds and walnuts
Increase consumption of particular fruits such as apricot, avocado, blackberries, blueberries, pomegranates, strawberries, cranberries, lemons, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, tomatoes, tangerines, raspberries.
Increase consumption of foods with sulfur-containing amino acids: cysteine, methionine, and taurine. These may help detox and increase glutathione production, taurine may be supportive of bile production; alpha lipoic acid and glycine.
Consume dandelion tea, lemon and green tea.
Incorporate beneficial herbs such as blackroot, burdock, nettle to help prevent constipation, and milk thistle to stimulate gall bladder and bile flow.
Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory herb that stimulates bile flow and may aid in stomach acid secretions.
Avoid toxic chemicals in the home and environment.
Attain your ideal weight: As we’ve discussed before, you don’t want to be too thin or too heavy. Here’s another reason why—we store many toxins in fat, where they are difficult to eliminate. Trans and hydrogenated fats are the most harmful. Being too thin isn’t healthy either, as nutritional deficiencies severely limit our ability to clear toxins and may increase the negative effect these toxins have on our body, which has poor reserves.
Sauna therapy to promote sweating and detox.
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