The Liver… Our Major Organ of Detoxification
15 Feb 2012 5 Comments
in Detoxing and Elimination Tags: Detox, elimination, Gallbladder, Liver, Liver Stress, Toxins
Before you read this new article don’t miss Aya’s Weight loss Journey click here
The skin, bowels, lungs and kidneys are the organs of elimination. However, the liver is the organ of detoxification. The Liver is a complex organ and plays a key role in metabolism. It participates in functions associated with the Cardiovascular System, Digestive System and Excretory System.
A healthy liver and proper liver function are imperative to good health. Part of its role in digestion is the production of bile, which is stored in the gallbladder and exported into the duodenum.
Fat metabolism is another important metabolic function. The liver does not only burn fat, but also drains excess fat into the bile to be passed out through the intestine. A healthy liver is perfectly capable of performing these tasks efficiently. However, there are some experts agreeing that fatty liver problems are on the rise, as the liver is over-burdened and therefore sluggish in its role of detoxification and fat elimination. Problems arise through incorrect lifestyle, diet and pollution of any kind. Toxins can accumulate by way of internally produced toxins or taken in from our external environment.
Also many of our over-processed foods do not contain adequate enzymes, especially lipase. Lipase in our food is mostly lost through the process of pasteurization. Excessive fructose used in food and drink manufacturing is also a contributing factor.
Below are some indications of fatty liver.
- You will probably be overweight, especially in the abdominal area and might have problems losing weight
- Elevated blood levels of Cholesterol and tryglycerides Syndrome X
- You either have or are on the verge of Diabetes 2
- You might feel tired and low on energy
- You may also have problems with your immune system (either over or under-functioning).
In an article the “Gastroenterological Society of Australia” (GESA) states the following:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disorder that now affects up to one third of the adult population. It is increasingly common in children.
To read the in-depth article
http://www.gesa.org.au/pdf/Fatty-Liver-1st-Edition.pdf
With so many jobs to do day in day out, 24 hours a day, it needs help and support more than ever. There are many substances which are toxic to the liver and the liver might need some help to detoxify itself.
Let’s have a quick look on how the liver is accomplishing such a complicated and important job as detoxification.
The liver’s detoxification mechanism includes:
- Filtration of the blood
- Formation of bile
- Phase 1 detoxification reactions
- Phase 2 detoxification reactions
Filtration of the blood: Almost 2 liters of blood passes through the liver every minute. When the liver is functioning properly it can detoxify about 90 % of bacteria and other toxins found in the blood. If the detoxification process is not optimal those toxins and bacteria etc will be allowed back into the general circulation.
Formation of bile: Each day the liver manufactures about 1 liter of bile. Bile released from the gallbladder can absorb toxic substances to be eliminated through the digestive system.
Phase 1 detoxification process: This process occurs in the liver itself. As the “unclean” blood enters the first lobe of the liver an enzyme system called “cytochrome P450 (a combination of about 50 different enzymes) activates and begins a step by step breakdown of toxins. This system either neutralizes, making it water soluble, and so rendering toxins less harmful, or it breaks them down into an intermediate form.
A shortage or slow action of the P450 enzymes causes a build up of dangerous toxins within the liver, thus lessening the livers detoxification ability. The activity of the cytochrome P450 system can also be influenced by genetics. The more efficient this system works the faster the liver can break down toxins with less harm to the individual. Making the phase 1 system working efficiently is only useful if the phase 2 system is also working well. If this is not the case and the phase 2 system fails to further breakdown those toxins and eliminate them, accumulation in the second lobe of the liver will result.
Phase 2 detoxification process: This process involves what is called the “conjugation process”. Enzymes in the liver attach small chemicals to the toxins. There are essentially six phase 2 detoxification pathways, depending on which toxins need to be neutralized: glutathione conjugation, amino acid conjugation, methylation, sulfation, sulfoxidation, acetylation and glucuronidation. These reactions are protective steps, turning them into less harmful compounds and easier to be excrete through the urine or bile.
So how can we make the job of detoxification easier for our liver?
First of all eat a healthy diet. Eliminate toxic producing foods and drinks. A raw food fast without any proteins or cooked foods for a few days will not only give the digestive system a needed break, but will also reduce the burden on the liver. Eating a raw food diet (we will discus this in our nutrition chapter) will help eliminate the buildup of residue proteins and other toxins in cells.
Drinking an adequate amount of water is important as the kidneys are responsible for eliminating the toxic waste products of protein in the form of urea.
Secondly, examine you lifestyle. Do you get enough sleep? Do you take drugs or drink too much alcohol? Do you handle chemicals a lot? Have you done a bowel cleanse? How much stress do you have in your life?
If you have lot of meat and fats in the diet causing digestive problems, then a liver/gallbladder flush might be called for. There are many vireties of this flush on the interenet.
I have to this article on Liver detox with a few words about the gallbladder, as well as the kidneys, lungs and skin – our other systems of detoxification and elimination.
The Gallbladder: Gallstones are collections of cholesterol, bile pigment or a combination of the two, which can form in the gallbladder or within the bile ducts of the liver. Gallbladder action is controlled by the hormone cholecystokinin, which contracts the gallbladder and forces bile into the common bile duct. When stones form in the gallbladder and become large enough to become lodged in the bile duct inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis) can occur. If a stone gets imbedded in the pancreas duct it can cause inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). This obstruction is not only bad for the organs itself, but it also hinders the bile and/or digestive juices form the pancreas entering the small intestine. This causes an array of digestive problems. A blockage of the bile to the intestine can also cause a rise of bilirubin in the blood, resulting in jaundice (since the bilirubin can’t escape into the bile for excretion).
If gallbladder stones in the gallbladder cause problems frequently, medical doctors suggest a removal of the gallbladder. This in itself can cause many health problems after surgery, as fat digestion is often insufficient.
The Kidneys: Our liver makes toxins more water soluble and the kidneys filter the blood of those toxins. The Kidneys have many functions including maintaining fluid, electrolyte and pH balance of our blood. We can help our kidneys by making sure our colon is clean and the liver’s detoxing system is working efficiently. Another very important step we must take is alkalizing our body. Eating enough greens, some fruit, raw and steamed vegetables will get you on the right track. Greens like Wheat and Barley grass, Spirulina, Chlorella and Alfalfa are great alkalizers, as well as Potassium citrate and Sodium bicarbonate. Drinking plenty of fresh clean water is imperative.
The Lungs: We might not always have a choice of the air we breathe, but we do have a choice by not adding to the pollution through smoking. Deep breathing and exercise will help with clearing the lungs. If we have the opportunity to go up in the mountains or breathe fresh sea air we are doing our lungs a big favour.
The Skin: The skin is an important elimination organ. Through sweating we can eliminate a good amount of toxins. Saunas and steam rooms are notable for removing toxins. In addition, dry skin brushing assists with blood circulation, bringing blood and toxins closer to the surface. This process aids the removal of dead skin cells, making it easier for the skin to breathe. Make sure your skin is dry (best before your shower) and brush towards the heart. A hot and cold shower at the end will also improve circulation to the skin.
IMPORTANT: Before you dicide to go on a thorough Liver cleanse make sure your bowels are clean. Always do a bowel cleanse/detox fist and include a good probiotic to replenish the good flora within the digestive tract. If the digestive tract is not clean the liver has a larger burden to carry and the blood entereing the liver will carry with it many of the debris and waste from the the digestive tract, especially the bowels. I will post a bowel cleans soon so keep on checking back.
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