Liver Function

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Liver Function

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excerpt from the book " 7-Day Detox Miracle " by Peter Bennett N.D. and

Steven Barrie N.D. with Sara Faye. Published by Prima Health, a division of

Prima Publishing. ISBN:0- 7615-1422-8

 

 

The Liver's Detoxification Function

 

Your body doesn't like to keep any molecules around for a long time. Even

" good " molecules, such as hormones, are constantly being disassembled and

reconstructed to prepare them to be recycled or eliminated. Thanks to

detoxification enzymes, the liver is able to break up most molecules, even toxic

and dangerous ones. Enzymes are molecules that act as catalysts in the

transformation process. There are thousands of different enzymes, each with a

unique role.

 

Think of this detoxification process as a two-phase wash cycle. Enzymes

are like the soap that liberates grease into little droplets, removing

impurities that the water can't remove on its own. In the first part of the

wash

cycle (Phase 1), enzymes break toxins down into intermediate forms. Figure

5.2 illustrates the complicated process of how some common toxins are

broken down during Phase I detoxification. Some toxins are ready for elimination

at this stage, but others require a second wash cycle. In Phase 2, these

intermediate compounds are routed along one of six chemically driven

detoxification pathways, where they are further broken down, and then bound to

specific types of' protein molecules which act as " escorts " to guide them out

of the body, allowing them to exit through the kidneys (in the form of

urine) or the bile (in the form of feces). This process is called conjugation

and is illustrated in figure 5.3. Of the six pathways, three warrant special

mention.

 

One of the most important systems in Phase 2 is the glutathione

conjugation pathway, which utilizes glutathione for the detoxification of

deadly

industrial toxins such as PCBs, and the breakdown of carcinogens. Its activity

accounts for up to 60 percent of the toxins excreted in the bile.

Glutathione also circulates through the bloodstream combating free radicals. No

other conjugating substance is as versatile as glutathione and the body's

supply of it, most of which is produced by the liver, is easily depleted.

Exposure to high levels of toxins exhausts reserves of glutathione, possibly

increasing susceptibility to cancer. Chronic disease, HIV, and cirrhosis use up

reserves of glutathione. Excessive exercise, which increases oxidative

stress and ree radical production, and alcohol consumption, which blocks

glutathione production, also deplete glutathione in the blood.

 

The weakest pathway in most people, from a dietary standpoint, is

sulfation, the one responsible for the transformation of neurotransmitters,

steroid

hormones, drugs, industrial chemicals, phenolics (compounds derived from

benzene, commonly used in plastics, disinfectants, and pharmaceuticals), and

especially toxins from intestinal bacteria and the environment. Intake of

too little dietary sulfur, a molecule that must come from our diets, is a

cause of ineffective detoxification. If your exposure to substances that need

to be deoxified via the sulfation pathway is high, but your sulfate

reserves are low due to an inadequate diet, you will not be able to break down

these toxins.

 

Studies have established a strong association between the function of the

sulfation pathway and a variety of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease,

Parkinson's disease, motor neuron disease, autism, primary biliary

cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, food sensitivity, and multiple chemical

sensitivity. The detoxification profile test described in Chapter 7 identifies

alterations in this pathway.

 

The body manufactures five different types of amino acids that form a

third detoxification pathway: glycine, taurine, glutamine, arginine, and

ornithine. Of these, glycine is the most important for the neutralization of

toxins. In some cases, the body cannot make enough glycine to keep up with its

own detoxification needs. Though not considered an essential amino acid

because the body can make it, glycine production depends on an adequate intake

of dietary protein. Individuals who eat a protein-deficient diet have

trouble detoxifying environmental pollutants.

 

Glycine supplies can be depleted by lifestyle stresses. Benzoates for

example, found in soft drinks, bind with glycine and rob the body's store of

it. One study found that people who consumed a large number of soft drinks

had problems breaking down toluene, a common industrial organic solvent.

Aspirin also slows down this detoxification pathway because it competes for

available glycine in the liver.

 

When the diet is supplemented with glycine, as well as the other

nonessential amino acids, there is a noticeable improvement in the

detoxification

capabilities of many people.

 

 

Problems in Phase I and Phase 2

 

Detoxification

 

When the liver is " sluggish, " Phase I of the detoxification cycle may not

be processing toxins at a normal and necessary speed. This causes toxins to

accumulate in the bloodstream. If the hormone estrogen, for example, is

not dismantled during Phase 1, the buildup can reach potentially harmful

levels. Premenstrual tension can be an expression of this. Many factors can

cause Phase I to become sluggish. As we age, our detoxification processes slow.

Use of medications such as anti-ulcer drugs (cimetidine) and oral

contraceptives; exposure to cadmium, lead, and mercury; and consumption of large

amounts of sugar and hydrogenated fats hinder Phase I detoxification.

 

Substances that slow down Phase I detoxification, setting the stage for a

toxic buildup, are called Phase I inhibitors. They affect the DNA of the

liver cells, causing less detoxification enzymes to be produced. In addition

to those mentioned previously, Phase I inhibitors include:

 

• Grapefruit

 

• Turmeric

 

• Capsicum (found in hot peppers)

 

• Cloves

 

• Drugs containing benzodiazepene such as antidepressants and Valium

 

• Antihistamines

 

• Ketoconazole (used in antifungal medications)

 

• Toxins from bacteria in the intestines

 

 

Pancreatitis and the Detoxification Bottleneck

 

Mainstream medicine generally does not factor in bottleneck detoxification

problems in diagnosis and treatment. Our clinical experience, however, has

shown us that when treatment focuses on eliminating this problem, other

disease conditions improve. For example, we believe that many cases of

pancreatitis are caused by a bottleneck detoxification problem. The use of

alcohol, cigarettes, and a body-abusing lifestyle creates this bottleneck, and

the free radicals generated in this process cause inflammation in the

pancreas.

 

We had a patient who had been in the hospital several times for acute

pancreatitis. He was always alternating between a healthy lifestyle and use of

alcohol and cigarettes. After every binge, he would end up in the hospital

with pancreatitis. We put him on a detoxification program with great

success. Patients with pancreatitis often report exposure to diesel fumes,

solvents, and trichloroethelene. These toxins also seem to accentuate the

susceptibility to alcohol-related pancreatitis. The treatment of pancreatitis

with

detoxification medicine is not mentioned in medical literature. However, we

believe there's ample evidence to make it a first-line treatment

consideration.

 

A different type of detoxification problem develops if Phase I breaks down

toxins at so fast a rate that Phase 2 cannot keep up. In this situation,

the toxic intermediates produced during Phase I waiting to be washed out in

Phase 2 flood the system. Many of these intermediate compounds-stuck in

between Phase I and Phase 2-are more dangerous than the original toxin. This

bottleneck can become a biochemical nightmare, damaging the liver, brain, and

immune system.

 

Some of the substances that accelerate the breakdown of toxins in the

liver by increasing the production of Phase I enzymes, without a concurrent

increase in Phase 2 enzymes, are known carcinogens- paint fumes, and cigarette

smoke. Others are well known for their detrimental effects, such as

alcohol and steroids. Even some otherwise harmless substances such as limonene

from lemons, increase Phase I detoxification. But unlike cigarette smoke,

limonene does not create dangerous intermediate molecules. As you read the

following list, keep in mind that it is not strictly a list of " bad " things,

but of those that increase the rate of Phase I detoxification, and that this

becomes a problem only when Phase 2 can't keep up.

 

• Phenobarbital

 

• Steroids

 

• Sulfonamide medications

 

• Foods in the cabbage family

 

• Charbroiled meats

 

• High-protein diets

 

• Citrus fruits

 

• Vitamin B1

 

• Vitamin B3

 

• Vitamin C

 

• Environmental toxins (exhaust fumes, paint fumes, dioxin, pesticides)

 

• Cigarette smoke

 

• Alcohol

 

• Endotoxins from intestinal bacteria in the bloodstream

 

Exposure to a toxin, when coupled with exposure to another substance that

speeds up Phase 1, is especially dangerous.

 

The combination of alcohol and acetaminophen provides a good example. It's

not uncommon to drink heavily, and later take acetaminophen for the

headache that follows. The intermediate compound (from acetaminophen) is an

extremely toxic substance called n-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine (NAPQI). Under

normal conditions, NAPQ1 is removed quickly during Phase 2, but alcohol intake

forces more NAPQI into the liver than Phase 2 can handle.

 

Research has shown that specific foods and nutrients not only have a

beneficial effect on detoxification capability, but can also provide a safe and

viable approach to treating a variety of immune disorders and toxicity

syndromes.

 

If two or more detoxification accelerants are combined, they can interact,

with serious consequences. An individual on a prescription medication who

smokes, for example, actually needs higher dosages of the medication

because smoking causes the medication to be broken down faster than it normally

would be during Phase 1. If Phase 2 can't handle the extra burden, a

detoxification bottleneck results. We predict that in the future, medical

specialists will check detoxification capabilities in order to give more

accurate

drug prescriptions.

 

 

Case History

 

Joanie was a forty-eight-year-old female who had a history of hepatitis B,

a disease of the liver. She had worked for many years in the graphic arts

field, and was regularly exposed to volatile organic solvents. She came to

our clinic with symptoms of chronic fatigue. We did a comprehensive liver

detoxification screening. The test clearly showed which pathways were out of

balance. After recommending the correct nutrients, Joanie was on the road

to repairing her damaged liver function and rebuilding her health.

 

Problems in Phase I and Phase 2 liver detoxification are so prevalent, and

have such a major impact on health that we believe it's a good idea for

everyone to have liver detoxification tests as part of a standard medical

workup. This lab test, described in Chapter 7, can identify problems localized

in the different detoxification pathways. If you suffer from chronic liver

and gallbladder problems, you're probably a candidate for this test.

Abnormal results, of course, will require ruling out a liver disease before

going ahead with detoxification therapy. Assessing detoxification function makes

it possible to diagnose a problem before symptoms actually appear. Tests

that measure Phase I and Phase 2 enzymes take much of the guesswork out of

estimating the severity of liver detoxification dysfunction, and can to some

extent indicate whether a person is at special risk for cancer,

neurological disease, chemical and drug sensitivity, and immune problems.

 

Diet and Detoxification: Feeding Phase I and 2

 

 

You can take steps to keep your liver detoxification system running

smoothly. Diet has a strong effect on detoxification enzymes, and foods can

help

" regulate " or balance Phase I and 2 activity. Eating foods that support the

liver can reduce your susceptibility to damage from toxins and to

conditions Such as multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome, chronic fatigue

syndrome, and cancer. Research has shown that specific foods and nutrients not

only

have a beneficial effect on detoxification capability, but can also provide

a safe and viable approach to treating a variety of immune disorders and

toxicity syndromes.

 

Essential fatty acids are vital for Phase I detoxification, and the

standard American diet does not provide an adequate supply of these vital

nutrients. Essential fatty acid intake in the form of cold-water fish and

flaxseed

oils have a demonstrated ability to heighten detoxification. Other sources

of essential fatty acids include edible oils, such as those made from

sunflower seeds, walnuts, and sesame seeds; wheat germ; and supplements of black

current seed, borage, or evening primrose oil.

 

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily is a good way to continually

replenish your body's store of glutathione, necessary for one of Phase 2

pathways. High-quality protein nourishes both the amino acid and the sulfation

pathways. Vegetable sources of sulfur for the sulfation pathways include

radishes, turnips, onions, celery, horseradish, string beans, watercress, kale,

and soybeans. Eggs, fish, and meat are also excellent sulfur sources.

Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, citrus fruits, and lemon peel oils support

Phase 2 activity. Studies have shown dramatic results from consuming

broccoli sprout extract, which inhibits the activity of Phase 1 enzymes and,

simultaneously enhances the Phase 2 glutathione pathway. Broccoli sprout

extracts are especially beneficial for people who have frequent or high-level

exposure to pesticides, exhaust fumes, paint fumes, cigarette smoke, or

alcohol. Anyone who is exposed to known carcinogens will benefit from broccoli

sprout extract.

 

 

Foods to Support Liver Detoxification

 

• Cabbage family

 

• Cold-water fish

 

• Flaxseed oil

 

• Fruits (fresh)

 

• Garlic

 

• Nuts and seeds

 

• Onions

 

• Safflower oil

 

• Sesame seed oil

 

• Sunflower seed oil

 

• Vegetables (fresh)

 

• Walnut oil

 

• Wheat germ and wheat germ oil

 

 

 

Nutritional Supplements to Support Liver Detoxification • Bioflavonoids

 

• Black currant seed oil

 

• Borage oil

 

• Carotenes

 

• Coenzyme QI0

 

• Copper

 

• Evening primrose oil

 

• Folic acid

 

• Iron

 

• Lecithin

 

• Magnesium

 

• Manganese

 

• N-acetyl-cysteine

 

• Niacin

 

• Riboflavin

 

• Selenium

 

• Silymarin (milk thistle)

 

• Trace minerals

 

• Vitamin A

 

• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

 

• Vitamin B12

 

• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

 

• Vitamin D

 

• Vitamin E

 

• Vitamin K

 

• Zinc

 

 

The Gallbladder, Bile, and Gallstones

 

The gallbladder is the end of the detoxification road that begins in the

liver. Bile is the fluid into which the liver excretes its toxins. (The

other routes of elimination are the sweat glands and the kidneys.) After bile

is produced in the liver, it runs into the gallbladder and eventually into

the intestinal tract. We have found that in many cases people with liver

problems also have gallbladder problems, and vice versa.

 

Bile is made in the liver from cholesterol, bilirubin, and lecithin, and

is then secreted into the gallbladder. While in the gallbladder, bile is

concentrated by a reabsorption of the liquids back into the circulatory

system. A proper ratio of bile components is necessary for it to remain in

solution. Abnormal ratios promote the formation of cholesterol crystals or

stones

in the gallbladder. During a meal, bile is secreted by the gallbladder

into the intestines to promote the digestion and breakdown of oils and fats.

After the intestines absorb them, these bile-digested fats are used in the

body to build cells, hormones, and prostaglandins (a group of chemicals that

act like hormones).

 

When constipation occurs, bacteria in the intestines split the toxins that

are bound up in the bile, in turn causing reabsorption of these already

detoxified poisons. A diet high in vegetables will prevent constipation.

Beta-glucuronidase is an intestinal bacterial enzyme that releases compounds for

reabsorption. To prevent this reabsorption of toxins, an adequate supply

of calcium d-glucarate, a natural ingredient in vegetables that inhibits

beta-glucuronidase activity, is necessary. Charcoal will also bind up the bile

and prevent toxins from being reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

 

Gallstones-a common complaint in North America-easily disrupt the flow of

bile. They are found in sixteen to twenty million Americans and are twice

as common for women as men. Usually the stones are a mixture of cholesterol,

calcium, bilirubin, and lecithin. Occasionally, however, the gallbladder

also forms a stone consisting mainly of calcium with a little bit of

cholesterol. If you have gallstones, observe the following instructions:

 

1. Take lecithin daily. Cholesterol stones are caused when your liver

excretes more cholesterol into the gallbladder than it does lecithin and bile

acids. The cholesterol tends to " supersaturate " and form stones. A daily

supplement of 500 mg of lecithin with meals keeps the bile flowing smoothly.

 

2. Limit dietary sugar. Sugar intake correlates with gallstone formation,

suggesting that sugar stimulates cholesterol synthesis.

 

3. Take 5 g of soluble fiber (pectin in fruits, beans, or oat bran) daily

with meals.

 

4. Eat a low-fat diet to prevent obesity.

 

5. Eat small meals to ensure proper digestive capacity.

 

6. Avoid food allergens, which are notorious for provoking acute attacks

of gallbladder inflammation. Eggs are considered the worst offender.

 

7. Take 500 mg of bile acids with every meal; this is usually 50 percent

effective in reducing the size of the cholesterol variety of gallstones.

 

8. Take supplements of the amino acids methionine and taurine. Because

women's bodies make less taurine than men's, this might be the clue to their

twofold increased risk for gallstones. The dose is 1 g of each, between

meals, twice daily.

 

9. Take dandelion root (Taraxacum officinalis) extract. It's a superb

cholegogue (releases stored bile), gentle in action, and safe to use. The dose

of the solid extract is 1 teaspoon, 3 times a day. The solid extract is

hard to find in the store, but the next best thing is to use the powdered root.

The dose is 8 g as a tea, 3 times a day.

 

 

Detoxification and You

 

Human beings are not created biochemically alike. Everyone has a liver and

a gallbladder; all livers and gallbladders are designed to do the same

work; but not all livers and gall bladders work the same. Some of us are

genetic warriors, naturally equipped to stay up all night, drink alcohol, eat

whatever we like, smoke, work brutal hours under tremendous stress, and even

so die peacefully in our sleep at the age of ninety-five. But for others,

not born with a hardy, resilient constitution, such a lifestyle is a

prescription for poor health and an early death. Despite the fact that

advertisements for everything from painkillers to breakfast cereals create the

impression that what's good for one is good for all, there is really a large

range

of variability in how we function metabolically and what we need.

 

Genetic biocapabilities determine, to a large extent, our ability to

handle the onslaught of environmental toxins. Each of us faces the physical,

mental, and emotional stresses of life equipped with a unique molecular system

characterized by its own inherent weaknesses and strengths. These genetic

biocapabilities determine, to a large extent, our ability to handle the

onslaught of environmental toxins. For example, much of the variability in the

activity of both the glutathione and sulfation pathways is inherited. Your

inborn capacity to manage toxins creates the climate in which either

health or disease will flourish. A family history of estrogen-related breast

cancer, smoking-induced lung cancer, and other types of cancer can be related

to inherited weaknesses of detoxification capability.

 

These genetic differences are a result of the wide variance in how

detoxifying enzymes in the liver express themselves. The term to describe this

is

metabolic polymorphism. This means that there is a variety (poly) of forms

(morphism) that humans have in detoxifying their environment (metabolic).

 

In the book entitled Genome, authors Jerry E. Bishop and Michael

Waldholtz, propose that genetic susceptibility factors should be the major

focus of

medicine in the future. This, they suggest, would make it possible to

modify the environment appropriately to protect individuals against diseases

related to genetic polymorphism. Yet hereditary variations in the biochemical

breakdown and transformation of toxins is still one of the most undervalued

and under-utilized areas of prevention and treatment.

 

Medical doctors could be individualizing health care plans and minimizing

risks using laboratory tests (described in Chapter 7) to assess

detoxification functions. This screening process would identify those

individuals who

have very strong detoxification abilities as well as those who require

special help to discourage the onset of disease. Not taking genetics and

detoxification abilities into consideration sets the stage for illnesses that

are

preventable.

 

It is possible to minimize the impact of our biological weak links. The

" Achilles' Heel " that's encoded in our DNA that makes each of us more

susceptible to certain stressors can be countered by our daily lifestyle choices

and compensated for with nutritional medicine and detoxification support.

Naturopathic doctors have many ways to stimulate the liver, for example, using

herbs, special diets, physiotherapy, and homeopathic medicines.

 

Treatment of gall bladder disease frequently includes the same herbal

medicines that are used for liver detoxification problems. If you have an

inherited weakness in these organs, the EcoTox program will help. It is designed

to stimulate the liver and gall bladder, as well as the proper digestion of

foods and nutrients necessary for their activity. In the following

chapter, you'll learn more about the sources of toxins that place such a heavy

burden on the liver, and the toll they take on your health.

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