Detoxification for Better Health

TOXIC substances are everywhere – in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. Even our body and the bacteria in the intestines produce toxic substances. These include heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel and aluminum), chemicals, drugs, alcohol, solvents, pesticides, herbicides, food additives and microbial compounds.

Impaired liver detoxification pathways can cause chronic symptoms and diseases. The process of detoxification by the liver occurs in two phases; Phase I and Phase II.

Phase I is controlled by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system. It is responsible for the degradation of toxic molecules (drugs, hormones, chemicals) into smaller but highly reactive metabolites. These molecules are then bound to watersoluble carrier molecules during Phase II detoxification for transportation to the kidneys, where they will be excreted in the urine.

Liver detoxification is impaired by the ingestion of many prescription medicines which interfere with the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, and by excessive consumption of alcohol.

The process is also slowed by eating grapefruit or drinking its juice, because the “naringenin” in this fruit inhibits the passage of chemicals through the detoxification pathways.

There are certain “helpers” which need to be present in the liver for these detoxification systems to work well. They are:

Phase I: Vitamins B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid

Phase II: Cysteine, N-acetyl cysteine, methionine, taurine, inorganic sulphates, glycine, glutamine, glucoronic acid, glutathione

These are nutrients found in whole grains, meats and sulphur- containing vegetables such as garlic, onions, beans, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. You may supplement your diet with these.

Other factors which weaken the detoxification capacity are allergies and food intolerances, candidiasis, genetic disorders, a “leaky gut”, microbial and chemical toxins.

Herbs for Liver Support: Milk Thistle is traditionally used for liver disorders. This herb contains silymarin, which is an antioxidant to help prevent free radical damage on the liver due to toxins. Silymarin also increases the glutathione content of the liver by 35 per cent in healthy subjects and by over 50 per cent in experimental rats, and increases the level of the important antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, in cell cultures.

Glutathione is responsible for detoxifying a wide range of chemicals. Increasing the glutathione content of the liver means the liver has an increased capacity for detoxification reactions.

Perhaps the most interesting effect of milk thistle components on the liver is their ability to stimulate protein synthesis. This results in an increase in the production of new liver cells to replace the old damaged ones.

Generally regarded as a liver remedy, dandelion is a type of bitter herb which may aid in digestion by stimulating the release of bile by the liver and gallbladder. Dandelion’s gentle effects on the liver, particularly its lipotropic effects, may be put to good use in the treatment of PMS (premenstrual syndrome).

Decreased clearance of oestrogen and other hormones by the liver is believed to be responsible for the symptoms in some women. Dandelion can improve the liver’s ability to detoxify these hormones.

A combination of these two herbs helps protect the liver and prevent excessive free radical damage due to the detoxification process.

To reduce the absorption of toxic substances, it is recommended that the diet be rich in fibre, particularly the water-soluble fibres, such as those found in vegetables, guar gum, pectin and oat bran. Fibre has an ability to bind to toxins within the gut and promote their excretion.

* Yam Cher Seng is a pharmacist who is actively involved in the dissemination of information on natural healthcare and holistic therapies. For more information, she can be contacted at csyam@streamyx.Com

(c) 2007 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.