LIVER HEALTH

The Liver plays an important role in overall health and wellbeing. The role of the Liver is different in Eastern and Western medicine. In Western medicine, the Liver is in charge of regulating the body’s digestion, metabolism, detoxification and immune modulation. In Eastern medicine, the Liver has a much more complex role in the human body.

Eastern medicine views the Liver as being a connection to other internal organs to ensure that the flow of Qi or energy flow is regulated and that blood is properly stored. Without a properly functioning Liver, Qi cannot be efficiently pushed to all relevant organs. An ineffective Liver and Qi flow can cause problems in the future where stagnant diseases and symptoms can arise.

The liver is the second largest organ of the body that is constantly performing 500+ tasks to help keep you feeling your best and working in harmony. Some of her roles include: detoxing toxins (toxins from outside exposure and byproducts of other enzymatic processes in the body [exogenous & endogenous]), processing macro and micronutrients into usable energy, and filtering 1500 ml of blood per minute. Her presence is felt by every cell in the body and when she is feeling sluggish, she will make it known. If you are trying to put your best foot forward, you’re going to want to keep her in tip-top shape.

How do you know if your liver needs some extra loving? If you are currently experiencing brain fog, low energy, chronic stress, irregular menstrual cycles, and compromised digestion, then you’ll want to continue reading. Here is your Soulful guide to showing your liver some love.

Since industrialisation, the liver has been increasingly exposed to toxic compounds in the air, water and food. An individual’s ability to detoxify these substances, both from exogenous sources, such as xenobiotics, chemical pollutants and processed foods, and endogenous sources, such as the byproducts of metabolism, is of critical importance to overall health.

When the liver’s detoxification system is overloaded, liver function may become compromised and toxins may accumulate in the body, possibly impairing organ function and increasing the risk of chronic disease. Numerous studies have proposed an association between the body’s ability to efficiently metabolise toxins and the aetiology of various diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities, cardiometabolic disorders, allergies and autoimmune disease, endocrine disorders, reproductive and fertility issues, neurological disorders and cancer.

‘Poor liver function’ or ‘sluggish liver’ is a complementary medicine term to describe some impairment of liver function. It does not indicate liver damage and no changes or mild changes would be expected on a liver function test. Regular ‘detoxification’ is a fundamental concept in natural health philosophy.

Fortunately, the liver has excellent restorative and regenerative capacities.

Sources of exogenous toxins (toxins that originate from outside the body)

• Chemical exposure: to pesticides, preservatives, food additives, personal care products, cleaning products, environmental toxins.

• Poor diet: a diet low in protein and high in refined carbohydrates and fats, especially saturated fats, refined fats and hydrogenated fats puts a load on the liver and does not provide the building blocks necessary for repair. In addition, processed foods, food additives, pesticides and herbicides create additional stress.

• Overeating: one of the most common causes of liver dysfunction. Overeating creates excess work for the liver, resulting in liver fatigue. In addition, the liver must detoxify the various chemicals present in modern day food.

• Drugs: place a huge strain on the liver as it must work to detoxify them. Examples of drugs include alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs, OCP and other pharmaceutical medications.

• Bowel toxaemia: increased bowel permeability and intestinal bacterial overgrowth leads to uptake of endotoxins into the bloodstream which must be metabolised by the liver. Dysbiotic gut bacteria and SIBO are a major source of toxic exposure for many people.

The signs and symptoms of liver dysfunction are varied and may include the following:

• GIT symptoms: constipation, nausea, bloating, flatulence
• Intolerance to fat, alcohol and caffeine
• Fatigue and lethargy
• Headaches / migraines
• Allergies and chemical sensitivities
• PMS and other hormonal imbalances
• Blood sugar swings
• Halitosis and body odour
• Cloudy urine
• Visual disturbances
• Fluid retention
• Sinus congestion
• Skin disorders
• Coating on tongue / swollen tongue

Liver detoxification involves the alteration of fat-soluble toxic materials into water soluble compounds in order for them to be effectively excreted from the body via urine or bile. There are two main stages in the detoxification process:

Phase 1 Detoxification

• Utilises the cytochrome P450 family of enzymes, in which oxidation, reduction or hydrolysation reactions add a functional group to both exogenous and endogenous toxins, exposing a reactive site that allows a toxin to be metabolised in Phase II. During this process, free radicals are produced, which may damage liver cells if antioxidants are deficient.
• Exposure to chemicals and toxins, such as alcohol, tobacco and caffeine, increases or induces the activity of Phase I enzymes. Therefore, many people have an induced Phase I and increased levels of reactive intermediates.

The following induce Phase I liver detoxification:

• Many drugs and environmental toxins e.g. alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, steroids, barbiturates, sulfonamides, hydrocarbons, dioxins, pesticides
• Char-grilled meats, saturated fats
• Broccoli sprouts : also induce Phase II so balances the detoxification process (unlike the above inducers)

The following inhibit Phase 1 liver detoxification:

• Some drugs: such as anti-depressants and anti-histamines
• Foods: such as naringenin from grapefruit, curcumin from turmeric, capsaicin from chilli, etc.
• Nutrients needed to support Phase 1 detoxification include:
• B-vitamins: particularly B2, B3, B6, B12, folate
• Branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine)
• Antioxidants: to neutralise the reactive intermediates and protect the body against tissue damage. Include glutathione, selenium, zinc, vitamins C & E and bioflavonoids.

In phase II, the liver conjugates the intermediary metabolites into inert water-soluble excretable substances.
This is done via one of the following reactions:

• Glutathionation: requires glutathione (endogenous compound made up of cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine)
• Sulphation: requires sulphur compounds e.g. methionine, taurine
• Peptide conjugation: requires glycine and taurine
• Glucuronidation: requires glucuronic acid, a substance made in the liver
• Acetylation: requires acetic acid
• Methylation: requires methylating factors such as folate, B6 and B12
• Ideally, phase II acts on the reactive intermediaries as quickly as possible, reducing the time available for them to damage cell membranes and DNA. Therefore, it is important that Phase II keeps up with Phase I to prevent accumulation of these reactive substances.

Nutrients needed to support Phase II detoxification include:

• Amino acids: phase II is highly reliant on amino acids such as cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, methionine, taurine
• Glutathione
• B-vitamins, in particular B6, B9 and B12
• Sulphur

A detoxification or liver cleanse protocol should be considered wherever there is liver dysfunction. This is normally anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 weeks, but may be longer in chronic conditions. Bowel toxicity/gut dysbiosis and leaky gut should also be investigated as the gut is a major source of toxic exposure.

Juice-fasting delivers a high level of antioxidants but doesn’t provide all the factors needed for liver detoxification. Similarly, water-fasting does not provide adequate substrates to support liver function.

A more moderate detoxification program with clean, healthy, low-allergenic diet with some healthy fats and protein will activate the Phase I and II detoxification pathways of the liver.

During a detoxification protocol, the patient should:

Avoid:

• Hydrogenated, refined and trans-fats
• Refined carbohydrates and sugar
• Allergenic foods, especially wheat and dairy
• Alcohol and caffeine
• All fried, junk, processed, refined foods
• Chemical additives
• Animal fats and protein (unless organic or grass fed), especially processed meats such as bacon, ham and sausages
• Large predatory fish
• Table salt
• Increase/include:
• Organic, unrefined, whole foods
• Colourful fruits and vegetables and fresh vegetable juices: high in antioxidants
• Protein: mainly from organic animals or plant sources, small fish species and organic free-range poultry and eggs
• Soluble fibre: oat bran, pectin, psyllium, linseeds, chia
• Bitter foods: endive, radicchio, rocket, artichoke, turmeric, eggplant
• Sulphur-containing foods: eggs, garlic, onions, cruciferous vegetable, legumes
• Cruciferous vegetables: also contain indoles which protect DNA from damage, inactivate carcinogens and promote healthy metabolism of oestrogen
• Turmeric: powerful antoxidant and inducer of Phase II enzymes
• Green tea: powerful antioxidant and inducer of Phase II enzymes
• Pure filtered water

Hydration levels

Water is Queen. You can get it through non-caffeinated tea, filtered water, fruits, and vegetables and you are going to want to get a lot of it. On average for a moderately active person, you will want to aim for half an ounce of water per one pound of body weight… at least. This translates to 2.2L or 9.5 250 ml glasses of water per day. Water quality is also important here. You will want to drink filtered water to decrease some contaminants that are found in tap water that your liver works hard to filter every day.

Chemicals in personal care products

Certain chemicals in personal care products (skincare, hair care, cleaning products) contain chemicals that expose you to extra estrogens - xenoestrogens. Exposure to extra estrogens means more work for your liver. In addition to personal care products, xenoestrogens are in plastic compounds, chemicals, pesticides, and in the air we breathe. If you are looking to dive deep into what’s in your most frequently used products around the house, we suggest looking at the EWG website or the app called Yuka, to give you some information about the ingredients listed in your products.

Other lifestyle practices that we love for the liver include castor oil packs, stress management techniques such as breathwork, daily activity (preferably out in nature), and Epsom salt baths.

These are great lifestyle hacks you can incorporate weekly and they also happen to be amazing self-care practices that reduce overall stress for the mind and body, which is definitely something your liver will appreciate.

Maintaining liver health is essential for overall health and well-being. Incorporating simple lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet, hydration, exercise, and liver cleansing and detoxification can help support liver health. It's also important to recognize the signs and symptoms of liver problems and seek medical attention of a liver specialist if necessary. By taking care of our liver, we can ensure that it functions properly and keeps our bodies healthy and strong.

Have you been dealing with symptoms for so long that you’ve adapted to this being your new normal?

We’re here to tell you that digestive distress is not something you need to live with and that it is possible to address the root cause.

You deserve to feel your best.

You can heal.

If you’re interested in further investigating your gut health with functional testing and a 1:1 personalized approach you can learn about our services & programs