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Detox - The True Meaning of “Detox”

By Charlotte Watts Dip.ION BANT – Nutritional Therapist – www.totalbeing.com and www.healthyconvenience.com

Most people assume that alcohol only affects your most important and tireless organ, but look after your liver and it will look after all of your health in return; including energy, mood, digestion, weight and food cravings. Here we will discuss which foods are particularly good for the liver and how to incorporate them into your diet, without the need for aggressive “detox” regimes.

The word detox has become synonymous with a specific period of cleansing and whilst this is helpful for some, it can be counterproductive for others, adding to poor blood sugar regulation or even causing a “healing crisis” where people can feel worse before feeling better. This was once believed to be helpful to health, but is now seen as a possibly more damaging route, especially for people.

What Does Your Liver Do?

Symptoms of Poor Liver Detoxification include:

The Liver as Detoxifier

Among its many functions, one of the most important roles of the liver is that of Detoxification, which firstly converts fat soluble toxins into water soluble substances to be either excreted from the body in the urine or the bile during digestion. The route depends on the chemical nature of the end product.

We are continually are bombarded with toxins from both outside (exotoxins) – the polluted environment, medications, alcohol, cigarette smoke, car exhaust emissions and chemicals - and toxins produced in the body (endotoxins) – the bi-products of nutrient breakdown, hormones and bacterial waste products from the intestines, all of which produce harmful substances and need to be eliminated safely. It is the role of the liver to render these potentially harmful products into less harmful compounds.

The amount of toxins you are exposed to is highly individual, as is the way your liver is able to handle this exposure. Some people are highly sensitive to toxicity and show symptoms quickly. Others, because their bodies are more resilient and their livers can detoxify more efficiently, are not so sensitive. The rate at which the liver can eliminate toxins can determine an individual’s susceptibility to toxic overload and nutrient status, which in turn can lead to symptoms of ill-health mentioned above.

Liver Detoxification Pathways – Phases I and II

Dietary recommendations to help your liver’s detoxification pathways eliminate toxins more effectively and avoidance of more toxic substances after the Phase I stage

Increase:

· Intake of all fruit and vegetables, especially those rich in antioxidants (carrots, tomatoes, green peppers, watercress); anthocyanadins (berries, beetroots, grapes); glucosinolates (cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale), sulphur (garlic, onions, eggs, leeks, fennel, pulses and watercress). Buy organic vegetables to avoid unnecessary exposure to pesticides and chemicals, which may further stress the liver.

· Include foods high in ellagic acid, a substance which slows down P450 (phase I liver enzyme pathway) and therefore stops the liver backing up with toxic substances and bile which can lead to the formation of gallstones. Food sources include strawberries, raspberries, grapes, pomegranates, sprouted wheat, walnuts and green tea.

· Phase I can also be inhibited by nutritious foods. Grapefruit juice contains a substance that inhibits phase I enzymes so strongly that it can cause drug overdoses. The enzymes are slowed so much that they cannot detoxify drugs fast enough, and the levels of the drug in the bloodstream climb too high. Capsaicin, the compound that makes hot peppers hot, also slows down phase I.

· The spice turmeric, found most commonly in curry powder, slows down phase I while egging on phase II, an effect that can help to move toxins more quickly through the two phases. This may explain turmeric’s powerful anticancer properties.

· Oily fish like mackerel, salmon, sardines and tuna. These fish contain omega 3 fatty acids, which help stimulate the gall bladder. Eat at least three times a week.

· Wholegrains – for example, wholemeal flour products, brown rice, oats, rye and barley. Help to regulate blood sugar levels, reducing strain upon the liver and providing fibre and B vitamins to assist in detoxification.

· Legumes – for example, mung beans, adzuki beans, red kidney beans, soybeans, chickpeas and other beans – a good source of detoxifying amino acids, B vitamins and fibre.

· Linseeds – Provide fibre to support removal of waste products and toxins and a source of essential fats that may also benefit your liver. Grind and add to cereals or soak 1 tbspn at night and add to cereals, yoghurt or porridge in the morning.

· Protein – from vegetarian sources such as pulses, lentils, brown rice and beans. The amino acids provided by protein are essential in the detoxification process.

Fluids to support the liver:

· Water intake – 6-8 glasses a day; vital for liver function.

· Lemon water – add a freshly squeezed lemon to a glass of hot water. Drink on waking, half an hour before food to stimulate the liver.

· Dandelion coffee – from health food shops, grind the root and brew as normal coffee; avoid the instant version, it contains lactose and does not taste as good.

· Green tea - contains catechins - bioflavonoids that may aid the liver and assist in the process of detoxification.

· Herbal tea – much better for you than regular tea and coffee. Peppermint, nettle and camomile are particularly good for the liver/detoxification.

· Juices – freshly made juices containing celery / carrot / beetroot / spinach / kale/ parsley/ ginger/ apple.

Decrease:

· Sugar – biscuits and sugary foods force the liver to manipulate its glycogen stores more than normal to help the pancreas maintain normal blood sugar levels.

· Saturated fat – from red meats, dairy, fried foods, fat-laden snacks such as crisps and peanuts.

· Alcohol – a neurotoxin which also dehydrates, depletes B vitamins, affects blood sugar balance and causes fatty deposits in the liver.

· Specifically if you tend to accumulate gallstones and to ‘detox’; reduce nuts, onions, oranges, lentils (use the pulses listed above instead), coffee, milk, sugars, pork, poultry, corn, eggs and alcohol, which can all be gallstone-forming.

Supplements to help liver function and alleviate symptoms (discuss specific dosages with your nutritionist):

· Essential Fatty Acids – for all liver cell health and correct function.

· Lecithin granules – phospholipids which emulsify or break down fats in foods and in the liver.

· B Complex – all B vitamins are needed for full and proper digestion, choline and inositol in particular help move fats out of the liver.

· Vitamin C – a deficiency can lead to gallstone formation and poor clearance of hormones through the liver.

· Liver Complex - contains all components for good liver function and repair – there are many good products on the market.

· Milk Thistle – a herb that has potent abilities to support liver function and repair.

Total Being Opinion

So many people equate the liver purely as an organ that deals with alcohol thrown at it and that is a gross disservice to the amazing hard work this organ does for your health, daily function and capacity to prevent disease. Adding the whole “quick fix” modern detox angle and you can have a liver that is thrown from one extreme to another, ending up with a very unbalanced system and leaving you lurching from one state of overwork to another. Occasionally aggressively cleaning out all the damage done is only crisis management and ultimately not a recipe for life.

Treating the liver well is synonymous with “less fun” for many and hammering the liver a sign of youth and exuberance. Life is about balance though and you can still have fun if you know how to help your body to cope with this; then you will also only feel better for it. Try the 80:20 rule with your liver – if you are supportive for 80% of the time, then it will be able to handle 20% of “abuse”. Of course this is still crisis management and the good thing about a healthy liver and the feel-good effects, is that it only spurs you on to do more and feel even better.

See www.totalbeing.com for a Nutritional Assessment to choose the right diet and supplements to help you get in control of your health!

See www.healthyconvenience.com for help remembering how to get healthy – for posters, shopping guides and recipes.

Bibliography

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