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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. This week we  discuss which foods are particular good for the liver and how to incorporate them into your diet, without the need for very 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 some, adding to poor blood sugar regulation or even causing a “healing crisis” where people can feel worse before 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?

FACT: The liver is the most overworked organ in the body because it plays so many roles:

• Manufactures bile to breakdown fats for digestion.
• Makes and breaks down many hormones, including cholesterol, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
• Regulates blood sugar levels.
• Processes all food, nutrients, alcohol, drugs and other materials that enter the bloodstream; then lets them pass, breaks them down or stores them.
• Neutralises environmental pollution.

FACT: The liver can lose up to 70% of its capability and not show diagnosable liver disease.
  
FACT: The quality of virtually every body function depends on the liver.
  
FACT: The four and a half pound liver manufactures 13,000 chemicals.
  
FACT: All nutrients need to be processed by the liver before we can use them; a congested liver means we do not benefit from them.
  
FACT: The liver has a left and a right lobe; people with toxic left lobes are often environmentally sensitive or highly allergic. They often crave things they are sensitive to as the body gets used to having nicotine, wheat, dairy, alcohol or whatever causes the intolerance – the body’s balance is disturbed when these are removed. As long as the substance continues to be fed, the body will get a subtle signal to continue the addiction.

Symptoms of Poor Liver Detoxification include:

Poor blood sugar regulation	Sensitivity to chemicals, alcohol, smoke	Sweating or body odour	Coated or furry tongue and/ or bad breath
Intolerance of fatty foods	Lack of concentration	Tiredness after exercise	Irritability and mood swings
Aching	Skin problems	Fatigue	Depression
Bloating	Headaches	Nausea	PMS

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 biproducts 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:

		Toxins
		v
		LIVER
		v
Slowed down by grapefruit and ellagic acids foods – can help prevent toxic build-up	>	Phase I -breaks down toxins into water-soluble substances for detox – can be more toxic than before	<	Increased by caffeine, smoking, high protein and saturated fat – can cause build-up of more toxic substances
		v
		Phase II
v	v		v	v
Glutathione Conjugation	Glycine Conjugation	detoxification pathway	Sulphation	Glucuronidation
Toxic metals, alcohol, paracetamol, antibiotics	Nicotine, aspirin	Examples of what they detoxify	Paracetamol, alcohol, steroid/ sex hormones, neurotransmitters	Paracetamol, aspirin, oestrogen
Vit C, B vits, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium	Magnesium, cysteine (eggs)	Nutrients needed	B vits, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium	Vitamins B3 and B6, magnesium, glutamine
Cruciferous veg – broccoli, cabbage etc	Alkaline foods, protein	Foods that help	High sulphur foods	Cruciferous veg, blood sugar balance & low sugar

Dietary recommendations to help your liver’s detoxification pathways eliminate toxins more effectively and avoid 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 if 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 common 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.

References
1. Lipski E. Digestive Wellness, Keats 1996
2. Marsden K. Good Gut Healing. Piatkus 2003
3. Murray M and Pizzorno J. Encyclopaedia of Natural Medicine. Little, Brown and Company 2000.
4. Balch JF and Balch PA. Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing. Avery Second Edition 1997
5. Balch PA & Balch JF. Prescription for Dietary Wellness. Avery Publishing Group 1992
6. Erasmus U. Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill. Alive Books 1993.
7. Moritz A. The Amazing Liver Cleanse. St Annes Press 2000.
8. Duke JA. The Green Pharmacy. Rodale 2003

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