Chronic health problems can develop from your body's impaired detoxification ability.
What role does the liver play in detoxification? The liver is a key organ in
your body's self-defense system. It changes, or detoxifies, many harmful
substances into forms which your body can safely eliminate.
In today's world of processed foods and pollution, toxic substances exist almost
everywhere. They are in the food you eat, the water you drink (from fertilizers,
chemicals and other additives such as colorings and preservatives), and the air
you breathe (from automobile emissions, pesticides and industrial pollutants).
Some of the body's own compounds must be detoxified as well.
A healthy liver uses two mechanisms, called Phase I and Phase II detoxification,
to remove toxins. In Phase I, your body's enzymes activate toxic substances to
make them more accessible to Phase II. In Phase II, other enzymes convert toxins
to more water-soluble forms, which your body eliminates through urine or stool.
An unhealthy liver does not detoxify substances as rapidly or as completely as a
healthy liver. Slower detoxification results in more toxic substances
circulating in the body. Unchanged or partially changed toxins are not easily
eliminated and instead pass from the liver into the body. Eventually, the toxins
are stored in fatty body tissue, including the brain and central nervous system
cells. Stored toxins may be slowly released into the blood, contributing to many
chronic illnesses.
A number of conditions affect how well the liver performs its detoxifying
duties. Repeated exposure to chemicals and toxins in food, water and the
environment increases the detoxification burden.
If you have a "leaky gut," your intestine allows large, undigested molecules to
pass into the body. Increased amounts of toxic substances can travel through the
liver and overload its capacity to detoxify them.
Toxic exposure results in free radical production which can be damaging to
the body as antioxidants are depleted. This can result in disorders such as
arteriosclerosis, allergies, inflammatory joint disease, neurological diseases,
fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue. An increased exposure to toxins can deplete
glutathione, sulfate, and other critical nutrients used in detoxification. The
resulting accumulation of toxic intermediate metabolites can contribute to
chronic fatigue, environmental sensitivities, or other chronic illnesses.
The intestinal mucosa is the primary barrier to permeation of toxic compounds
and macromolecules. Abnormalities of the intestinal barrier system as
detected by intestinal permeability assessment may lead to enhanced uptake
of inflammatory luminal macromolecules, endotoxins and xenobiotics. Impairment
of intestinal integrity dramatically increases mucosal absorption of substances
that are normally excluded.
These foreign chemicals are presented to the liver's detoxifying system
for processing and elimination. They can stress the detoxification capability
of the liver or be partially processed and accumulate in the liver and
adipose tissue. It has been speculated that the combination of leaky gut
and dysfunctional liver detoxification can lead to increased tissue stores
of toxic compounds and depressed immune status.
One method to assess the liver's detoxifying ability is to examine the overall
state of your health. Toxic substances are contributing factors in a wide range
of health problems.
You may have heard of several different liver tests (such as liver enzyme
analysis) which look for clinical evidence of existing liver damage. Standard
"liver function" tests measure levels of enzymes such as SGOT and SGPT.
Unfortunately, by the time these tests register "abnormal," liver damage is
already present.
A definitive assessment of function can be made using the Detoxification
Profile. This test uses one urine specimen, and you simply return the test kit to Doctor's Data Laboratory. The specimen is analyzed, and the results are
posted to your online profile. The specific results can be used to
develop a treatment plan. In addition to detoxification testing, your health
care professional may want to test your level of oxidative stress. Impaired
liver function can lead to higher levels of free radicals, substances in the
blood which have been linked to chronic illness. Analysis of a blood and/or
urine sample provides important information about damage resulting from a
dysfunctional liver.
Talk to us about your symptoms and ask if a Hepatic Detoxification Profile from Doctor's Data
Laboratory would be useful for you. Your body's natural self-defense
system may be overwhelmed by toxins in food, water and air. Take this quiz to
determine your level of toxic exposure and its effect on your body.
- Do you use tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars or chewing tobacco?
- Do you find yourself unable to quit the "junk food" merry-go-round?
- Do you have an aversion or disliking for meat?
- Do you live or work with someone who smokes in your presence?
- Are you often exposed to automobile exhaust fumes?
- Do you live or work in a building that has new carpeting, paint or furniture
that may be giving off odors or gases?
- Have you ever used toxic chemicals such as insect sprays or herbicides at home
or at work?
- Do you have one or more alcoholic drinks per week?
- Have you taken prescription drugs two or more times in the past year?
- Do you often eat meat grilled over a charcoal fire?
- Do you suffer from gastrointestinal problems?
- Do you have allergies, sinus problems or joint pain?
- Are you frequently tired from a normal day's activity?
- Is your energy zapped?
If you answered Yes to two or more of these questions, you may be reacting to
increased toxic exposure and burdening your body's detoxification ability.
For more information,