Everyone has different tips and tricks for being healthy and losing weight. Many individuals incorporate other diets, eating habits, and exercise regimes to lose excess weight, have energy throughout the day and feel good. One of the other diets many people seem to lean toward when it comes to losing weight and helping the body is detox. Surprisingly, many people seem misinformed about detox and dieting being the same; however, they are not, as detoxing is a natural process of body purification while dieting incorporates healthy eating habits, exercising, and healthy life choices. For the body, the best detoxing machine is the liver. Today’s article looks at how the liver detoxes the body, how factors can cause detox imbalances in the body, and how different food helps liver detoxification. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in liver or gastrointestinal treatments to help many individuals with liver issues. We also guide our patients by referring to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
The Body’s Own Detox Machine: The Liver
Have you been experiencing gut sensitivities from the foods you eat? How about experiencing chronic fatigue throughout the entire day? What about experiencing pain and swelling in your abdominals or legs? Some of these issues may indicate that something is wrong with your liver. The liver is the most crucial organ with a massive responsibility for the vast array of functions of the body. The liver helps support many visceral functions like maintaining the body’s metabolism, immunity, digestion, and detoxification. Detoxification is a biochemical process where non-water-soluble compounds are transformed into water-soluble compounds flushed out of the body. The benefit of detox is that it helps protect the body from adverse effects of external and internal toxins.
Since the liver is a massive organ, its essential role in the body is detoxification. Studies reveal that the detoxification process for the liver is in two phases. Phase 1 activated the enzymes in the body to prepare the substance to be removed. Phase 2 excretes the enzymes out of the body as urine, stool, and bile. These two phases help keep the body healthy and stop excessive toxins from harming the rest of the body.
The Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is one of the central detoxification systems responsible for allowing waste products to leave and be carried away to the bloodstream, becoming one of the defense mechanisms for the body and purifying the body fluids for proper functioning. The lymphatic vasculatures also play an active role in immune regulation by impacting inflammatory and immune responses. This means that the lymphatic will produce white blood cells to attack foreign invaders entering the body.
The Gut-Liver Axis
Since the liver is the master organ for detoxification, what is its relationship with the gut? Well, studies reveal that the gut microbiota forms a complex microbial community that significantly impacts human health. The gut microbiota can indirectly modulate the functionality of the extra-intestinal organs, which involves the liver. The gut connects to the liver with the intestines through bile acid metabolism. When there is a decrease in bile acid in the gut, it could trigger hepatic inflammation via inflammasomes. Inflammasomes are an essential component of innate immune response while being critical for the clearance of pathogens or damaged cells. When the inflammasomes start becoming mediators for hepatic inflammation, they could potentially be involved with detoxification imbalances in the body.
Detoxification Imbalances
When there are decreased bile acids in the gut, the body could be at risk of developing intestinal dysbiosis. This causes impaired intestinal barrier function, which overlaps to leaky gut and aggravates hepatic inflammation in the liver. When this happens, toxins in the body become excessive and may cause immune and nervous system abnormalities while triggering imbalanced detoxification symptoms that correspond to issues similar to chronic conditions. Some of these detoxification imbalances include:
Fatigue
Allergies/intolerances
Sluggish metabolism
Weight gain easily
Intolerance to fats
Puffy – excess fluid
Body odor, bad breath, metallic taste
Profuse sweating even in cool weather
Naturally Detoxing Your Body-Video
Have you been dealing with allergies or food intolerances affecting your abdominals? Have you been feeling sluggish? What about feeling chronic fatigue throughout the entire day? Some of these symptoms are signs that your liver could suffer from some issues. The liver’s primary function in the body is to detoxify the body. The video above explains how the liver detoxifies the body and how drinks to cleanse the body don’t add additional benefits. The best way for a healthy liver to be functional and detox the body naturally is by eating the right foods that help support the liver, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water to flush out the system, and getting adequate sleep.
Foods That Support Liver Detoxification
When it comes to supporting the liver, eating the right foods can provide energy and reduce inflammatory effects on the body. Studies reveal that eating various wild and semidomestic food plants can provide various components to liver function. Plants like dandelions contain taxasterols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that allow the liver to increase bile secretion. Other foods that help with liver functionality associated with other body functions include:
Berries (blueberries & cranberries)
Grapefruit
Prickly pear
Cruciferous vegetables
Garlic
Carrots
Beets
Olive oil
Nuts
Incorporating these healthy foods can not only be beneficial to the liver but can help the major organs and body to receive the nutrients that the body deserves.
Conclusion
The liver is a massive organ that helps the body to function correctly by harmful detoxifying pathogens through excretion. As a natural detoxifying machine, the liver has a casual relationship with the gut system by filtering the nutrients and transporting them out to different body areas. Harmful pathogens enter the body and disrupt the liver can lead to dysbiosis and liver dysfunction. Fortunately, there are nutritious foods that can help support the liver and even help flush out the toxins over time so the body can begin its healing process naturally.
References
Grant, D M. “Detoxification Pathways in the Liver.” Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1991, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1749210/.
Guan, Yong-Song, and Qing He. “Plants Consumption and Liver Health.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4499388/.
Karla, Arjun, et al. “Physiology, Liver – Statpearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 8 May 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535438/.
Konturek, Peter Christopher, et al. “Gut⁻Liver Axis: How Do Gut Bacteria Influence the Liver?” Medical Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 17 Sept. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6165386/.
Sharma, Deepika, and Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti. “The Cell Biology of Inflammasomes: Mechanisms of Inflammasome Activation and Regulation.” The Journal of Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University Press, 20 June 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4915194/.
People are exposed to toxins, such as pesticides and air pollutants in food and the environment, on a regular basis. Meanwhile, other toxins are produced in the body through normal functions and microbes. That’s why it’s fundamental to support the liver, one of the major detoxification systems in the body. If the liver isn’t working properly, harmful compounds can start to pile up in the cells and tissues, leading to a variety of health issues. Liver detoxification is a two-step process that converts fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble toxins that the body can eliminate accordingly.
In the following article, we will discuss the importance of liver detox, what happens in the two phases of liver detoxification, and how you can support liver detox to promote overall health.
The Importance of Liver Detox
The liver is responsible for the detoxification of all of the harmful compounds and toxins that the body is exposed to on a regular basis. Moreover, it’s fundamental to eliminate these from the liver and the rest of the body regularly to tremendously reduce their negative effects. If toxins start to pile up in the cells and tissues of the liver, it can potentially lead to liver damage as well as a variety of other health issues. By way of instance, toxins are associated with obesity, dementia, and even cancer. And they are also believed to be a factor in chronic health issues, such as fibromyalgia.
There are two main ways that the body eliminates toxins. First, fat-soluble toxins are metabolized in the liver to make them water-soluble. Then, water-soluble toxins are sent directly to the kidneys where these are eliminated in the urine. Another of the body�s safeguards against harmful compounds is that the blood collected from the gut goes to the liver first. The blood from the gut may be especially high in toxins if a person has a leaky gut. Through the detoxification of toxins first, the liver can considerably reduce the number of toxins that reach other organs, such as the brain and heart.
Phases of Liver Detoxification
The liver is one of the main detoxification systems in the body. Detoxification or detox in the liver is separated into two categories. They are known as Phase I and Phase II liver detoxification pathways.
Phase I Liver Detoxification Pathway
The Phase I liver detoxification pathway is the first line of defense against harmful components and toxins. It’s made up of a collection of enzymes known as the cytochrome P450 family. The enzymes help neutralize substances, such as caffeine and alcohol. They offer protection by converting these toxins into less harmful components. However, if the byproducts of the Phase I liver detoxification pathway are allowed to pile up in the liver, they can damage DNA and proteins. It is ultimately the role of the Phase II liver detoxification pathway to make sure that those toxins do not pile up in the liver.
Phase II Liver Detoxification Pathway
The Phase II liver detoxification pathway neutralizes the byproducts of the Phase I liver detoxification pathway as well as that of other remaining toxins. This is done by metabolizing fat-soluble toxins in the liver to make them water-soluble so that they can be eliminated from the body. This process is known as conjugation. Glutathione, sulfate, and glycine are the primary molecules responsible for this process. Under normal conditions, Phase II liver detoxification pathway enzymes produce low levels of glutathione. Under times of high toxic stress, the body increases glutathione production.
We are exposed to toxins like pesticides and air pollutants in the food we eat as well as in the environment every day while other harmful compounds are produced by microbes through normal functions in the body. It’s essential to support liver function because it is our main detoxification system. If the liver isn’t working properly, toxins and harmful compounds can start to pile up in the liver which can eventually cause a variety of health issues. The phases of liver detoxification are a two-step pathway that converts fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble toxins that the body can eliminate accordingly. In the article above, we discussed the importance of liver detox, the phases of liver detoxification, and how you can support liver detox to promote overall health.�- Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insight
Zesty Beet Juice
Servings: 1 Cook time: 5-10 minutes
� 1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced
� 1 apple, washed and sliced
� 1 whole beet, and leaves if you have them, washed and sliced
� 1-inch knob of ginger, rinsed, peeled and chopped
Juice all ingredients in a high-quality juicer. Best served immediately.
Just one carrot gives you all of your daily vitamin A intake
Yes, eating just one boiled 80g (2�oz) carrot gives you enough beta carotene for your body to produce 1,480 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A (necessary for skin cell renewal). That’s more than the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in the United States, which is about 900mcg. It’s best to eat carrots cooked, as this softens the cell walls allowing more beta carotene to be absorbed. Adding healthier foods into your diet is a great way to improve your overall health.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, and sensitive health issues and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support directly or indirectly our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation as to how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. The provider(s) Licensed in Texas*& New Mexico*�
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T.
References:
Ask The Scientists Staff. �Liver Detoxification Pathways.� Ask The Scientists, 30 Jan. 2019, askthescientists.com/qa/liver-detoxification-pathways/#:~:text=liver%20detoxification%20pathways.-,Phase%20I%20Liver%20Detoxification%20Pathway,toxins%20into%20less%20harmful%20ones.
Watts, Todd, and Jay Davidson. �Phases of Liver Detox: What They Do & How to Support Them.� Phases of Liver Detox: What They Do & How to Support Them – Microbe Formulas�, 24 Jan. 2020, microbeformulas.com/blogs/microbe-formulas/phases-of-liver-detox-what-they-do-how-to-support-them.
DM; Grant. �Detoxification Pathways in the Liver.� Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 1991, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1749210/.
Dowden, Angela. �Coffee Is a Fruit and Other Unbelievably True Food Facts.� MSN Lifestyle, 4 June 2020, www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/did-you-know/coffee-is-a-fruit-and-other-unbelievably-true-food-facts/ss-BB152Q5q?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout#image=24.
If you are experiencing any of these situations, then you might be experiencing some gut and liver issues in your body.
The role of the gut-liver axis in NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) has been examining probiotics and have found some new information on the gut microbiome and how probiotics work in NAFLD. The new information that future research found was quite interesting. It stated that there were about 26 major randomized controlled trials that used probiotics for NALFD that ranged between 20 to 200 individuals in four weeks to 1 year. The laboratory assessments included liver enzymes and anthropometric parameters in the body. Some of the studies added cardiovascular risk factors like C-reactive proteins and lipid profiles as markers for insulin resistance. Furthermore, most of the studies have used a probiotic formulation that includes multiple species, although a few were conducted by using a single strain.
What NAFLD does to the body is that it becomes a hepatic consequence of metabolic syndrome. This includes obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. What is interesting about the connection between gut microbiota and NAFLD has been attracting a significant amount of attention in recent years. The data has shown that the gut microbiota can affect the hepatic lipid metabolism while also influencing the balance between pro/anti-inflammatory effectors in the liver.
Chronic Liver Diseases
Even though chronic liver disease is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Studies showed that gut dysbiosis was identified as an essential factor in the pathogenesis of the liver disease. The relationship between the gut microbiota and the liver is still not understood, but the dysfunction of leaky gut and an increased bacterial translocation into the liver. Another study showed that immense importance is a massive advancement in understanding the roles of the gut and liver microbiome that is driven by a high DNA sequencing and improving them.
There are many stages of liver disease that can happen, but when it comes to excessive alcohol in the liver. Studies show that excessive alcohol consumption is the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The stages of alcoholic liver disease are hepatic steatosis, steatohepatitis, and, ultimately, liver cirrhosis. One of the main characteristics of alcohol liver disease is that there is an increased gut permeability due to a direct toxic effect of alcohol on the epithelial cell in the gastrointestinal tract and a decreases expression of the tight-junction protein.
Probiotic Supplements
For probiotic supplementation, they have demonstrated a significant decrease in liver enzymes, which were compared to the placebo group. Studies found that probiotics were shown to have synergistic effects with metformin on liver enzymes for patients that have NASH. Any products that contained both prebiotics and probiotics can demonstrate a similar effect in the probiotic groups. In another study, it showed a reduction of intrahepatic fat that is measured by MRI, but the improvement in liver enzymes in the body did not reach any clinical significance. It is essential to know that liver enzymes can have a highly variable and do not always have a direct correlation with disease progression that they may encounter.
Research shows that there are five meta-analyses included and that they all demonstrated that probiotics and synbiotics have improved on AST and ALT levels in the body significantly. Surprisingly, several other studies have assisted probiotics by countering hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and liver stiffness in the body. Ultrasound imaging can help assist these parameters and show some positive clinical outcomes with these two supplements.
When probiotics help restore the gastrointestinal barrier function in the body, they can eliminate the harmful bacteria that has interacted with the gastrointestinal system. Not only that, but probiotics can also be beneficial by modulating the immune system, reduce liver fats, and improve the liver enzymes as well. By using probiotics, they are most likely to be more productive by helping the body and preventing bacterial translocation in the gut, thus reducing the effects of the intestinal microbiota on the liver to prevent chronic illnesses from forming and causing havoc.
Conclusion
For individuals that have NAFLD, they will already establish the disease and required a higher nutrient intake demand than what can be obtained from any diets alone. So using dietary supplements should be considered to help reduce the NAFLD disease’s progression, thus improving the liver and its functions. The gut-liver axis is connected to the body since if anything happens to the liver like chronic diseases, it can affect the gut as well. Using probiotics to help the liver is essential to make sure that the liver is functioning correctly and that the body is being as healthy as possible. Some products are here to offer gastrointestinal and metabolic support while also supporting multiple aspects of the biliary system.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
References:
Jurgelewicz, Michael. �New Review Demonstrates the Role of the Gut Microbiome and Probiotics in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.� Designs for Health, 25 Nov. 2019, blog.designsforhealth.com/node/1160.
Konturek, Peter Christopher, et al. �Gut?Liver Axis: How Do Gut Bacteria Influence the Liver?� Medical Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 17 Sept. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6165386/.
Tripathi, Anupriya, et al. �The Gut-Liver Axis and the Intersection with the Microbiome.� Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6319369/.
Xie, Chencheng, and Dina Halegoua DeMarzio. “Role of Probiotics in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Does Gut Microbiota Matter?” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 19 Nov. 2019, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/11/2837.
Ah� the bathroom, nature�s thinking room. The one place where we create many thoughts that turn into ideas, a place to read, and the place where we want peace and quiet. Known as many different names,� the bathroom is the one place where we flush out our systems after consuming quantities of food. However, did you know that the bile inside your body plays a huge important role in our system?
Bile is a vital body fluid that absorbs nutrients in our small intestines and flushes the toxins out of the liver. Bile continuously is being produced in the liver and then stored in the gallbladder. It also works as a signal molecule for both inside and outside the liver as well. When the liver and bile is disruptive, it can cause many problems for the body.
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) stated that the liver is known as the �master organ� and it is the causative factor in many of the body�s ailments. When there are major imbalances on our bodies, it causes liver dysfunction. In TCM, the liver actually helps with detoxification; enzyme, hormone, and bile production, immune cell activation and stores vitamins and iron.
How Does the Liver Work?
The liver�s main job is to get rid of bile in our internal system. Not only that but the liver plays an important role by distributing nutrients by converting those nutrients into metabolizing energy. As well as storing vitamins and minerals for later use.
However, in today�s fast-paced society, the liver can�t perform right as we don�t give the liver it�s essential nutrients that it needs to function. Which causes blockage in the gallbladder, diseases, and digestive issues.
The Importance of Bile
As stated, bile has many functions that play an important part in the liver. Bile actually lubricates our small intestines and stool for easy disposal. But when there is less lubrication in our small intestines and stool, it can lead to constipation and too much lubrication can lead to diarrhea.
There is also a chance of blockage in bile where it can increase the accumulation of toxins in our body which creates oxidative stress and back up our waste matter. When we eat too much food and it�s still in our intestines, it will ferment and causes a leaky gut as toxic gasses penetrate the intestinal lining.
Another function is that the bile salts break down and processes fats that are essential for weight loss. Bile can also transport toxins out of our liver to feces while keeping everything free-flowing. When there isn�t enough bile being produced, cholesterol stones are forming.
Vitamins like, vitamin A, D, E and K can break down the excess fat in the body if there is an adequate amount of bile. But if patients had gallbladder surgery must be taken to account that they don�t have a bile storage system, and must manage their bile production.
Liver Functions for Hormonal Balance
Did you know that the liver and thyroid have a synergistic relationship? That�s because the T4 is converted to T3 for the liver. It turns out that the T3 is more potent in the thyroid hormone and is metabolized from iodine. When a patient has a thyroid problem, it could actually be the result of a bile or liver malfunction.
When our mood and mental state is imbalanced, it can be the results of a sick or fatty liver. Due to the fact that the liver influencing on our hormones. Because our mental state and our moods correlate to our hormones, it is important to keep the liver healthy but also finding a good place in our state of mind to make sure that we keep our liver healthy as well.
Signs of Liver Imbalance
There are many symptoms that can cause the liver to be imbalanced and can contribute to a low bile count:
Now that we understand what symptoms that causes our liver to be imbalanced, here are 5 ways to make sure that you are protecting your liver and producing a healthy amount of bile.
Removing Causative Factors
The first and foremost factor in protecting your liver is to get rid of the causative factors that are harming your liver. Things like an excessive amount of lactate in coffee, sugars, alcohol, and processed foods can disrupt your liver�s health. It�s ok to enjoy those things sparsely but, if you are trying to maintain a healthy liver, it�s best to ease up on the consumption of those lactate factors as much as possible.
Eating Liver Supportive Foods
There are many foods that actually help support the liver. Grapefruit, blueberries, cranberries, prickly pears, and bitter greens are just some of the foods that can actually help your liver and bile production. We here at Injury Medical Clinic, always inform our patients the importance of whole nutritious food to heal and repair what ailments in our patient�s bodies.
Practicing Deep Breathing Exercise
Practicing deep breathing exercises have been known to lower stress and diaphragmatic breathing exercises is no exception. Since the liver is positioned below the diaphragm, when we do any deep breathing exercises; these motions actually massages our liver and stimulate bile production. Hence why singers do these exercises when they are getting ready to perform. They are massaging their liver without even knowing it.
Intermittent Fasting
Since we now know that bile is continuously being produced in the liver and being stored into the gallbladder when we are not eating, intermittent fasting is a good way to increase the bile production in the gallbladder. Plus it has been known for weight loss and beneficial for the body to heal while getting rid of the junk in our cells.
Stress Less
Stress is one of the huge factors that can either cause our body to improve our immune system or causes the body to chronic illness. Emotional stress is known to cause a huge burden to our organs because it is tied to our hormones. When we get emotionally stressed, our liver cannot get rid of the excess toxins and hormones.� So we have to find ways to de-stressed ourselves so we won�t hurt our organs, especially the liver.
Conclusion
So when it comes to our liver, we must make sure that the bile that we are producing is turning into energy all the way to feces. So, when we have to go to the bathroom we can let out the toxins naturally without any complications. If we can lower the factors that are causing us to have an inadequate bowel movements, then we can improve our body�s ability to detoxify.
NCBI Resources
Western diets, high in sugar and fat, cause liver inflammation, especially in males, according to a new animal study in�The American Journal of Pathology. Inflammation was most pronounced in males that lacked farnesoid x receptor (FXR), a bile acid receptor.
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