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Give Your Liver Some TLC

by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Published 03/05/09

We live in a toxic world. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than six trillion pounds of chemicals are released into the environment every year. This includes airborne emissions from factories and vehicles, and agricultural and industrial chemicals discharged into the ground and water. Some of these toxins inevitably make their way into our bodies in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Couple this with exposure to noxious elements in household cleaners, building materials in your home, drugs, personal care products, and the like, and we're talking toxic overload.

Your liver, the major organ of detoxification, takes the brunt of this. In a complex two-part process called phase I and phase II detoxification the liver converts toxins into compounds that can be eliminated from the body. During phase I, enzymes collectively known as cytochrome P450 neutralize some toxins and ready others for phase II. Phase II involves a number of reactions that transform toxins into safe, water-soluble compounds that can be excreted in the urine and bile.

Since your liver gets such a workout, you obviously need to give it a little TLC from time to time, and this is especially true if you're feeling tired and sluggish. There are a number of things you can do to enhance the health of your liver. One is to avoid known liver toxins. Go easy on alcohol, especially if you're obese-the combination of excess alcohol and obesity is especially damaging to the liver. Also, do your best to stay away from certain drugs, or at least monitor liver enzymes if you must take them. These include statin cholesterol-lowering drugs, NSAIDs, acetaminophen, glitazone diabetic drugs, triglyceride-lowering fibrates, some anticonvulsants, Strattera (for ADHD), steroids, synthetic estrogen, tamoxifen, and methotrexate. Caution: Do not stop taking any drug without first consulting with your physician.

You can also support your liver by drinking 10 to 12 glasses of water every day and eating lots of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, including several weekly servings of cruciferious vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. In addition, I highly recommend supplementing with nutrients that enhance liver function. These include antioxidants such as lipoic acid (also known as alpha lipoic acid or ALA), silymarin (from milk thistle), and selenium to protect the liver against the free radicals generated during phase I detoxification. Calcium-d-glucarate, n-acetyl-cysteine, ellagic acid (found in pomegranates and raspberries), and trimethylglycine all support various conjugation reactions that occur in phase II detoxification.

For general liver support, look for a combination formula in your health food store containing the following nutrients: 100 mg of lipoic acid, 420 mg of silymarin, 70 mg of selenium, 200 mg of calcium-d-glucarate, 600 mg of n-acetyl-cysteine, 50 mg of ellagic acid, and 300 mg of trimethylglycine. Take these doses each day, as directed on the label.