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Natural Detoxification

by Dr. Marcus Laux

Published 02/04/09

Step Two: Support Your Liver

Nature has several “secret weapons” that help nourish your liver and support the detoxification process. My top two nutrient recommendations are N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and milk thistle extract. NAC is a potent antioxidant and antitoxin. It increases glutathione levels (the key antioxidant used by your liver to eliminate toxins), plus it helps neutralize toxins.


Detox Debriefed
Your liver detoxifies in two steps, called Phase I and Phase II. During Phase I, the liver separates the good from the bad. It looks at everything in your blood, lets the necessary nutrients continue on, and holds back the toxins. During Phase II, the liver neutralizes toxins, either self-made or ingested, by adding something onto it, such as glutathione.

Glutathione is a master antioxidant that you cannot live without. It’s a sulfur-containing compound that your body naturally produces. But it gets used up quickly, especially with the bombardment of toxins your liver is dealing with on a daily basis. And your body’s natural ability to produce glutathione decreases with age.

However, we cannot get glutathione directly from our diet. Instead, you must supplement with the building blocks of glutathione, such as N-acetyl cysteine.

Milk thistle extract is also an impressive antioxidant that works in both phases of detoxification. In Phase I, it binds to the toxins, helping to prepare them for Phase II. In Phase II, it helps by increasing glutathione levels so the toxins move easily out of your body.

There are also certain B vitamins and cruciferous vegetables that work remarkably well with your liver.

Finally, what I really want to stress is the importance of one of your body’s unsung heroes—your liver. Many would argue that the liver is the most important organ in your body—even over your heart and brain. That’s because if your liver isn’t doing its job, nutrients don’t get delivered and toxins don’t get eliminated. Nothing else in your body can function properly without a healthy liver.

So, I urge you to take in as much goodness as possible, block as many toxins from your body as possible, and do all you can to support healthy liver function. For more easy ways to help detoxify your body, check out the special detox tips sheets I’ve put on my Web site www.drmarcuslaux.com/nc/detox.asp.

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