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Tune Up Your Detox System

by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Published 02/04/09

If you've ever wondered just how toxic our world has become, consider these headlines, which have appeared in the New York Times and on the Reuters Health Information Web site in one month alone:
"Almost all in U.S. have been exposed to fallout, study finds."
"Big farms making a mess of U.S. waters, cities say."
"Study puts Finland first, U.S. 51st in environmental health."
"Senator says EPA ignores sewage health risk."
"International study confirms passive smoke's harm."
"Tap water chemical risky for pregnant women."

It's easy to overlook these "hidden" threats to your health. Yet recognizing and addressing them is essential for optimal health. Let's open this issue by looking at how you can lessen your body's toxic load and minimize the effects of environmental poisons.

Detoxification: Tune Up Your Detox System

Detoxification, as its name suggests, is the process of removing toxins or poisons. When most of us think of detox, we envision centers for drug or alcohol withdrawal. In reality, your body is in a constant process of detoxifying, neutralizing, and eliminating the myriad toxins encountered in our environment, as well as the waste products of normal metabolism.

Your kidneys, intestinal tract, lungs, and skin are all involved in this complex detoxification process. However, the bulk of the task falls on your liver.

Your Liver Carries a Heavy Load

Your liver is not only responsible for filtering toxins from your blood, but it must also convert these toxins into safer substances that can then be eliminated. To do this, the liver employs a two-step process called phase I and phase II detoxification. During phase I, enzymes neutralize some toxins and break down others; during phase II, further processing occurs and remaining toxins are rendered harmless.

As with many metabolic activities, a potentially harmful side effect of detoxification is the production of massive amounts of free radicals. Normally, this isn't a problem, because your body's antioxidant defenses (particularly glutathione, the predominant antioxidant in the liver) step into action to neutralize free radicals and protect your liver.

However, if adequate levels of glutathione and other antioxidants are not present, free radicals may get the upper hand. This is precisely why chronic alcoholism, certain viruses, and drug overdoses injure the liver. These toxins set into motion a chain reaction of free radical damage that cannot be curtailed by normal stores of antioxidants.

The Perils of Poisons

While cirrhosis, hepatitis, and liver destruction are radical manifestations of problems with detoxification, symptoms needn't be so extreme. Headaches, fatigue, mental confusion, joint pain, constipation, allergies, autoimmune conditions, and lowered immunity are also signs of sluggish detoxification.

Your liver has a remarkable ability to regenerate itself, but with regular exposure to toxins, its restorative powers may be overwhelmed. This becomes more problematic as we age, because our bodies produce fewer neutralizing enzymes and antioxidants to protect us. Fortunately, there are a few simple yet powerful things you can do to help keep your system in shape.

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