Liver Detox

To be successful with detoxification, the liver requires a variety of nutrients. Unfortunately, among the advocates of liver detox, many scams lure the public into buying their products by promising miracle detox potions. Most won’t be as effective as eating real food because they contain synthetic vitamins and other chemicals—all of which must be broken down and eliminated by the liver. The very best way to promote healthy liver function comes from eating real food and avoiding environmental toxins as much as possible.

To obtain the many nutrients required for liver detox, focus on a regular diet full of a variety of organic, unprocessed foods—fresh vegetables and fruits, whole raw nuts and seeds, and high quality protein (including whole eggs). Organic foods have more of these important nutrients and fewer toxins such as pesticides.

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The signs and symptoms of poor liver detox may be subtle. So how do you know if your liver function needs more support? Ask yourself the following questions:

 

 

 
  • Are you sensitive to caffeine (you can consume only small amounts or none at all)?
  • Are you sensitive to perfumes, paints, and other chemical smells?
  • Are you sensitive to certain drugs: benzodiazepines (Valium, Ativan, Xanax), antihistimines (Benadryl, Claritin), certain antibiotics (Bactrim, Erythromycin) and antifungals (Lotrimin)?
  • Are you sensitive to certain foods: grapefruit, turmeric, curry, chili (capsaicin), or cloves?
  • Do you eat less than two servings a day of animal protein (meat, fish, whole eggs)?
  • Are you taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Advil, Aleve)?
  • Are you taking more than one dose of Tylenol or aspirin per week?
  • Are you sensitive (even to the smell) to high-sulfur-containing foods such as egg yolks, onions, garlic, broccoli, or cabbage?
  • Do you consume more than two alcoholic drinks per day?
  • Do you eat less than about eight servings of vegetables and fruits per day?

If you answered “yes” to even one or two of these questions, it could indicate that your liver detoxification pathways are not as efficient as they should be. Liver function also slows down with age if we don’t keep it going with adequate healthy food.

For ease of study, researchers and clinicians discuss liver detox as two different chemical pathways, called Phase I and Phase II. Each is associated with specific toxins and nutrients. Through a careful evaluation of an athlete, I could often determine which pathway needed more support, something difficult to do here. For simplicity, I discuss Phase I and II together as one general category of liver detox. It is important to understand that too much of one nutrient may help one phase while hurting the other. This is another reason why many detox supplements can be harmful—they’re too general and may not be specific for your needs. But a healthy diet will provide a natural balance of nutrients for the liver to use.

The most important compound for liver detox is a substance called glutathione. Fortunately, the body makes glutathione when we eat a variety of foods rich in specific nutrients. It’s important to consume these foods regularly. Some of the key nutrients the body needs, and some foods containing them, to make glutathione include:

 

 

 
  • Lipoic acid found in spinach, broccoli, peas, brussels sprouts, and many other bitter-tasting vegetables
  • Sulforaphan from broccoli and kale (highest in broccoli sprouts)
  • Gamma tocopherol and alpha tocotrienol from fresh vegetables and raw nuts and seeds
  • The amino acid cysteine, highest in certain animal proteins, especially whey

In addition, the process of detoxification normally produces large amounts of unstable chemicals called oxygen free radicals. A diet rich in antioxidants helps sweep up this radical “fallout” from liver detox. Potent antioxidants found in brightly colored vegetables and fruits—tomatoes, yellow summer and winter squash, cilantro, kale, carrots, melons, blue-berries—include the carotenoids (lycopene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein) and the full vitamin E complex, especially beta, delta, and gamma tocopherol. Food doses of vitamin C (found in the white spongy material in red peppers and citrus, and other vegetables and fruits) also work with other antioxidants.

To liven up your healthy meals, include foods rich in phytonutrients that also assist liver detox. These include citrus peel (make a citrus peel zest or a marmalade with honey), caraway seeds (grind them just before use), turmeric, ginger, garlic, and dill, just to name a few.

The liver detox pathways also require B vitamins, especially thiamin (B1), niacin (B3), and the folates. But avoid the synthetic forms because these have to be detoxed and eliminated through the liver too. Alcohol, in small amounts, may actually help liver detox. In moderation, alcohol is broken down in the liver (although the process starts in the stomach) but by a different mechanism that also requires B vitamins. But excessive alcohol taps into Phase II detoxification, where it can cause significant stress.

If you have a history of liver problems, you should avoid certain foods and drugs. These include iron from dietary supplements, alcohol, and products containing acetaminophen (including Tylenol, Excedrin, and other aspirin-free products). Any drug, especially those taken by mouth (after absorption in the gut, they go directly to the liver), can be a problem. These substances can add significant chemical stress to the liver. In addition, avoid the foods that you know you’re sensitive to and be especially aware of caffeine. While the liver is a powerfully amazing part of us (if a piece is surgically removed it can even grow back), we often won’t get signs or symptoms that it’s not functioning well until a third or even half of its function is gone.

The liver makes bile to help carry toxins through the gall bladder and into the intestines for elimination. Dietary fats in the diet keep bile flowing properly, helping the liver do its job. These include olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, and other healthy fats and oils. Extremely low fat diets can reduce bile production and can be dangerous. Likewise, high fat diets can overwork the gall bladder. (A variety of natural foods will also contain sufficient fiber to help remove the toxins from the gut.)

Improving liver function is a key to helping the entire intestine function in a normal healthy way, especially the large intestine. The ability to detoxify many chemicals made in our body and taken in via the air, water, and food is one of the liver’s important functions. This contribution to improved fitness and health is another way athletes can improve athletic performance.