The liver is one of the most important organs in the body when it comes to detoxifying or getting rid of foreign substances or toxins, especially from the gut. The liver plays a key role in most metabolic processes, especially cleansing detoxification. The liver detoxifies harmful substances by a complex series of chemical reactions. The role of these various enzyme activities in the liver is to convert fat soluble toxins into water soluble substances that can be excreted in the urine or the bile depending on the particular characteristics of the end product. Many of the toxic chemicals that enter the body are fat-soluble, which means they dissolve only in fatty or oily solutions and not in water. This makes them difficult for the body to excrete. Fat soluble chemicals have a high affinity for fat tissues and cell membranes, which are composed of fatty acids and proteins. In these fatty tissues of the body, toxins may be stored for years, being released during times of exercise, stress or fasting. During the release of these toxins, several symptoms such as headaches, poor memory, stomach pain, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and palpitations can occur.
The major percentage of blood being filtered by the liver is from the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestines. The liver can remove a broad spectrum of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites from the blood, which is desirable, as we certainly do not want these building up in the blood and invading deeper parts of the body. Infections and parasites often come from the contaminated water supplies found in large cities, and indeed other dangerous organisms may find their way into your gut and blood stream from these sources. This can cause chronic infections and poor health, so it is important to protect your liver from these microorganisms. The safest thing to do is water that has been filtered and sterilized. High loads of unhealthy microorganisms can also come from foods prepared in conditions of poor hygiene by persons who are carrying bacteria, viruses or parasites on their skin. Foods, especially meats that are not fresh or are preserved, also contain a higher bacterial load, which will overwork the liver if they are eaten regularly.
The liver neutralizes a wide range of toxic chemicals, both those produced internally and those coming from the environment. The normal metabolic processes produce a wide range of chemicals and hormones for which the liver has evolved efficient neutralizing mechanisms. However, the level and type of internally produced toxins increases greatly when metabolic processes go awry, typically as a result of nutritional deficiencies. These non-end-product metabolites have become a significant problem in this age of conventionally grown foods and poor diets.
Many of the toxic chemicals the liver must detoxify come from the environment: the content of the bowels and the food, water, and air. The polycyclic hydrocarbons (DDT, dioxin, 2,4,5-T, 2,3-D, PCB, and PCP), which are components of various herbicides and pesticides, are on example of chemicals that are now found in virtually all fat tissues measured. Even those eating unprocessed organic foods need an effective detoxification system because all foods contain naturally occurring toxic constituents.
The liver plays several roles in detoxification: it filters the blood to remove large toxins, synthesizes and secretes bile full of cholesterol and other fat-soluble toxins, and enzymatically disassembles unwanted chemicals. This enzymatic process usually occurs in two steps referred to as phase I and phase II. Phase I either directly neutralizes a toxin, or modifies the toxic chemical to form activated intermediates which are then neutralized by one of more of the several phase II enzyme systems.
Proper functioning of the liver’s detoxification systems is especially important for the prevention of cancer. Up to 90% of all cancers are thought to be due to the effects of environmental carcinogens, such as those in cigarette smoke, food, water, and air, combined with deficiencies of the nutrients the body needs for proper functioning of the detoxification and immune systems. The level of exposure to environmental carcinogens varies widely, as does the efficiency of the detoxification enzymes, particularly phase II. High levels of exposure to carcinogens coupled with slow detoxification enzymes significantly increases susceptibility to cancer.
When optimum nutrition is provided the liver operates efficiently. A great many people however, do not eat the right kinds of foods to provide the liver with everything it needs for the elimination of the extra toxins bodies are exposed to daily. If nutrition is compromised through poor dietary and lifestyle habits, this will impede cleansing detoxification processes, and other organs will suffer as the body retains these toxins.
No related posts.
August 18th, 2011 at 4:10 AM
All of the capillary beds that surround your intestines (the ones that absorb all of the ‘stuff’ you have just ingested) drain straight into the hepatic portal vein that goes to your liver before it goes anywhere else.
Here it once again divides into capillaries (the definition of a portal vein is a vein that is formed from the capillaries then divides once again) where the blood can interact with hepatocytes (specialized liver cells). Here toxic material can be broken down into less harmful metabolites before they meet the rest of your cells and cause some real damage.
It is for this reason that the liver is susceptible to damage.
References :
August 18th, 2011 at 4:44 AM
The liver is one of the most important organs in the body when it comes to detoxifying or getting rid of foreign substances or toxins, especially from the gut. The liver plays a key role in most metabolic processes, especially detoxification. The liver detoxifies harmful substances by a complex series of chemical reactions. The role of these various enzyme activities in the liver is to convert fat soluble toxins into water soluble substances that can be excreted in the urine or the bile depending on the particular characteristics of the end product. Many of the toxic chemicals that enter the body are fat-soluble, which means they dissolve only in fatty or oily solutions and not in water. This makes them difficult for the body to excrete. Fat soluble chemicals have a high affinity for fat tissues and cell membranes, which are composed of fatty acids and proteins. In these fatty tissues of the body, toxins may be stored for years, being released during times of exercise, stress or fasting. During the release of these toxins, several symptoms such as headaches, poor memory, stomach pain, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and palpitations can occur.
The major percentage of blood being filtered by the liver is from the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestines. The liver can remove a broad spectrum of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites from the blood, which is desirable, as we certainly do not want these building up in the blood and invading deeper parts of the body. Infections and parasites often come from the contaminated water supplies found in large cities, and indeed other dangerous organisms may find their way into your gut and blood stream from these sources. This can cause chronic infections and poor health, so it is important to protect your liver from these microorganisms. The safest thing to do is water that has been filtered and sterilized. High loads of unhealthy microorganisms can also come from foods prepared in conditions of poor hygiene by persons who are carrying bacteria, viruses or parasites on their skin. Foods, especially meats that are not fresh or are preserved, also contain a higher bacterial load, which will overwork the liver if they are eaten regularly.
The liver neutralizes a wide range of toxic chemicals, both those produced internally and those coming from the environment. The normal metabolic processes produce a wide range of chemicals and hormones for which the liver has evolved efficient neutralizing mechanisms. However, the level and type of internally produced toxins increases greatly when metabolic processes go awry, typically as a result of nutritional deficiencies. These non-end-product metabolites have become a significant problem in this age of conventionally grown foods and poor diets.
Many of the toxic chemicals the liver must detoxify come from the environment: the content of the bowels and the food, water, and air. The polycyclic hydrocarbons (DDT, dioxin, 2,4,5-T, 2,3-D, PCB, and PCP), which are components of various herbicides and pesticides, are on example of chemicals that are now found in virtually all fat tissues measured. Even those eating unprocessed organic foods need an effective detoxification system because all foods contain naturally occurring toxic constituents.
The liver plays several roles in detoxification: it filters the blood to remove large toxins, synthesizes and secretes bile full of cholesterol and other fat-soluble toxins, and enzymatically disassembles unwanted chemicals. This enzymatic process usually occurs in two steps referred to as phase I and phase II. Phase I either directly neutralizes a toxin, or modifies the toxic chemical to form activated intermediates which are then neutralized by one of more of the several phase II enzyme systems.
Proper functioning of the liver’s detoxification systems is especially important for the prevention of cancer. Up to 90% of all cancers are thought to be due to the effects of environmental carcinogens, such as those in cigarette smoke, food, water, and air, combined with deficiencies of the nutrients the body needs for proper functioning of the detoxification and immune systems. The level of exposure to environmental carcinogens varies widely, as does the efficiency of the detoxification enzymes, particularly phase II. High levels of exposure to carcinogens coupled with slow detoxification enzymes significantly increases susceptibility to cancer.
When optimum nutrition is provided the liver operates efficiently. A great many people however, do not eat the right kinds of foods to provide the liver with everything it needs for the elimination of the extra toxins bodies are exposed to daily. If nutrition is compromised through poor dietary and lifestyle habits, this will impede detoxification processes, and other organs will suffer as the body retains these toxins.
Filtering the Blood
One of the liver’s primary functions is filtering the b
References :
http://www.tuberose.com/Liver_Detoxification.html