Part 3
In Part 1 we spoke about estrogen dominance in perimenopause.
In part 2, we spoke about how estrogen is metabolised and we learned that it involves the liver and the gut.
In this third part, we will discuss:
- how liver detoxification works
- what the liver detoxifies
- what can go wrong
- how to tell if your liver is struggling
How liver detoxification works
Detoxification is the way the liver filters and cleans out waste that is made by the body’s natural processes but also by foreign compounds coming in from external sources, such as chemicals and medication. Detoxification involves the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, bladder, skin, lungs, and gut.
Toxins are stored in the fatty tissue of the body where they can remain for years. When you go through physical and mental stress, these toxins are then released from the fatty tissue which can lead to various health conditions.
phase 1
In order to detox compounds, it has to turn them from fat soluble into water soluble so that they can be excreted via urine and stools. It does this in three phases.
Phase 1 enzymes are known as activators. Toxins enter as fat soluble compounds. The CYP450 enzymes then identify toxins and flag them.
The liver detoxes: medication, caffeine, food, waste from your own body, alcohol, pesticides, chemicals, pollution, perfumes, smoke, excess hormones, and much more.
Basically anything you consume, breathe in and put on your body.
Intermediate phase
Once the compounds have been identified and activated, they sit in a holding cell. This is known as an intermediate phase. They wait for processing by the enzymes in phase 2. Activated toxins are potentially harmful. Once activated, they need to be neutralized to be made less harmful and reactive and then excreted. Phase 1 generates a lot of free radicals. Free radicals are a unstable atom and the byproduct of normal metabolism. They can damage cells, causing illness and aging. We need the help of antioxidants from nutrients to neutralize free radical damage. Antioxidants help prevent damage to healthy cells.
Phase 2
After the toxins have been processed in the intermediate phase, they are sent to phase 2 and a family of enzymes knows as the GST enzymes take over to neutralize these volatile compounds and make them ready for excretion.
These enzymes are known as excretors. There are many processes involved in this phase such as sulfation, glutathione conjugation, methylation, glucuronidation acetylation and amino acid conjugation.
Phase 3
Phase 3 relies on your gallbladder and intestines. Your liver packages waste products into bile, stores them in the gallbladder, and releases them into the intestines upon fat consumption, eventually exiting the body through the stool.
Waste is also removed by sweat and urine. Although the liver is thought of as our primary detoxification organ, it requires a huge amount of nutrients that must be absorbed via the gut, in order to function optimally. The gut is also the initial site of exposure to orally ingested toxins.
what can go wrong
Things can go wrong in your detoxification pathway when:
- there is an increased exposure to environmental toxins
- when there are genetic mutations in the key detoxification genes
- when there is an inadequate nutrient intake to support the pathway.
There are a couple of things that go wrong:
- fast phase 1 and a normal phase 2
- normal phase 1 and slow phase 2
- fast phase 1 and slow phase 2
Signs of a sluggish liver
- Cholesterol issues: elevated LDL and trigs, reduced HDL
- Elevated liver enzymes: ALT, AST
- Weight gain
- heart disease
- sensitivity to chemicals, perfumes
- bloating
- constipation
- inability to digest fatty foods
- loss of appetite
- skin allergies (psoriasis, eczema)
- poor blood sugar balance
- sensitivity to medications
- mental health problems
- intolerance to alcohol and caffeine
- yellowing of eyes
Getting your DNA Health test can help you to see if you have genetic mutations in your detoxification pathway. Contact me