Feeling down? It may be time to tune up your liver.
Sacramento, Calif. – If your health and vitality seem to be going downhill, consider your liver.
Our bodies must be able to detoxify, or neutralize, toxins in the environment (chemicals, plastics, heavy metals, etc.), as well as those produced within our own bodies. This process takes place mostly in the liver and consists of two phases.
Dr. Dicken Weatherby, ND, describes the process:
Phase 1
In Phase 1, toxins are activated, meaning they are changed in such a way that carrier molecules (Phase 2) are able to transport them out of the body.
Phase 1 is accomplished by a group of enzymes called cytochrome P450, and Phase 2 takes place via a number of important mechanisms that we are able to test and monitor.
A Phase 1 analogy is bagging the garbage in your home and bringing it to the street. This is Phase 1.
Phase 2
Phase 2 is when the truck picks up the garbage and hauls it away.
Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification must function adequately to neutralize toxins, and the two phases must be in balance with each other so that the activated compounds from Phase 1 do not accumulate in the body and cause damage.
Visualize a single long tube with rushing water flowing through it. This is Phase 1.
There is a critical point where the water flowing down the single tube divides into six different tubes. Each of these separate tubes has unique characteristics and qualities.
The remarkable thing about the human body—especially the liver—is that toxins, chemicals, and antigens (any molecule that stimulates an immune response) have been "assigned" a specific pathway. Their name is essentially written on the front door of these unique pathways.
At the point where they split up, each toxin has a specific door it must enter.
A problem occurs when one of the doors is only partially open—or worse, closed—causing the toxin assigned to that pathway to share a pathway with other toxins. This overloads the cofactors needed to neutralize the toxic element, significantly reducing the body's ability to clear these compounds.
Good news
The good news is that these blocked liver pathways are usually correctable by taking the following three steps:
- Testing to determine if and where the problem exists through detoxification profiles and groundbreaking genetic detoxification testing
- Nutritional support
- Consciously reducing toxic exposure
Explore additional topics from Sacramento Naturopathic Medical Center with Dr. Godby, ND, MA and his team at Natural Wellness.
As a naturopathic doctor for the last 20 years, I have witnessed the power of a preventative lifestyle and naturopathic medicine to transform the health and lives of thousands of patients.
Sacramento Naturopathic
2530 J Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: (916) 446-2591
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