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http://www.getalife.net.au/mag/lstress2_html
In the previous article we explored the central role of the liver in health and the broad range of problems that manifest when the liver becomes over-taxed including digestive, hormonal, emotional and energy imbalances, muscle pain and spasms, heart disease and insomnia.
Alleviating liver stress is simple with only three criteria for successful treatment:
reduce its burden
replenish its stores
support its detoxification
REDUCING THE BURDEN
Underpinning most patterns of liver disharmony is stagnation and heat in that organ. The liver carries the greatest metabolic burden of the body; its greatest burden is the processing of the input (diet) and the output (detoxification), and when overtaxed we see the knock-on effect on the rest of the body of toxic build-up and nutrient deficiency – both of which will ultimately erode tissue integrity, defense and vitality. In short, the health of your liver reflects and governs your overall health. So the top priority is reduction of the dietary and toxic burden. When treating the liver, the success of treatment lies in reducing the input, rather than applying remedies. Simply by giving the liver a rest allows the respite required for healing. If you follow the steps below you may be amazed at your own healing potential.
Remove factors which “heat” the liver
Any factors, including emotional, dietary and chemical, which cause the liver to work harder will create further heat and stagnation. Emotional upsets (anger, frustration) and most drugs (including the contraceptive pill and hormone replacement) will exacerbate patterns of liver disharmony. However, when resolving liver stress the most immediate impact comes from dietary manipulation – the removal of foods, chemicals and stimulants that create excess heat:
High fat (including oils, nuts and seeds) and fried foods, high protein foods, meat, alcohol, processed foods
Stimulants: caffeine containing beverages, chocolate, sugar, additives, hot spices such as dried ginger, chillies, cayenne, horseradish, mustard, raw garlic
Chemicals in the workplace and in our food, food additives such as preservatives (especially phosphates) and colourings
Over-eating!!
Remove potential allergens and “indigestible” foods
If you have food allergies or intolerances, it is best to remove the offending foods. When the digestion fails to break down these foods adequately, they pass to the liver, which then carries the additional burden of having to grab and eliminate the partially digested “foreign” food before it reaches the system. It is only when the liver cannot fulfil this task that these allergens escape into the system causing allergic reactions or sensitivities. The “damp” foods such as dairy, wheat, yeast, bananas, and rich foods, also should be eliminated when the digestion is deficient.
REPLENISHING THE TISSUES
An easily digested diet, rich in living nutrients is not only going to reduce the burden on the digestive tract and liver, but also supply copious amounts of minerals, vitamins and enzymes required for healing. If you suffer bloating, acid reflux/indigestion, irritable bowel, or allergy/intolerance, then you would be advised to take additional care and make sure that you do not eat too many raw or fibre-rich foods. These require a strong digestive capacity to break down and access the nutrients. Slow-cooked foods, vegetable casseroles, soups and the use of defatted chicken stock will assist the digestion and ensure absorption of nutrients. Remember, a diet that is indigestible, by default leads to nutrient deficiency.
Correct food preparation is vital. Foods exposed to processing techniques such as high pressure, temperature (frying, pressure cooking) and microwaves, will structurally change to the point where they become “non foods” (the body doesn’t recognize them), and at worst render them toxic. Carbohydrates, when fried (as in potato chips, fried rice) turn to plastic (acrylamides), and heated fats convert to their trans form (trans-fatty acids). These foods increase liver stress and deepen nutritional deficiencies.
The seeds - whole grains, legumes and nuts - need additional attention. They are rich in anti-nutrients, which is why those following a vegetarian diet over a long period can become nutritionally depleted. Soy products are probably the biggest culprit – being high in phytic acid and anti-trypsin factors. All seeds contain enzyme inhibitors which stop them from sprouting until conditions prevail. These inhibitors will also oppose your own digestive enzymes and prevent digestion. Soaking these foods for 12 hours, then semi-germinating for 12 hours (rinse, drain and place a damp cloth over) before cooking as normal will eliminate the anti-nutrients. Soaking neutralizes the phytates (which bind and deplete the system of iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium) and semi-germinating deactivates the enzyme inhibitors. Similarly, the fermentation process in sour dough leavening neutralizes anti-nutrients in the grain and therefore yields a higher nutrient, more easily digested bread than the yeast proved varieties. Beware of wheat bran and large quantities of wheat germ – they are both high in the anti-nutrients.
Juicing. The healing potential of the diet is found in its raw content, which contains living nutrients and enzymes. As soon as food is cooked, it is “dead,” and a dead food diet will not heal the body. Food can indeed be a medicine when taken raw, unprocessed and unpasteurized. The time is long gone when we used the raw milk and the raw liver cure – yes, these programs enjoyed remarkable success. However, most people have deficient digestions, and a raw food diet of fruits, nuts and vegetables is guaranteed to make you sicker and more deficient. This is where vegetable juicing comes in. We can get quantity, quality and digestibility all in one shot. Good juicing methods will produce fibre-free juice, with enzymes intact. These should be taken immediately upon preparation – remember bottled juices are pasteurized and dead.
Protein. Protein, like fats, burdens the liver, but we do need to ensure adequate protein for healing. Vegetables will provide good quality protein but in very small amounts. When we juice it becomes easier to increase the volume. You will still need to make good your protein requirements, but remember– a little goes as long way. The inclusion of small quantities of legumes and whole grains will be sufficient to balance the protein equation, but if you have blood deficiency then it is advisable to take some fish, and if you suffer anaemia (iron and B12 deficiency) – then organic liver is the best remedy. Under these circumstances, small servings of animal protein at five meals of the week should suffice.
SO YOUR DAILY DIET MAY LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS:
Breakfast
Porridge with stewed fruit (dried or fresh).
Lunch
Baked potato/potato salad with skimmed milk yoghurt* and flaxseed oil (the only oil allowed), or brown rice salad with fresh vegetable salad, and cooked vegetables/soup (soups can be made with the legumes); spreads/dips using vegetables/legumes. A slice of sprouted rye bread or a sough dough rye bread – salt-free.
Evening meal
Similar to lunch. My book “Get a Life,” although not so strict an approach has many adaptable recipes. Have plenty of vegetables/salads with your meal. Include some fish or liver if indicated.
In addition, you would be looking at taking a minimum of one litre of mixed apple and vegetable juice daily.
* Dairy in the form of cultured yoghurt is allowed only in small amounts. Omit in allergy or intolerance.
SUPPORTING DETOXIFICATION
The rate of toxin removal from the liver determines the individual’s susceptibility to toxic overload and hence the development of chronic disease.
It’s essential that the blood is cleansed of toxins on a continuous basis. Your entire blood volume passes through the liver every 3 minutes during which time toxins are removed and detoxified for safe elimination. If this fails to occur, toxins and free radicals (very aggressive and destructive molecules) will be dumped back into the circulation causing widespread damage in the tissues and organs, including the brain. These problems occur when the liver has been subject to prolonged toxic overload, or if there is a reduction in the capacity of its detoxification pathways.
Detoxification essentially means converting a toxin to a non-toxic, soluble form that can be safely eliminated either by the liver or the kidneys. The liver is the principle organ for these reactions and has several pathways to deal with each family of toxins. There are two phases to consider:
Phase 1
Most toxins enter the first phase (P450 enzyme system) which converts the incoming toxins to intermediate metabolites – not only are these more toxic than their precursors but a lot of free radicals are generated in the process. All chemicals (dioxins, residual pesticides, exhaust and paint fumes), caffeine, alcohol, dietary protein and steroid hormones (including the pill and HRT, cortisone) will stimulate phase 1 activity and it is vitally important that the second phase (whose job it is to grab and neutralize these agents before they do any damage) keeps pace with phase 1 activity.
Toxins -------- intermediate metabolites -------- non-toxic/soluble compounds
Phase 1 (very toxic) Phase 2
P450 conjugation pathways
Some people are “pathological detoxifiers” meaning that their phase 1 is more active than their phase 2. This will lead to a build-up of intermediate toxins causing:
liver damage
chemical sensitivities
food sensitivities (specifically caffeine, alcohol, cheese, chocolate, yeasts)
general fatigue and drowsiness – caused by the effect of accumulating intermediate aldehydes which have a similar action to tranquillizers.
Obviously, under these circumstances we need to reduce exposure to the stimulants of phase 1 and activate phase 2.
Phase 2
Phase 2 activity involves binding the intermediate metabolites with compounds that effectively neutralises their activity and makes them water-soluble. This is known as the conjugation process. There are five major conjugation pathways which take up the various families of chemicals:
sulphation (steroid hormones, paracetamol, drugs, adrenaline, pesticides etc).
glutathione conjugation – a major pathway (bile acids, food preservatives, aspirin, chemicals); also responsible for the binding of all free radicals
acetylation (drugs, toxic chemicals)
methylation (histamine, food “amines,” adrenaline, chemicals)
glucuronidation (bilirubin, chemical and bacterial toxins, alcohol, amines)
Nowadays we all run the risk of chemical exposure and overload which ultimately results in depletion and exhaustion of the liver's detoxification pathways. Once this occurs our levels of toxicity, and the tissue damage created by such powerful toxins, take their toll contributing to the rise in chronic disease and cancer. Studies performed in the UK (1) have already proved a link between a deficiency in the sulphation conjugation pathway of patients with Parkinsons, Motor Neurone Disease and Alzheimer’s indicating toxic stress as a major predisposing factor in degenerative disease of the nervous system. Similarly, 50% of the general population and 80% of chemically sensitive people are slow acetylators.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT OUR LIVERS?
A good supply of natural anti-oxidants (Vitamin C, E, flavonoids) is going to protect you against oxidative stress in the liver and the general system. (How much fresh, raw organic fruit and vegetables do you consume daily?) Equally, food-derived minerals such as zinc, selenium and magnesium that power some of these detoxification enzymes systems are also critically important.
Milk Thistle is a unique liver protective herb which protects liver cells from toxins
Organic sources of sulphur as found in the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), raw garlic, onions, leeks, radish and watercress, will support the sulphation pathway. (Important in your breakdown of oestrogens).
Keep away from heavy metal contamination. Mercury (used widely as a fungicide on food crops), aluminum (canned foods, deodorants) and lead will supplant selenium in the anti-oxidant enzyme systems, and in doing so will paralyze these enzyme systems which normally protect you from free radical damage and oxidative stress. Once these fire-fighters are paralyzed, untold free radical damage occurs leading to the destruction of tissues and chronic disease (particularly in the nervous system and brain). Fresh vegetable juices will not only provide you with your anti-oxidants but enough pectin to chelate these heavy metals and clear them from your system.
Kombucha tea supports the glucuronidation pathway. An interesting bit of research reveals that the risk of cancer was negligible in Russian communities exposed to radio-active fall-out who consumed Kombucha tea on a regular basis.
Dandelion root and turmeric are both cholagogues – stimulate the flow of bile.
Go organic - be preservative and chemical free in your food and environment. Removal of the source of the problem has to be the first-line option!
If seriously detoxifying then consider the coffee enema
The coffee enema
The coffee enema goes back a long way. There’s been much research since it was used as the main treatment for pain relief in wounded German soldiers during both the wars. Various scientific studies have shown that coffee, when administered rectally is taken up by the mesenteric vein and delivered straight to the liver where specific active ingredients of the coffee have a profound effect on the stimulation of the liver; coffee taken orally does not have this effect. The various compounds in coffee not only increase the flow of toxic bile and its flushing into the gastrointestinal tract for elimination, but also increase the activity of the gluthathione S transferase system, seven-fold. We have seen that this system is the major phase 2 detoxification pathway and scavenger of free radicals. So the coffee enema is both protective against liver damage, and also enables the speedy elimination of toxins.
Dr. Max Gerson was the first physician to use it extensively in his cancer therapy as the most effective method for facilitating toxin removal by the liver. On his detoxification therapy, he found that the liver of the cancer patient was unable to cope with the onslaught of toxins released from the tissues, and that patients would deteriorate faster on the therapy than from the disease itself. More recently it was used as part of a dietary therapy protocol in a six year comparative study on cancer patients in Austria (2) to determine its benefits with regard to the basic disease process and survival time. It was found that patients on the treatment were in better condition, had less complications, and showed better toleration of radiation and chemotherapy – so much so that one group could tolerate the highly toxic drug, alpha-interferon, at high doses with complete normalization of liver function. With regard to the liver protective effect of the coffee enema, the report recommends that the pharmaceutical industry continue these investigations in order to “make a highly effective drug for protecting the liver” – as the administration of enemas was too awkward!! Not so!
If you are sensitive to foods and chemicals, or if you have had prolonged exposure to chemicals – then you will probably be toxic, the liver will be struggling and will need all the additional support it can get. If you are toxic and decide to do a detoxification program that includes vegetable juices, you would be well-advised to consider the steps above, but most importantly be ready to use your enema kit when the toxins start flowing.
1. Williams, A.C., Steventon, G.B., et al., "Hereditary variation of liver enzymes involved with detoxification and neurodegenerative diseases." Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disorders 1991, Vol. 14: pp 431-435
2. Experiences with the Use of Dietary therapy in Surgical Oncology: P Lechner, I. Kronberger; Oncological Outpatient Departments, Graz Austria, 1990
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