A Brief Practical Guide To Removing Toxins From The Body

Everybody's health depends on detoxifying enzymes. These enzymes are so important to human health that the body makes them for itself. Making simple but smart choices for our diet and lifestyle are all that we need to reinforce our bodies' natural abilities to detoxify, without any need for expensive foods, the latest and greatest nutritional supplements, or hard-to-follow and hard-to-understand natural health practices. So long, that is, as we are only exposed to normal environmental toxins, rather than genuinely dangerous toxins — such as, for instance, alcohol poisoning that does require actual detox.

The Liver Is the Body's Detoxifying Organ

While there are detoxifying processes all over the body, most detoxification efforts take place in the liver. The liver creates a family of enzymes known as cytochrome P450 (or CYP, for short). These enzymes change molecules in specific ways to make less, or in some relatively uncommon instances, more toxic.

The way the CYP enzymes work is by combining toxins and potential toxins with oxygen, O2. One of the oxygen atoms combines with the target molecule to transform it into another compound. The other oxygen atom combines with hydrogen ions ("acidity," in this case a good kind of acidity) from the bloodstream to make H2O (water).

CYP enzymes aren't unique to humans by any means. Just about every life form makes them, including other animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, protozoans, and even fungi, although none of the 11,500 enzymes in this family has been detected in E. coli bacteria. 

The thing that is important to understand about liver enzymes is that they don't exist in limitless amounts. If the enzyme is busy detoxifying one chemical, it can't detoxify another. "Toxicity" often is a matter of too much of a load on the liver, which can cleanse a lot of toxins but takes time to do so. To keep your liver working, and your body safe, it is most important not to overwhelm it.

The Liver Is Also Sometimes the Body's Pre-Toxifying Organ

Sometimes not having "enough" liver enzymes is a good thing.  The liver enzyme CYP1A1, for instance, transforms otherwise harmless chemicals in tobacco smoke into the carcinogens that can cause liver cancer. Before the liver changes these chemicals, however, they are not carciogenic. People who have genes for "highly inducible" CYP1A1, meaning it is easily "switched on" by exposure to chemicals like those used in dry cleaning and in making gasoline, are far more likely to get lung cancer. For these people, avoiding chemical pollution may be as important as avoiding tobacco smoke.

How To Help Your Liver Detoxify

The fact that specific enzymes have specific detoxification and activation duties means that you can make choices in your diet that (1) activate or preserve the enzymes that detoxify common harmful chemicals or (2) deactivate or prevent the creation of the enzymes that "pretoxify" harmless substances into toxic forms. But you don't have to get your PhD in biochemistry to use this principle for health. Just follow these simple rules.

1. To detoxify carcinogenic compounds in cigarette smoke.

Some "healthy" foods activate the carcinogens in cigarette smoke, while other "healthy" foods counteract them. The production of CYP1A2 enzyme that activates tobacco smoke carcinogens is "switched on" by the stinky sulfur compounds found in cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, and turnip greens.

It is important, however, to keep in mind that although this process is impressive, it does not mean that any of these foods or herbs is a cure for cancer, only that they counteract some of the detrimental effects of tobacco smoke.

2. To neutralize the effects of excessive alcohol consumption on organs.

Alcohol doesn't damage tissues until an enzyme called CYP2E1 transforms it into a compound called acetaldehyde. Watercress contains chemicals that are potent inhibitors of CYP2E1 and that may protect organs from alcohol damage — but it will make a hangover worse.

3. To counteract the effects of nicotine.

Most smokers don't want to counteract the effects of nicotine. Most smokers actually want more, not less. However, if you just can't control your smoking and you are concerned about the effects of nicotine on your heart or brain, and you don't take any prescription drugs, you could consider adding starfruit to your diet.

4. To avoid toxic effects of most prescription drugs.

A chemical called bergamottin inhibits the action of a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. This enzyme detoxifies scores of common prescription drugs, especially the antiviral drug Norvir (ritonavir, commonly used to treat HIV), the antidepressant sertraline (in Paxil and Lustril), and the benzodiazepine tranquilizers, a group of drugs including Xanax, Valium, Halcion, and Dormalin (alprazolam, diazepam, triazolam, and quazepam). This chemical is found in bergamot, the citrus fruit that is used to create the distinctive flavor of Earl Grey Tea, and grapefruit juice. Avoid both of these foods, especially grapefruit juice, if you take prescription medications, unless your pharmacist tells you that they are safe.

5. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Oranges are healthy, too.

Apples and oranges are among the least expensive, easiest to find, and tastiest sources of the sticky plant fiber known as Pectin. Pectin captures many heavy metals while they are still in the lower digestive tract, before the small intestine sends them through the hepatic portal vein to the liver. Certain pectins also activate the immune system. There's even a formulation of citrus pectin that has been shown to fight hormone-related breast and prostate cancer. You can't go wrong with an apple a day, or an orange — or both!