WELLNESS: YOUR LIVER, DETOXIFICATION, AND IMMUNE HEALTH
BOOST IMMUNE RESILIENCE WITH A HEALTHY LIVER
Our immune system relies on many different organs to function optimally. While it may not initially seem obvious, our immune system and our liver are actually related, and work together very closely.
LIVER FUNCTION AND THE DIGESTION/IMMUNE CONNECTION
Think of your liver as a major filter in your body; it filters our blood, and it filters the nutrients we receive from our food (the liver is the first place many of them go after being absorbed by our small intestine). A healthy digestive tract will naturally prevent many toxins and pathogens from getting inside our bodies by providing a physical barrier, so that our liver will never have the burden of detoxifying these compounds. Healthy gut bacteria will also provide liver support, as they are natural detoxifiers: healthy gut bacteria can identify toxins and begin the process of breakdown, as well as preventing toxin absorption, before those toxins ever make it to the liver.
The problem is that all too often our digestive systems get damaged due to poor food choices, inflammation and immune overstimulation from food allergies and sensitivities, inability to digest our food properly, chronic stress, and other causes. All of these and more can lead to a condition called leaky gut, which is basically an inflamed, swollen GI tract. See, the cells of our immune system are meant to be very tightly bound together: this is how they maintain that tight physical barrier that prevents toxins, pathogens and other large molecules from being absorbed into our bodies. However, when the cells of our digestive system become inflamed, they tend to swell up and in swelling up, they push away from each other and create small channels between each other. Toxins, pathogens and other particles can then pass through these channels and enter our bodies, where they’re sent to the liver.
Leaky gut is all about inflamed intestinal cells. Inflammation is regulated by the immune system, which is present in high amounts surrounding the digestive system. When damaged intestinal cells swell up in leaky gut, the surrounding immune system gets the signal for inflammation and then promotes inflammation throughout the body. This sets the stage for chronic inflammation, which leads to a chronically overstimulated immune system.
Leaky gut, chronic inflammation, and an overburdened liver are all further taxed in dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is a state where the number of unhealthy gut bacteria is higher than the number of healthy gut bacteria.
Healthy gut bacteria function to promote detoxification, make some vitamins, and support immune health by calming excessive inflammation and communicating regulatory signals to our immune system.
Unhealthy gut bacteria increase inflammation and promote leaky gut, make excess toxins, and increase liver burden.
An unhealthy GI tract makes for chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction as well as an overburdened liver.
WHERE DO TOXINS AND PATHOGENS COME FROM?
Toxins and pathogens (these include bacterial, viral, fungal, and other pathogens) often come from the food we eat. They can be present on the surface of foods, or may end up on our food, in drinks, or even on cups or dishes from uncovered coughs or sneezes, or unwashed hands that can spread these germs. This is why the CDC continues to recommend regular hand washing as one of the most important preventive measures we can take to reduce the risk of contracting the COVID-19 infection.
Many of the pathogens our bodies meet from food and eating surfaces are killed in a healthy stomach and upper digestive tract thanks to high level of stomach acid, digestive enzymes, healthy gut bacteria and immune cells present in our digestive tracts. Antimicrobial herbs and foods like garlic, onions, thyme, oregano, ginger, and many others will also help keep pathogens at bay.
CONNECTING LIVER AND IMMUNE SYSTEM HEALTH
Because it’s one of the first organs to meet pathogens, viruses and other infectious organisms that may be present in our food, the liver is considered an important organ for immune health. We know that, because it is a frontline organ in the immune response, a healthy liver favors decreasing inflammation and immune tolerance: this means that the liver’s job is weighted on the side of calming down inflammatory processes that are initiated due to the presence of pathogens in our GI tract. However, it is also able to mount a robust immune response when necessary to keep us healthy and fight off pathogens.
LIVER HEALTH AND DETOX
Our liver is naturally detoxifying all day, every day. That’s it’s job. It’s normally very good at it. We run into problems when the amount of toxins in our body overwhelms our liver’s ability to detoxify them. When that happens, our liver’s natural pathogen-fighting ability, as well as its immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory ability, are decreased. The liver is trying desperately to keep up with the demands of toxin overburden. The buildup of toxins in the liver can cause direct liver cell damage, which promotes liver inflammation and may cause right-sided abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, skin rashes, acne, foul body odor and/or breath, changes in appetite, nausea, and a host of other really unpleasant symptoms. Other signs that a person’s liver is overburdened can include inability to tolerate caffeine or alcohol.
The liver detoxifies in two phases: phase I and phase II detoxification. Most toxins passing through our liver are subjected to phase I and phase II to be fully detoxified and then sent out of the body as a harmless end-product. Phase I and phase II detoxification processes all require their own set of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and nutrients, to function optimally. A decreased nutrient status (from poor diet as well as impaired digestion) will all contribute to slowing down detoxification processes.
For more information about the actual processes involved in liver detox, and which nutrients our livers need for healthy detox, check out my free liver detox class here.
COVID-19 AND LIVER HEALTH
We’re learning more and more every day about the implications of SARS-CoV2 and the COVID-19 illness it causes. One thing that the research shows is that this virus, and its viral particles, seem to be cleared through the liver, and through stool, rather than through the kidneys.
A recent study has shown viral particles in the stool of hospitalized patients, indicating that the virus is also active in the GI tract.
We know that while respiratory symptoms are predominant in this infection, GI symptoms may also occur including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
What the liver’s role is here, and whether the liver damage was preexisting or caused by the viral infection (or medications used to combat the virus), is not entirely clear. However, a trend of increasing liver and gallbladder enzymes has been observed in severe viral infections. All of this points to a need to promote liver health for general health, wellness, and prevention.
WHAT CAN I DO TO SUPPORT LIVER HEALTH?
Taking care of your liver may be more important now than ever. Simple daily choices can make all the difference.
AVOID FOOD ALLERGENS, AND EAT ORGANIC
These are two simple but profound ways to help keep a healthy happy liver. Food allergens promote digestive system inflammation and leaky gut, and leaky gut will just naturally increase the burden on the liver by presenting it with more chemicals it must detoxify. Same thing with organic foods: by choosing to eat organic, or to eat locally grown, responsibly farmed pesticide free foods (like those at your local farmer’s markets), you are dramatically reducing the burden of toxins your body must process. Pesticides can also cause digestive inflammation and leaky gut, further exacerbating the problem.
(Don’t know that your food allergies are? Follow a simple whole foods elimination diet for at least 6 weeks, avoiding all major allergens: gluten, dairy, sugar, eggs, corn, and soy, as well as all foods containing artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. After the 6 weeks, continue with the diet, adding in one food at a time, twice daily for two days. Then stop that food and wait an additional 2 days, continuing to avoid all potential allergens. Any reaction including gas, bloating, stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea, skin rash, joint pain, headache, brain fog, is an indication that that food is an allergen for you. Continue to avoid it.
Continue this process until you’ve reintroduced all potential food allergens).
EAT A PLANT BASED HIGH-FIBER DIET OF MOSTLY FRUITS AND VEGGIES (AND HEALTHY BEANS AND GRAINS IF YOU TOLERATE THEM)
As our liver processes toxins, it sends detoxified (or partially detoxified) compounds for storage and release into the intestines, where they bind with fiber and are removed from our bodies via stool. If we do not have an adequate amount of fiber present in our intestines, the liver will still send the toxins out into the intestines, but they are more likely to be reabsorbed into our bodies where they can recirculate and do a lot of damage before getting stored in fat, our brain, or sent back to the liver to do it all over again. A high fiber diet, in conjunction with plenty of healthy water, is a fundamental and critical piece of supporting liver health.
Members of the brassica family of veggies (including cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, dark leafy greens like kale, bok choy and others) are high in sulfur-containing compounds and also help detoxify the liver, especially supporting phase II liver detoxification. Regularly eating these can be an excellent general liver support.
Plus, fruits and veggies are abundant sources of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that our livers naturally require for optimal detoxification.
Some people do really well with beans and grains, others do not. I’ve found that for some patients, they act like food allergens and should be avoided. For others they can be a nutrient dense comfort food and an excellent source of nourishment. People undergoing an elimination diet will sometimes decide to avoid intake of beans and grains for a period of time and then reintroduce them to look for reactions. It’s not uncommon for people with adrenal insufficiency to have trouble tolerating grains.
DRINK PLENTY OF FILTERED WATER
Water is required for our liver to do its job of processing and flushing chemicals well. Water is also a natural component of stool, and regular bowel movements are necessary for liver health. Regular BMs move bound toxins out of our bodies safely.
A general recommendation is to drink half your weight in pounds, in ounces of filtered water, daily. If you are currently drinking much less than this, it is best to work up slowly to your desired amount.
MOVE
Exercise is also important for liver health. Regular exercise pumps our blood through our bodies, and this increase in blood flow stimulates the body’s natural detoxification processes. Sweating also supports detoxification: sweat is another pathway of detoxification, and regular sweating reduces the burden placed on the liver.
LOAD UP ON HEALTHY HERBS AND SPICES
Herbs like turmeric have natural chemicals that support liver detoxification. Other herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme contain natural antioxidants that protect the liver and minimize dysbiosis (they are also potent natural anti-infective herbs), making them a wonderful daily addition to your diet. Cilantro is known to bind toxins like heavy metals and may support liver health. Parsley is a natural blood cleanser that may also reduce the burden on the liver. As I mentioned above, other great anti-infective herbs and foods include garlic, onions, and leeks, to purify the digestive system and the blood.
There are many other herbs and nutrients that people take medicinally for liver support; I encourage you to speak with a nutritionally-trained doctor or a naturopathic physician if you would like guidance on specific therapies that may be of benefit to you. I also encourage you to check out my free liver detox class here if you would like to learn more.