Life Over Cancer Blog

Detox Series, Part 2: Tending to Your Liver Following a Cancer Diagnosis

By Keith I. Block, MD

In the preceding blog entry, I explained the concept of the total load, and the different types of toxins the body has to deal with.  I also briefly introduced your body’s main detox systems, which are as follows:

1. the liver and gall bladder
2. the digestive tract
3. the kidneys
4. the lungs and skin
5. the blood and lymphatics

In this blog article, we’ll explore how to take care of the first of these internal detox systems, the liver.  This organ has been referred to as our “biochemical mastermind,” and it plays a pivotal role in detoxification.  Liver detoxification takes place in two basic phases (these same phases are active elsewhere in the body—notably the mucosal cells lining of the gastrointestinal tract).

“Cleaning Up Your Act” After A Cancer Diagnosis: Why and How to Detoxify, Part 1

By Keith I. Block, MD

Many of us have grown weary of the reality that pollutants have flooded our modern environment, with little sign of reprieve on the horizon.  U.S. industries annually release billions of pounds of toxic chemicals into the environment.  Modern agriculture, too, is a major source: By conservative estimates, about two billion pounds of pesticides are used on our food crops each year! So, it follows that part of the appeal of “natural” or “holistic” medicine is a fairly consistent emphasis on the importance of detoxifying the body.