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).

The phase I enzymes essentially make the chemicals water-soluble, while phase II enzymes take the byproducts of phase I and render them less toxic and more readily excreted through the bile or urine.  Put more simply, phase I prepares the toxins for phase II, which flushes them from the body.  By working in synchrony, these two phases ultimately convert undesirable chemicals into a form that can be eliminated or excreted by the body.

Unfortunately, the transition from phase I to phase II is neither simple nor seamless.  Along the way, toxic compounds are generated.  While the phase I reactions often make compounds less toxic, they can also make other compounds more toxic (and potentially more carcinogenic as well).  Only the phase II enzymes can ensure that these newly formed toxins will be excreted from the body.

If the phase I enzymes are churning out more free radicals and other toxic metabolites than the phase II enzymes can handle, the result will be a paradoxical increase in the body’s toxic burden—something biochemist Jeffrey Bland refers to as pathological detoxification.  When this occurs, of course, the liver has taken on a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality: Rather than cleaning up the body, it is polluting the body to a dangerous degree.

Drugs, alcohol, high-fat diets, pollutants, and other factors can stress the liver and force the two phases into overdrive.  At the same time, a variety of nutrients are needed to keep the two detoxification phases functioning at a high level.

Logically, if the phase I enzymes churn out a wave of toxic metabolites, there must be sufficient support for phase II enzymes to ensure that they can “flush” out the toxins.  Without the proper nutritional support, the phase II enzymes will simply not keep pace with the toxic surge generated by phase I.  At this point, the liver’s essential role as master detoxifier organ has been compromised.

The better you take care of your liver, the more efficient your body’s resistance to toxic threats will be.  The LOC nutritional program is carefully tailored to ensure ample balancing of the phase I and phase II enzyme systems.  Increasing the intake of dietary inducers of phase II enzymes can compensate for excessive phase I activity.  Most of these inducers are concentrated in vegetable extracts, particularly those extracts containing broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables.  Regular exercise, too, is an important inducer of phase II enzyme activity.

Practically speaking, then, your job is to do everything possible to assist your liver in ridding your body of toxins.  Though protocols vary, the process has two parts.  First, you should eliminate or minimize your exposure to foods and other substances that may stress the system.  This includes avoiding animal foods high in saturated fat (such as fatty meats and cheese, and butter), all of which tend to hyper-stimulate phase I enzymes involved in liver detoxification.  Habitual, long-term consumption of alcohol, tobacco smoke, and caffeine poses a burden on liver detoxification, as do junk foods or highly processed, sugary and refined foods in general.  Second, you will need to provide nutritional support to expedite the repair of damaged liver cells, to ensure that the two phases are properly balanced, and to improve your body’s ability to minimize its toxic burden.  At the Block Center, we recommend a diet low in saturated fats and high in fiber, plant-based sources of protein, cold water fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, complex carbohydrates, fruits and berries rich in antioxidants, and nuts, seeds and cruciferous vegetables.

Caution When Tweaking Phase I Activity During Chemo

A number of chemotherapy agents — for example, doxorubicin, etoposide, irinotecan, ifosfamide, and paclitaxel — require activation by the phase I enzyme system.  This means that these drugs will not work very well if phase I is weak or somehow inhibited.  At the same time, if phase II is too strong, it can lower the effectiveness of these drugs.  This is one reason I advise against the use of vigorous detoxification immediately after completion of certain chemotherapy protocols.

In addition, we know that different supplements have different effects on phase I activity.  For example, compounds found in hot chili peppers and grapefruit tend to have an inhibitory effect on certain phase I enzymes, allowing drug metabolites to remain in the blood stream for a longer period of time.  As a result, these botanicals tend to increase the potency and toxicity of the chemotherapy agent—sometimes beyond tolerable levels.  On the other hand, St. John’s wort (an herbal anti-depressant) can strongly stimulate certain phase I enzymes, causing the drug to be removed from the body prematurely.  As a result, the activity of these drugs can be diminished.  If your nutritional program includes these foods or supplements (please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all of the foods or supplements that can cause potentially problematic interactions), you may have a greater likelihood of experiencing toxic side effects.  These potential interactions speak to the importance of tailoring a supplement regimen to the individual needs of the patient, the value of patient education regarding diet and nutrition, and why I strongly recommend all patients discuss the use of any supplements with their physicians.

In the third and last installment to the Detox Series, I’ll cover practical ways to support the digestive tract, kidneys, lungs and skin, blood and lymphatics.

Comments

[Acupuncture Los Angeles]

The best way to detox for a cancer patient, is eating right, and in my opinion this means a lot (at least 70%)of living foods, not cooked or processed. The fibers will clean the intestinal track very easily; the green leaf will keep the body alkaline and well nourished.