How to Boost Your Liver’s Detox Functions

Your liver performs critically important detoxification in your body. When a problem arises with the liver’s ability to detoxify, you can develop symptoms like memory loss or fatigue.

You can be proactive and support a healthy liver. The mitochondria of liver cells contain a family of enzymes called cytochrome P450. Cytochrome P450s are responsible for processing a variety of substances including toxins and nutrients that enter the liver. These metabolic products are either secreted by the liver cells into the bile and then excreted in the feces or filtered by the kidneys into the urine and excreted out of the body. The liver can metabolize nutrients, drugs, and toxins through cytochrome P450s.

However, your liver cannot metabolize heavy metals, so they will accumulate in your liver.

Symptoms that Indicate Liver Damage

When the liver is impaired, its detoxification function will be affected. Depending on the degree of liver damage, the following symptoms may occur, from mild to severe.

• Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and loss of appetite
• A feeling of distension in the right side of the abdomen, because the liver is located on the right side
• Your medication seems to be too strong. Poor metabolic function causes the concentration of the medication to increase.
• Getting tired easily
• The sclera (i.e., whites of the eyes) turn yellow and the color of urine is as dark as black tea These two symptoms indicate that the liver is starting to deteriorate
• When both hands are straightened, the hands start to shake slightly and the wrists will sway.
• Memory loss and inability to concentrate
• In more severe cases, ascites (i.e., the stomach resembling a water balloon) or coma may occur

Limitations on What the Liver Can Metabolize

Cytochrome P450s have limitations in what they can metabolize. Other factors that may inhibit the liver’s ability to detoxify the body include: