What can you do to protect your liver?
Protecting Your Liver – what you must know
According to the ancient medical philosophy of Chinese doctors your liver is “The General of the Army of your Body”, so this means that it is your defender. But your liver also requires protection from damage so how can you do that?
Well you need to understand what can damage your liver. Basically what damages your liver is inflammation caused by free radicals generated in the liver. These free radicals can damage all the physical structures in your liver cells such as the membranes, mitochondria, nucleus, genetic material (DNA) and the connective tissues which give structure to your liver.
What causes this excess inflammation?
- Too much alcohol
- A diet too high in carbohydrates and processed foods, especially sugar and trans-fatty acids
- Weight excess
- A leaky gut caused by unhealthy bacteria in your gut
- Excess iron in the liver
- Excess medications especially anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen or paracetamol, and chemotherapy drugs etc
- Parasites such as liver flukes or worms (hydatid cysts)
- Viruses such as hepatitis A. B and C
- Auto-immune diseases often associated with gluten intolerance
- Pollution from heavy metals, pesticides and plastics etc – the oceans are so full of plastic it is not possible to clean them up. We have a toxic environment which is unprecedented in the history of mankind.
What can you do to protect your liver?
Follow a healthy diet and lifestyle
Keep your weight in the healthy range
If you have excess iron levels in your blood, become a regular blood donor and you will see the levels come down
Take a vitamin C supplement to reduce free radicals attacking your liver. Generally a daily dose of 1000mg of vitamin C is protective
Take the herb Milk Thistle which has been proven to reduce liver damage in hundreds of clinical trials. You need a daily dose that supplies 420mg of silymarin daily such as found in Livatone Plus
Take a selenium supplement which contains 3 types of selenium such as Selenomune. Selenium can help the liver in many ways and is a powerful liver protector. Selenium is a mineral which is able to enhance the repair of damage to the DNA in the nucleus of the liver cells. It also reduces the ability of viruses to replicate (increase in numbers) in your cells.
Take a supplement of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) which is an amino-acid derivative (small protein) with over 40 years of scientific research to back it up. NAC’s powerful health benefits derive from its ability to restore intracellular levels of glutathione (GSH). Have you heard of glutathione? If not you need to know about it because it is the body’s most powerful naturally produced internal antioxidant.
Glutathione helps the liver to protect you against toxicity, and it is most needed by those with liver inflammation. The stress of chronic liver inflammation depletes glutathione, and this is why supplementing with its main precursor NAC, helps those with liver inflammation to protect against ongoing liver damage.
NAC is a modified form of the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine. NAC replenishes intracellular levels of glutathione (GSH), which restores your cells’ ability to fight damage from free radicals known as reactive oxygen species.
NAC may be able to help those with chronic degenerative problems, including liver and lung inflammation.
NAC neutralizes toxins and pollutants including heavy metals that accumulate in the liver, kidneys and fatty parts of the body.
Restoring glutathione levels with NAC supplements makes liver cells more able to protect themselves from ongoing damage caused by fatty accumulation, viral infections, drug induced damage, alcohol excess or autoimmune inflammation.
How can we get more glutathione in our body?
Oral glutathione supplements are available in some health food stores and pharmacies and do not require a prescription. The main problem is that glutathione is not well absorbed from the gut, as it is broken down by digestive enzymes before it has a chance to be absorbed. For this reason it is far more effective to take its precursor (building block). NAC is the most important precursor to glutathione synthesis. NAC is easily absorbed from the gut and is rapidly turned into glutathione.
Approximately 150 milligrams daily of glutathione is obtained from the average diet, mainly from fruits and vegetables. However the majority of glutathione is manufactured within the cells of the body, especially within liver cells. It is interesting to know that around 80% of the glutathione produced in the liver is transported to the blood stream to be used by the kidneys for detoxification. Thus increasing glutathione levels is good for the liver and the kidneys.
For people with severely depleted levels of glutathione in their body, taking glutathione intravenously would be best, but this is impractical. The practical solution is to take NAC, the main precursor to glutathione - a component the body’s cells need to make their own glutathione.
How is NAC taken?
NAC does not require a prescription and is taken as an oral supplement in doses of 600 to1800 mg daily. NAC is taken two to three times per daily, or as recommended by your healthcare provider. NAC is taken 15 minutes before food.
With more than 40 years of use in a wide range of medical disorders, NAC has been proven to be safe even at very high doses and for long-term treatment. Studies have demonstrated the safety of 1,800 mg per day for 142 days, and 2,800 mg per day for 3 months. The most commonly used doses range from 600-1,800 mg daily and clinical studies have found that doses of up to 2,000 mg/day are safe.
Many researchers have come to the conclusion that a deficiency of liver glutathione is one of the leading factors that allow liver disease to progress. The liver cells of people with chronic liver disease are continually overworked as they fight toxins and free radicals and it is mainly glutathione which can protect them from severe damage or cell death. Researchers proved that glutathione given in high doses intravenously to patients with severe fatty livers resulted in marked improvement in their liver blood test results.
There are no known contraindications to NAC. In some people NAC can cause some indigestion. Diabetics should check with their healthcare provider regarding interference with insulin efficacy.
Raw juicing can accelerate the repair of liver damage and improve immune function. Good things to juice include kale, cabbage, carrot, beet, ginger, lime, lemon, grapefruit, parsley, basil, and cilantro. Check out my Raw Juices Can Save Your Life book for lots of raw juice recipes.
Super foods for the liver include garlic, onions, radishes, tahini, hemp and chia seeds
Fermented foods high in probiotics can also help and include miso, kefir, sauerkraut, and kim chi are able to improve gut health and thus reduce liver inflammation
Note:
NAC will work more efficiently if you also take a supplement of selenium because glutathione cannot function without adequate levels of selenium in the cells
The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
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Fatty liver is most often a disease of poor dietary choice- I wonder what your regular diet looks like.
Lets start with your liver- the "little General" of your body is what Dr Cabot will refer to your liver as, and if your Liver is fatty, then that is the beginning of what could be a long slow old decline in health and metabolism. Edda, the book you will benefit from reading if you can find the time is literally titled "Fatty Liver- You Can Reverse It" Edda that book will give you a full protocol, dietary recommendations, lifestyle and even the supplements options you have to reverse that fatty liver. Once you address your sluggish liver- which is essentially a slowing of your metabolism and the beginning of the end ;) ok, perhaps I shouldn't get so dramatic, but it is most certainly the end of your optimal metabolism days if you don't address your fatty liver. So lets just say you cant find the time to read the Fatty Liver Book- or cant Russell up the 20 odd dollars the Docs book will cost at www.cabothealth.com.au- you can start with these basics- Liva Tone Plus 1 x twice daily for 2 weeks=- then increase to 2 x twice daily ongoing. Please take Collagen and MSM powder 1tsp x twice daily.
Thanks for the email Edda- that will help you a lot
All the best in health
Kylie McCarthy
Nutritionist