The liver plays a very important role and is one of the hardest working organs in the human body that. Its function is to digests food, strengthen tissues and acts as a storage place for many vitamins and minerals. It is still a source of production for erythrocytes. Moreover, the Kupffer cells in the liver can filter diseases from the blood stream.

     The liver is one of the most important organs that can help to detoxify toxins from the body, especially from the intestine. The process of liver detoxification is a complex chemical reaction that helps to change fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble toxins, which can be driven out through the urine or bile. Normally, a lot of toxins that get into the body have fat-soluble properties. Therefore, they are accumulated into fat tissues and cell walls. 

     Most blood that passes through the liver comes from the portal vein, which brings the blood from the intestine. Then, the liver will eliminate the source of the diseases, such as bacterial, fungal, viral or parasitic infections, found in the blood stream.

     Detoxification of the liver has been found to be highly effective in preventing the cause of cancer. About 90% of cancers come from the carcinogens found in the environment like smoke, radiation and more. The process of liver detox is divided according to the function of the enzymes and separated into Phase 1 and Phase 2 but the phases remains closely related to each other. 

     The efficiency of liver detox in each person is different and depends on the heredity factor. For example, some people can eliminate the carcinogens in smoke. Therefore, their lungs are not that affected. Meanwhile, some people are affected with lung cancer just by being a secondhand smoker. 

     Therefore, if the intermediate toxins that come from Phase 1 are not eliminated in Phase 2, it will then become carcinogens and in turn be extremely harmful. The presence of anti-oxidants can reduce this harm.

   Many types of nutrients also play an important role in the process of liver detox. They are vitamins and minerals, like Vitamin B, C, E and selenium. Moreover, amino acids like glycine, cysteine, glutamine, methionine, taurine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid are the important ingredients in the function of Phase 2.

     Apart from the liver, detoxification process helps in other parts of the body, especially the brain function. A lack of anti-oxidants and essential nutrients can cause the destruction of the nerve cells like those found in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 

     Food like cabbage or broccoli produces important substances like indole-3-carbinol. They contain nutrients that help in activate detox in Phase 1 and Phase 2. Therefore, it can help the body protect itself from the dangers of various toxins and carcinogens. Limonene found in citrus fruits also has the same function.

     The medications that suppress the detoxification process in Phase 1, leaves the toxins behind in the body longer. Some examples of these medications are as follows:

• antihistamines

• cimetidine  

• other stomach-acid secretion blocking drugs like ketoconazole and sulfaphenazole

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs, such as Aspirin has the action of blocking the function of Phase 2.

     There are many types of herbs that are good for the liver. However, the most interesting research involves Silymarin. This natural medicament helps to protect the liver cells from being destroyed and increase the efficiency of detoxification by acting as an anti-antioxidant (more powerful than Vitamin E and C by several times). It can help to increase the synthesis of glutathione by 35% and creating new liver cells.

   The most important anti-oxidant in Phase 1 is glutathione. If there are a lot of toxins in Phase 1, glutathione will be largely used. The glutathione will protect the body from the danger of smoke, radiation, chemotherapy and other toxins like alcohol. 

     Glutathione comes from two sources, which are food and synthesis. The foods with lots of glutathione are fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and cooked meat. The glutathione in food can be well absorbed but might not be sufficient. Therefore, an infusion is needed instead.

 The synthesis of glutathione in the body must rely on many types of amino acids like cysteine, glycine and glutamate. It also depends on magnesium. Food containing cysteine are meat, egg, garlic, onion and broccoli. Food containing gluten (found in grains, such as wheat) and casein (milk protein) will suppress the absorption of cysteine, which in turn causes lack of glutathione in the body. Therefore, to be in the peak of health, people are strongly encouraged to undergo liver detoxification and also avoid the foods mentioned.