With so many things happening in the world right now, I want to sharpen our understanding of the capabilities of our body. With external threats, like viruses, it’s important to understand how to support and protect our bodies from these threats. A great way to do this, is by supporting our detoxification pathways.
I loved talking about skin last week because it is such a great example of how internal stress can express itself externally. For example, a sensitivity to eating dairy may express itself as acne. However, let’s turn the tables and talk about how external stress impacts us internally.
First, we will define detoxification.
Detoxification is an automatic, natural process where the liver is the primary driver. This means that any substance that enters our body in some way (whether we eat it, breath it in, or place it on our skin) must go through a 2-step process in our liver to make sure we do not absorb any of the “bad qualities” of this said exposure. If our body is unable to clear toxic waste from our body efficiently, our toxic load increases. And over time, when our toxic load goes from an ant mound to the biggest trash pile imaginable, our body suffers big time!
Now here is some science for you:
Biotransformation is a 2-step process in which a chemical modification is made by an organism on a chemical compound. This means when we expose ourselves to a foreign compound (like slathering up with chemicals in our sunscreen), our liver has to do the following…
1. Convert the foreign compound into a less or sometimes more potent compound, in order to prepare for conjugation (the next step in detoxification)
2. After the original chemical/foreign compound is converted through functionalization, then another molecule must be added to take that original toxic substance and make it more water soluble and prepared for excretion (this stage is where we need methylators, acetylators etc.)
>> For those of you who just raised an eyebrow when I said, methylators. Yes, you are already thinking about methylation and possible genetics. You are correct in this thought. When you hear about genetic testing for enzymes like MTHFR (methyltetrahydrofolate reductase) this is a place where methylation is very important, in some cases.
(comment below if genetics interest you)
So now that we understand ALL the science (haha)…
what does this actually mean?
This means that if we overwhelm our system with external sources of toxic stress (chemicals in body care and home products, pesticides, genetically-modified and/or hybridized food, diets high in sugar etc.), our liver may not be able to do all of its’ functions to its highest capabilities.
Yes, one of our liver’s capabilities involves our immune system. The liver contains the largest collection of phagocytic cells in the body. This positions the liver to detect pathogens (bad things that attack us), capture and clear them. What if our external sources of toxins are overburdening the liver and it can’t detect and clear pathogens from our body? Well, that is a compromised immune system.
If we do not support biotransformation and all the intricacies involved, how do we expect our body to eliminate toxins? And if we do not eliminate toxins well, what is the end result? It is not uncommon to have the following symptoms if our livers are overtaxed.
1. Excessive fatigue
2. Hormone imbalances
3. PMS and all the great things that come with it…
4. Belly bloat
5. Excessive gas
6. Depression
7. Brain fog
8. Chemical sensitivities or allergies
9. Poor sleep
10. Headaches
Yes, yes- there are so many more factors that go into all of this. However, supporting our liver and detoxification pathways is easy. So, why not start now?!
Your challenge: Look at your laundry detergent right now. Does it contain methylisothiazolinone? If you answered yes, you are exposing yourself to a chemical that has been associated with lung toxicity, skin irritation, allergies, & neurotoxicity. Throw it out and try a chemical-free brand. I use Young Living and Biokleen.
In Extraordinary Health,
Ready to function at your best? Dr. Byrne, with Phoenician Wellness Center, offers personalized solutions for your health needs.
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