Welcome to Part 2 of my supporting liver health blog series. I will now dive into the foods and herbs/supplements that can help our livers do their job, especially for detoxification.
Since the liver performs many jobs, it requires lots of nutrients to get everything done. When these nutrients are low or not available, it impairs the complex detoxification system, and numerous other tasks that the liver is responsible for. That’s why having a nourishing and well-balanced diet is key for proper liver support.
The different phases of liver detoxification
The liver has distinct phases of detoxification. In phase 1, toxins are chemically processed and re-packaged, often into more toxic forms. These toxins are in their intermediary form after phase 1. You don’t want an overactive phase 1, as these more damaging intemediates can accumulate.
These intermediates then moves on to phase 2 detoxification. Here they made into forms that can be eliminated from the body. It’s crucial that phase 2 detoxification is properly supported or the destructive intermediates from phase 1 can build up and cause harm.
Phase 3 is the removal/elimination through stool, urine, sweat, and the lungs. This step is just as important as the earlier ones. Good gut and kidney function, along with regular bowel movements are necessary for the safe removal of the processed toxins.
All of these phases need specific vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and macronutrients to function optimally.
