Dietary regulation of liver detoxification

Every day we are exposed to a myriad of environmental chemicals and toxins. According to Dr. Karl Anderson and Dr. Attallah Kappas in the Annual Review of Nutrition, "The diet is probably the most substantial route of exposure to environmental chemicals, including those naturally synthesized by plants or formed during food storage and preparation."

When the body experiences an overload of environmental chemicals and toxins, the consequences can manifest in a numbers of way including headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, irritability, depression, mental confusion, gastrointestinal tract irregularities, cardiovascular irregularities, flu-like symptoms, or allergic reactions such as hives, stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, and coughing.

Fortunately, the human body has developed complex mechanisms involving enzymes to detoxify these harmful substances. Detoxification can be divided into two phases. In phase I, numerous enzymes?commonly known as the cytochrome P450 system?reduce, oxidize, or hydrolyze toxins. In phase II, these toxins are transformed into water-soluble compounds that are excreted through urine or bile.

Researchers claim that "Nutrition-induced changes in the [P450] system will reduce the biological effects of some [toxic] substances, increase the effects of others, and alter risks for diseases associated with such chemicals."

Dr. Anderson and Dr. Kappas determined that levels of dietary carbohydrate, fat, protein, cruciferous vegetables, indole-3-carbinol, flavonoids, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamins A, C, and E all play a major role in the regulation of the cytochrome P450 detoxification system. In conclusion, researchers suggest that adequate levels of these key nutrients can positively influence the detoxification process.

Annu Rev Nutr 1991;11:141-67.

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