Toxicity and Detoxification Part 1: the liver's function

Toxicity and detoxification are words that conjure up images of sludge and pollution, and so they should. They are also words that some producers of “natural” products misuse in an attempt to sell their goods. The selling of “detox” has lead too many consumers and veterinary professionals to disregard the entire concept of toxicity and detoxification because they feel it is surrounded with hype. This is unfortunate because toxins do exist and most pets need help removing toxins from their bodies.

To put the subject of detoxification in perspective, the blog will take several days to examine:

1. the liver’s function in detoxification,
2. sources of recognized toxins,
3. why the liver cannot detoxify some materials
4. sources of unrecognized toxins,
5. death cell by cell
6. which pets should take liver supplements, and
7. foods and supplements that support liver’s ability to detoxify.

The liver’s function in detoxification
In all living systems, foods enter and wastes exit. Sounds simple, but consuming food and discharging waste is an interaction of stomach, intestines, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, kidneys, skin, lungs, and nervous system. These are the organs of digestion and elimination.

When material that enters the body can be digested into proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, the organs of digestion and elimination have a simple job. The job is not simple when materials cannot be reduced to proteins, carbohydrates or fats because this material requires processing to make it harmless. Take hamburger for example. Hamburger is processed into proteins and fats, but chemical residues it contains from hormones, antibiotics, dewormers, or insecticides are not usable nutrients. Grains and nuts, such as corn and peanuts, often offer similar challenges because they may contain residues of pesticides, fertilizers, and molds.

Residues and contaminants are potentially harmful so they have been termed “toxins.”

• Toxins: noxious or poisonous substances
• Detoxification: removing the toxic or poisonous properties; converting pharmacologically active agents to less active agents.

Pets evolved with a system of handling toxins by processing them through the liver. This detoxification process is conducted in two phases. In Phase 1, liver enzymes (Cytochrome P 450’s enzymes) deactivate materials by oxidizing, reducing, or hydrolyzing them. The result of Phase 1 activity can sometimes be toxic molecules, but in a healthy liver, protective mechanisms such as glutathione react with the molecules and prevent them from harming liver cells. Also in a healthy liver, Phase 1 molecules almost immediately pass into the Phase 2 system. In Phase 2, molecules are conjugated, which means something is added to them so they can be excreted by the intestines or kidneys.

The liver sits in the abdomen just above the stomach and receives all the blood that sweeps through the intestines. In fact, the liver receives blood before it goes to the brain, heart, or anywhere else. This routing of blood allows all molecules in it to be processed through Phase 1 & 2, protecting the body from toxins.

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