TL;DR
The liver detoxifies in phases: Phase I breaks toxins down, Phase II (using glutathione) neutralizes them, and Phase III removes them.
If this system slows down, toxins can build up—even before disease shows up on lab tests.
Support the system with diet (Roadmap to Health), antioxidants (vitamin C, lipoic acid, polyphenols), good gut health, and stable blood sugar.
Liver: More Than Just Detoxification
If you took the SymptomQuiz and this is one of your major issues, here are some ideas and approaches that will help. We are not treating disease, just offering some basic support to improve your Wellness Score.
Quick cookbook: Follow the Roadmap to Health diet; it is high in antioxidants, low in toxins and contains trace nutrients that will help with detoxification. Take lipoic acid (1, 3x/day) and phosphatidylcholine (1, 3x/day).
We Are Living in a Chemical Soup
We are also dealing with something that did not exist 100 years ago—constant exposure to environmental chemicals. These substances are found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the products we use every day.
This ongoing exposure to environmental toxins increases the burden on the body and is closely linked to inflammation, microbiome disruption, and metabolic problems.
The body is designed to handle toxins—but it was not designed for continuous, lifelong exposure. Over time, this chemical burden can overwhelm the body’s detoxification systems, making support for the liver more important than ever.
The Liver Has 500 Known Functions
While everyone thinks of the liver as the body’s detoxifier, it does so much more. It produces bile, which is essential for breaking down and absorbing fats in the small intestine. It is involved in metabolism and energy regulation. The liver stores significant amounts of vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12, as well as minerals like iron and copper, releasing them when needed. It produces clotting factors using Vitamin K. The liver also plays a role in immunity by removing bacteria and producing immune factors. These are just a few of the functions. Because of the results you have from SymptomQuiz, we are going to focus on detoxification and the health of the liver cells themselves.
Detoxification 101: Phase 1 Detoxification
Phase I detoxification depends on several key nutrients. Niacin supports the production of NADPH, which helps drive these reactions. B vitamins are also involved, along with iron (as part of heme), which is necessary for the cytochrome P450 enzymes to function properly.
The byproducts of Phase I liver detoxification can still pose a toxic threat to the body. It is the role of Phase II detoxification to prevent these byproducts from building up by converting them into substances that can be safely removed from the body.
Phase II Detoxification
Phase I gets the process started—but it does not finish the job. Byproducts can still be reactive and potentially harmful. Phase II detoxification completes the process by making these substances safe for elimination.
Phase II liver detoxification neutralizes the byproducts of Phase I liver detoxification and other remaining toxins. This is done by making toxins water-soluble. That way they can be excreted from the body. This process is known as conjugation. Glutathione, sulphate, and glycine are the primary molecules responsible for this process.
Under normal conditions, Phase II liver detoxification enzymes produce low levels of glutathione. Under times of high toxic stress, the body increases production of glutathione.
Glutathione: The Key to Phase II Detoxification
Glutathione is a tripeptide synthesized inside the body’s cells, primarily in the liver, from three amino acids: glutamate (glutamic acid), cysteine, and glycine. The production process happens in two main enzymatic steps, requiring ATP (energy), and it serves as the body’s master antioxidant, helping with detoxification and cell protection.
Glutathione has to be used, recycled, and rebuilt—constantly.
If that cycle slows down, detoxification becomes less efficient and oxidative stress can increase. Important nutrients:
- Selenium: Selenium helps your body use glutathione to protect your cells. Without enough selenium, this system does not work as well. [1].
- NADPH: NADPH helps recycle glutathione so it can keep working. After glutathione neutralizes toxins, it must be “recharged.” Without enough NADPH, glutathione cannot be efficiently reused, and the system slows down. We get it from niacin [2-4], making niacin extremely important for reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Water-soluble antioxidants: Many antioxidants are oil-soluble, the common ones that we know, vitamin E, vitamin A, and carotene. Taking other water-soluble antioxidants can help replenish glutathione.
- Vitamin C: Studies demonstrate that vitamin C boosts glutathione (GSH) levels by recycling oxidized glutathione back to its active reduced form and by sparing it from oxidation, often leading to an increase of 15-50% in cellular glutathione concentrations. A daily dose of 500-1,000 mg of vitamin C significantly increases glutathione in red blood cells and lymphocytes [5].
- Polyphenols enhance glutathione (GSH) production and boost antioxidant defense systems [6]. The important takeaway here is that eating vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables) can improve glutathione status.
- Lipoic Acid is both water-soluble and fat soluble. Lipoic acid may have clinical relevance in restoration of severely glutathione deficient cells [7].
Why Glutathione Matters
If you are tired, dealing with brain fog, allergies, memory or mood problems, autoimmune issues—or almost any chronic health condition—your ability to detoxify matters.
Low glutathione levels have been linked to a wide range of chronic health problems, including neurodegeneration, metabolic dysfunction, immune imbalance, and liver disease.
This is not just about “detox.” When glutathione is depleted, multiple systems in the body begin to suffer.
(We will cover this in more detail in a separate article.)
Phase 3 Detoxification: Getting it Out of the Body
Once the liver has packaged the toxin, it is ready for elimination through the bowel or kidney. This may be a good time to place a word of caution. Detoxification programs can be very beneficial, but speeding up the process may burden the kidneys. This is something to be aware of if you suffer from chronic kidney disease.
The Microbiome and Detoxification
Certain gut bacteria can “undo” detoxification by deconjugating toxins that are on their way out of the body—allowing them to be reabsorbed into circulation.
In other words, poor gut health can recycle toxins you just worked to eliminate.
More About Liver Health
This is not a comprehensive “what can go wrong with the liver” article. It is worth mentioning some of the most common challenges to liver health.
Insulin Insensitivity, Fatty Liver, and Biliary Stasis
Insulin insensitivity is one of the most common—and most overlooked—drivers of liver dysfunction. Over 100 million Americans have insulin insensitivity. It can lead to fatty liver and biliary stasis. Both conditions can damage the liver. To get insulin insensitivity under control, eat a diet that avoids food with a glycemic load greater than 10 (follow the Roadmap to Health because almost all foods fit this requirement with the added benefit of being high in polyphenols, which will really improve detoxification) [6]. Two supplements that are beneficial for people with fatty liver and insulin insensitivity are berberine, which can help improve insulin insensitivity as well as improve liver health and lower inflammation. Magnesium is also important for people with insulin insensitivity and for the production of ATP, which is necessary for glutathione production.
Phosphatidylcholine offers good liver support. It is especially beneficial to people with fatty liver disease.
Tip of the Iceberg
This is by no means a comprehensive guide to treating liver disease. This article contains some ideas that will help with the physiological function of the liver and help facilitate detoxification. This material will help your Wellness Score from the SymptomQuiz.
Selected References:
- Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2001 Sep;10(4):153-8. The biochemistry of selenium and the glutathione system
- 2020 Apr 29;23(5):101116. NADPH and Glutathione Redox Link TCA Cycle Activity to Endoplasmic Reticulum Homeostasis
- Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology Volume 30, Number 5 Evidence That Niacin Inhibits Acute Vascular Inflammation and Improves Endothelial Dysfunction Independent of Changes in Plasma Lipids
- Adv Food Nutr Res. 2018:83:83-149. Niacin
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 77, Issue 1, January 2003, Pages 189-195 Vitamin C augments lymphocyte glutathione in subjects with ascorbate deficiency
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 81, Issue 1, January 2005, Pages 277S-283S Polyphenols and glutathione synthesis regulation
- Biofactors 1997;6(3):321-38. Lipoic acid increases de novo synthesis of cellular glutathione by improving cystine utilization
