"Sluggish" Liver issues.

[Gimpy]

Quote from: g
I'm not zealous about the aspartate or glutamate, because its harder to spot.

Get zealous - that stuff is killing you - at the very least avoid the ingredients listed on the forum as being glutamates (it can't hurt).

Do we have a glutamate list of foods? I've got a page on facebook that I look up foods on for glutamate and aspartate, but I didn't know we had one here.


Edit later: Never mind, found it. :D And I all ready avoid those. No worries.

 

[SeekinTruth]

Here are some herbs that are good for liver function.

This recipe contains herbs traditionally used to help the liver function.

6 parts comfrey root (Symphytum officinale - also called nipbone root)
6 parts tanner's oak bark (Quercus alba - white oak bark)
3 parts gravel root (Eupatorium purpureum - queen of meadow)
3 parts Jacob's staff (Verbascum thapsus - mullein herb)
3parts licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabara)
2 parts wild yam root (Dioscorea villosa)
2 parts milk thistle herb (Silybum marianum)
3 parts walnut bark (Juglans nigra - black walnut bark)
3 parts marshmallow root (Althea officinalis - white mallow)
1 part lobelia plant (Lobelia inflata - bladder pod)
1 part skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora - helmet flower)

Mix all herbs. Add 1/2 cup of mixture to 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Put lid on. Let sit for six hours. Strain and drink 1 1/2 cups per day. Put the strained herbs in the freezer and use them one more time.

 

[Lauranimal]

6 parts comfrey root (Symphytum officinale - also called nipbone root)

I thought Comfrey was considered to be liver toxic when used internally?

 

[theos]

6 parts comfrey root (Symphytum officinale - also called nipbone root)

I thought Comfrey was considered to be liver toxic when used internally?

I've read that comfrey was not to be used internally due to the liver damaging effects of the pyrollizidine alkaloids. Studies done on baby rats fed comfrey showed liver damage and another study showed obstruction of the large liver vein in humans eating about 2 mg of toxic alkaloids found in comfrey every day for over two years. This info comes from Nutritional Herbology by Mark Pederson. The FDA has issued a warning about it...but then again, it is the FDA.

However, I've also read that the studies were flawed and people have taken comfrey internally for years with only positive effects. Here's a website that talks about the comfrey issue in more detail:
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-herb-information/comfrey.html

 

[Gertrudes]

I'm getting ready to do a liver and gall bladder cleanse and thought this would be the most appropriate thread to pose a question.

I'm planning to follow SeekingTruth's guidelines posted earlier in this thread, however, he mentions in his post:

She has a liver cleanse program that flushes out hundreds of stones each time you do it. BUT it MUST be done after killing any possible parasites in the liver. She says you may have the worst night of your life and get few if any stones out if you try to cleanse your liver with live parasites in them.

So, you'd have to do an herbal parasite program and/or zap. You can just use the zapper because the current reaches well into the liver and will kill any parasites.

So, in order to start my liver cleanse I should first address the possibility of having live parasites. SeekingTruth, you mention the zapper and/or an herbal parasite program. I was thinking of trying an herbal program on its own, would you, or anyone reading this have any suggestions on what herbs should I get? Or, are any of the herbs mentioned here:

This recipe contains herbs traditionally used to help the liver function.

6 parts comfrey root (Symphytum officinale - also called nipbone root)
6 parts tanner's oak bark (Quercus alba - white oak bark)
3 parts gravel root (Eupatorium purpureum - queen of meadow)
3 parts Jacob's staff (Verbascum thapsus - mullein herb)
3parts licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabara)
2 parts wild yam root (Dioscorea villosa)
2 parts milk thistle herb (Silybum marianum)
3 parts walnut bark (Juglans nigra - black walnut bark)
3 parts marshmallow root (Althea officinalis - white mallow)
1 part lobelia plant (Lobelia inflata - bladder pod)
1 part skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora - helmet flower)

helpful for that?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Laura]

So, in order to start my liver cleanse I should first address the possibility of having live parasites. SeekingTruth, you mention the zapper and/or an herbal parasite program. I was thinking of trying an herbal program on its own, would you, or anyone reading this have any suggestions on what herbs should I get?

Hulda Clark was pretty good about many things, but I'm not sure I buy her "everything is caused by parasites" schtick. I've done the liver cleanse protocol several times without having done the parasite thing before hand.

Also, I can't verify that tons of "stones" are removed, though certainly a LOT of bile dumps and with it, toxins.

Best thing to prepare is to just be in a pretty good general state of health - that's what I was concerned with when I did it. And it did get things moving for me. In fact, if I had the sluggish liver, I think I would just want to take milk thistle for awhile and see how that goes. Also, avoid stimulating the ducts and let them rest for a bit first. That means, just eat broiled or roasted meats with the fat trimmed, and steamed or pressure cooked veggies, and no simple carbs at all. Eat lots of it, of course, and a good variety of lightly cooked veggies. Then, maybe after a few weeks of that, take a tablespoon of olive oil in the morning for a few days and see how that goes, and then, if all seems to be okay, get ready and do the liver cleanse.

 

[Gertrudes]

Oh that's a relief, I was getting worried about the parasites.
I'll start with milk thistle then. It had occurred to me before that it could perhaps be a good idea to take it, but I discarded the idea because I thought that it wouldn't be enough. What you said is very sensible though, starting with a gentler approach to prepare the liver for the cleanse.

That means, just eat broiled or roasted meats with the fat trimmed, and steamed or pressure cooked veggies, and no simple carbs at all. Eat lots of it, of course, and a good variety of lightly cooked veggies.

This is what I've been eating for the past months, so thankfully I won't have to do any adjustments apart from cutting down on fruit.

Thanks again for the input Laura!


ADDED: Hmm, on a second thought, maybe I don't need to avoid fruits. I was checking the list of complex versus simple carbohydrates and not all sources say the same.

 

[Skyalmian]

I did this a ways back... So. Very. Eww. Overall...

Not wanting to play around with Epsom Salts at the time, I was perusing through CureZone when I found an alternate cleanse by a "TseTse". It was very simple.

(Ah, found it -- here it is.)

Into a cup and then afterward mixed throughly goes:

• 3 organic limes, hand-squeezed
• 2 organic, omega-3, free-range eggs, the goopy white stuff filtered out through the fingers in the sink, leaving only the yellow yolk
• 1 large tablespoon of organic cold-pressed sunflower or peanut oil

She specified no refrigeration for any of these, as them being cold hinders the process, and to use wood or glass utensils only as supposedly metal interferes with the ingredients.

I followed it exactly, and did experience a bit differently each time, enormous pressure in the liver area, my nose running (nowadays I call that "the liver crying", heh), and following that getting very tired to the point of sleepy. Over the course of months I did find a 2cm stone. The interesting thing is that, to this day, eating almost anything triggers the same pressure sensations in the liver area. After having done this so many times it's now standard to feel the liver's activity... The bigger the impact of whatever is placed inside, the more pressure is felt.

I did this cleanse on/off for 8 months, and further along I decided that being absolute in the quality/state of the ingredients probably didn't matter so much, eventually substituting processed lemon juice and alternate oils, and using up to as many as 6 eggs depending on my mood. I did notice a significant change in how much came out after I finally got around to taking the three herbs for parasite cleanse a few after I started taking the cleanse -- the results after that were severe and gross.

The end result was that overall energy level improved drastically and my periods of inedia thereafter did and do not suffer from energy level crashes and pain. :)

Concerning the raw egg yolks, the FDAs warning about salmonella is severely overstated. I must have ingested 100+ yolks over the last 2 years and not once did I get any kind of poisoning. :O

 

[Laura]

ADDED: Hmm, on a second thought, maybe I don't need to avoid fruits. I was checking the list of complex versus simple carbohydrates and not all sources say the same.

Fruits do stimulate the pancreas which shares a duct with the liver and gall bladder and this is the duct you want to allow to rest. If insulin is needed to process something - as it is with fruits - you want to avoid it in the one or two weeks leading up to your liver cleanse. It's for a short time, though, and after, you can take back your fruits. If the fruit does NOT require insulin (and I think there's a couple that don't), then go ahead, assuming they are sweetie enough to eat without puckering!

 

[Laura]

Not wanting to play around with Epsom Salts at the time, I was perusing through CureZone when I found an alternate cleanse by a "TseTse". It was very simple.

Into a cup and then afterward mixed throughly goes:

• 3 organic limes, hand-squeezed
• 2 organic, omega-3, free-range eggs, the goopy white stuff filtered out through the fingers in the sink, leaving only the yellow yolk

Not a good idea to use eggs when you are trying to get clear and then test for food sensitivities. Many people are sensitive to eggs.

• 1 large tablespoon of organic cold-pressed sunflower or peanut oil

Those are evil oils that we discourage here I believe. Also, many people are sensitive to peanuts. This is not a very general, useful, or even advisable recipe because of two of the three ingredients.

She specified no refrigeration for any of these, as them being cold hinders the process, and to use wood or glass utensils only as supposedly metal interferes with the ingredients.

I followed it exactly, and did experience a bit differently each time, enormous pressure in the liver area, my nose running (nowadays I call that "the liver crying", heh), and following that getting very tired to the point of sleepy. Over the course of months I did find a 2cm stone. The interesting thing is that, to this day, eating almost anything triggers the same pressure sensations in the liver area. After having done this so many times it's now standard to feel the liver's activity... The bigger the impact of whatever is placed inside, the more pressure is felt.

Somehow, I suspect that you are experiencing reactions to toxicity. I don't think it is normal to feel pressure from the liver every time you eat.

I did this cleanse on/off for 8 months, and further along I decided that being absolute in the quality/state of the ingredients probably didn't matter so much, eventually substituting processed lemon juice and alternate oils, and using up to as many as 6 eggs depending on my mood. I did notice a significant change in how much came out after I finally got around to taking the three herbs for parasite cleanse a few after I started taking the cleanse -- the results after that were severe and gross.

The end result was that overall energy level improved drastically and my periods of inedia thereafter did and do not suffer from energy level crashes and pain. :)

Concerning the raw egg yolks, the FDAs warning about salmonella is severely overstated. I must have ingested 100+ yolks over the last 2 years and not once did I get any kind of poisoning. :O

I think it is okay that you survived this, but we try to take a more gentle approach and ensure that what we suggest won't harm anyone who is in a compromised state of health.

To make it clear, this method is NOT advocated at all.

 

[Gertrudes]

If the fruit does NOT require insulin (and I think there's a couple that don't), then go ahead, assuming they are sweetie enough to eat without puckering!

:D No puckering for me!
I'll stick to avocados and coconut.

 

[Gaby]

I've been taking 12 capsules of milk thistle (600mg each) per day, plus 1000 - 1200 IU of vitamin E, plus vitamin D (2000 - 4000 IU), plus alpha lipoic acid (200 - 400 mg/day), plus magnesium citrate and vitamin C according to my own needs, and it really does seem to help with my sluggish liver issues.

Well, 12 capsules of milk thistle may sound like a lot, but each capsule contains 25mg of active silymarin. I've been using this one: _http://www.iherb.com/eclectic-institute-milk-thistle-600-mg-240-veggie-caps/2933?at=0

Here is more info on milk thistle:

http://www.milkthistle.com/

Milk thistle is a thorny pink flowering plant that has been revered for its beneficial properties for thousands of years. First grown in the Mediterranean region, it now flourishes, too, in the Eastern United States and in California. Originally valued as a supplement to encourage production of breast milk in new mothers, for menstrual problems, depression, and even to ease the symptoms of varicose veins, its current popularity stems from its use in the treatment and prevention of liver disease. The human liver can become damaged by disease, environmental toxins or from the effects of personal choices, such as overuse of alcohol or drugs. Milk thistle may help to ameliorate this liver damage.

The benefits of milk thistle are nothing short of amazing. Researchers call it a smart herb because it seems to know when to produce new cells as well as when to halt the production of bad cells, such as cancer cells. How this herb knows when to help regenerate cells and when to keep them from regenerating is still a matter for research, but the benefits to the liver are undeniable. ...

The active chemical in milk thistle is silymarin. Silymarin functions as an antioxidant, inhibiting the factors responsible for liver damage and promoting the growth of healthy cells. In clinical trials, silymarin has been proven effective in treating and preventing many types of chronic liver diseases.

By increasing bile production in the liver, milk thistle helps the bowels achieve regularity and may calm the symptoms of IBS in some people who suffer from this difficult condition.

 

[Gaby]

Very important info!:

http://www.hepatitis.org.uk/s-crina/liver-f3-main3.htm

The liver is the master organ for creating optimal nutrition for all the 50 trillion cells in your body. The liver is the body's largest organ, weighing three to five pounds in adults. It uses 12 - 20% of the body's total energy, and it must generate this energy to it's own cells. The liver routinely performs over 500 known functions to regulate your cell's metabolism. It is the "alchemical wizard" of the body, transforming toxins into harmless chemicals for excretion, and digestively absorbed nutrients into the proper biochemical forms your cells can use to function. Yet the liver is probably the organ most assaulted by toxic modern lifestyles, full of pollution, stress, junk foods, drugs, etc. In the US 40000 deaths a year are due to liver disease. Yet most people will never suffer from hepatitis, cirrhosis, or jaundice, the "classic" liver diseases. Toxic modern lifestyles may however promote "subclinical" liver disfunction. And, as this review will make clear, no matter how good your diet and digestion, if your liver does not perform its many jobs properly, your cells can still be grossly malnourished. Optimal nutrition is a function, not just of what we eat and digest, but of how well the liver bio-transforms incoming food nutrients into forms that the bloodstream can transport to all the body's cells, and that the cells can use to perform their metabolic functions.

Key Liver Functions

1. The liver converts the thyroid hormone thyroxin (T4) into its more active form tri-iodothyronine (T3). Thyroid hormones act as the body's thermostat, regulating the rate at which virtually all biochemical reactions occur in the body. Inadequate conversion of T4 to T3 by the liver may lead energy-depleting hypothyroidism, leading to chronic fatigue, weight gain, poor memory and a host of other problems.

2. The liver creates Glucose Tolerance Factor (GFT) from chromium, niacin and possibly glutathione. GFT is needed for the hormone insulin to properly regulate blood-sugar levels. Due to its critical role in facilitating amino acid entry into muscle cells, GFT empowered insulin is also a necessary co-factor for Growth Hormone to be effective in promoting muscle growth in response to athletic training programs.

3. The liver manufactures bile salts. These are used to emulsify fats and fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E, and K) for proper digestive absorption. The liver also removes some fat-soluble toxins from the body by first dissolving them in bile salts, then dumping the bile and toxin mixture into the intestine for eventual fecal excretion.

4. The liver activates B vitamins into their biologically active coenzyme forms. B1 must be made into thiamin pyrophosphate, B2 into flavine adenine dinucleotide, B3 into nicotinadenine dinucleotide, etc. The plant vitamin A precursor beta carotene must be turned into real vitamin A. Other nutrients, such as iron and copper, must be changed by the liver into their appropriate bloodstream transport or storage forms, such as ferritin or ceruloplasmin. Virtually every nutrient, whether it be vitamin, mineral, amino acid, must be biotransformed into its proper biochemical form in which the nutrient may be stored, transported or used in cellular metabolism. If the liver does not properly activate nutrients into their bioactive forms, then even the most well-absorbed, high potency, broad spectrum supplement will be useless at best and possibly even mildly toxic.

The forms in which nutrients are found in supplements and foods are NOT the final, active biochemical forms used by the cells. And even if you do get the active coenzyme form of a nutrient from a food or supplement, it will usually be broken down during digestion. So there's no getting around the critical role of the liver in bio-activating the nutrients we get from foods or supplements.

5. The liver stores various nutrients, especially A, D, B12 and iron, for release as needed.

6. The liver manufactures carnitine from lysine and other nutrients. Carnitine is the only known bionutrient which can "escort" fats into the mitochondria, where the fats may be "burned" to generate ATP bio-energy. The mitochondria are microscopic "power plants" found in each of the body's 50 trillion cells - as many as 1000 per cell! These mitochondria generate 90% of the ATP bio-energy that powers every aspect of our life at the cellular level.The heart muscle "burns" fats to make ATP almost exclusively, and is extremely sensitive to cellular carnitine deficits. The muscles of well trained endurance athletes will "burn" fats to supply up to 70% of their fuel needs. Carnitine is also necessary to get branched-chain amino acids (BCAA's) into the mitochondria. BCAA's, supplied either from breaking down existing muscle tissue or supplements, are known to provide a major portion of muscle cell fuel needs during prolonged, intense athletic training or performance.

7. The liver converts lactic acid from a toxic waste to an important storage fuel. Lactic acid is produced when glucose (sugar) is metabolized through the glycolytic energy production cycle, and may irritate nerves and muscles if it accumulates to excessive levels. However, a healthy liver will extract lactic acid dumped into the bloodstream by hard-working muscles and convert it into the important reserve endurance fuel glycogen.

8. The liver serves as the main glucose buffer, preventing high or low extremes of blood sugar. It is the key regulator of blood sugar between meals, due to its manufacture, storage and release of glycogen. Glycogen is the starch form of glucose in which the body can store a half days sugar supply. When the blood sugar is low, a healthy liver converts stored glycogen into glucose, releasing it into the bloodstream to raise blood sugar levels. When blood sugar is to high, the healthy liver will remove much of it, converting the excess into stored glycogen or fat.

9. The liver can make glucose from dietary or body-derived amino acids. This process called gluconeogenesis or "the making of new glucose", ensures adequate brain and muscle carbohydrate fuel supplies even when the diet provides little or no carbohydrates. The liver produces as much as 20-25% of the blood sugar and endurance athlete's muscles might burn during intense training or competition by converting the amino alanine (released from muscle tissue) into glucose.

10. The liver is the chief regulator of protein metabolism. It converts different amino acids into each other as needed. The liver also synthesizes creatine from the aminos glycerin, arginine, and methionine. If not for the super high energy biochemical creatine phosphate, sprint-type athletics would be biologically impossible.

11. The liver produces cholesterol and packages it into different forms for blood transport : HDL, LDL, VLDL. Essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, GLA, EPA, and DHA, must also be properly packaged by the liver into appropriate lipoprotein forms (VLDL) to allow transport through the blood to the 50 trillion cells using the fatty acids.

12. The liver is the main poison-detoxifying organ in the body. It must break down virtually everything toxic to the body- from metabolic wastes, to insecticide residues, drugs and alcohol industrial and food processing chemicals, etc. Failure of this liver function will usually cause death in twelve to twenty-four hours. The liver uses a relatively small number of enzyme- systems - called " Mixed Function Oxidases" - to detoxify the 10.000 or more chemicals polluting modern food, air, and water. Ironically, in metabolizing some toxic chemicals through its standard limited repertoire of detoxifying processes, the liver may inadvertently convert a toxic substance into an even more damaging toxin!

13. The liver must dispose of ammonia, an extremely toxic by-product of protein metabolism. The amino acids arginine and orthinine are used by the liver to control ammonia levels. Ammonia can cause brain irritation and even death, at surprisingly low levels.

14. The liver is the main organ for breaking down hormones after they have served their messenger function to their target cells. For example, if the liver does nor break down insulin quickly enough, hypoglycemia results as the still circulating insulin continues to lower blood sugar. If the liver does not metabolize estrogen properly, PMS will result. Failure to dispose of adrenaline (the "fight" or"flight" hormone) after it has outlived its usefulness may lead to chronic irritability and temper explosions.

This brief review, which has not even touched on other key liver functions, such as immune functions and blood clotting protein manufacture, should make clear the central role of the liver in promoting optimal cellular nutrition.

A brief survey of mild liver dysfunction symptoms sounds like a description of "normal" modern life. These might include chronic fatigue and feeling tired after meals. Depression, mood instability, and irrational anger and temper flare-ups may be liver related. PMS symptoms, including breast soreness and sensitivity, depression, hypoglycemia and irritability, may be liver related. Morton Biskind, M.D., published several articles in endocrinology journals in the early 1940's linking PMS to a B-vitamin and protein deficient liver's difficulty in de-activating estrogen. Nausea, dietary fat intolerance, foul smelling gas, swollen belly, loss of appetite, constipation and diarrhea are some of the digestive toxic-liver symptoms. Aching joints and muscles, sore feet, psoriasis, and slow wound healing are common dysfunction symptoms. Headaches (especially behind the eyes,) insomnia, difficulty awakening, poor memory, and difficulty concentrating are possible brain liver symptoms.

Who Is At Risk for Subclinical Dysfunction?

1. People routinely consuming large amounts of overheated, hydrogenated, "junk food" fats-- for example, French fries, fried chicken, doughnuts, chips, etc. These heated "junk foods" are a major source of liver-toxic lipid peroxides (rancid fats) and trans-fatty acids (abnormal structure fats). Lipid peroxides are powerfully immune suppressive, and damage liver cell membranes. Trans-fatty acids suppress production of PGE1, a major liver-protecting anti-inflammatory prostaglandin.

2. Coffee drinkers. Carcinogenic hydrocarbons are produced during roasting, and dark roasts are the worst offenders. Also, coffee is grown entirely outside the U.S. and is often therefore sprayed with high levels of pesticides that are not even allowed to be used inside the U.S. Only a tiny fraction of coffee imported is checked for even some of the pesticides it is commonly sprayed with.

3. Regular alcohol users. The liver converts alcohol into toxic acetaldehyde during its alcohol detoxification process. Acetaldehyde inhibits PGE1 production, is a powerful free radical inducer, and is largely responsible for the liver, brain, heart, kidney, skin and blood vessels lining damage associated with chronic alcoholism.

4. Smokers. While many people are aware of smoking's negative effect on the lungs, less consideration is usually given to its effects on the liver. Tobacco and marijuana smoke are rich airborne stews of toxic benzpyrene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, cyanide, acetaldehyde, tars, acrolein, etc. Since these get into the bloodstream through the lungs, the liver must detoxify them. And virtually all the constituents of smoke are known to be at least mildly liver-damaging. [Psyche: switch to an additive free tobacco, preferably organic!]

5. People regularly driving on crowded, exhaust-filled roads and highways. Auto and diesel exhaust contain dozens of liver damaging poisons the liver is forced to detoxify including lead, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides, acetaldehyde, cadmium, peroxyacetylnitrile, and more.

6. Women using birth-control pills. In some cases, even as little as two or three weeks of use have been documented to ruin the ability of the liver to detoxify naturally produced estrogen. The livers of women on B vitamin/protein deficient diets may have difficulty metabolizing estrogen to non-toxic estriol, leaving it instead in the form of liver toxic estradiol. Estradiol is the form associated with hyper emotional states including explosive temper and obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

7. Candida Patients. Candida yeast ferments dietary sugars into liver-toxic acetaldehyde in the process of turning sugar into energy. Candida also seems to increase gut and urinary levels of ammonia, another liver toxin.

8. Arthritis, rheumatism, and other chronic pain sufferers who were routinely exposed to higher than normal levels of pesticides. Pesticides such as DDT, Aldrin, chlordane, lindane, 2,4,5T dioxin, and toxaphene can cause chronic liver damage, even at body levels measured in parts per billion, and tend to accumulate in body fat over a lifetime.

9. Farm workers, produce handlers, and pest control workers are routinely exposed to higher than normal levels of pesticides. Pesticides such as DDT, Aldrin, chlordane, lindane, 2,4,5T dioxin, and toxaphene can cause chronic liver damage, even at body levels measured in parts per billion, and tend to accumulate in body fat over time.

10. Industrial and service workers routinely exposed to heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury), radioactive chemicals, hydrocarbon solvents such as sulfuric acid and mixes like piranha, TCE, paint sprays and beauty parlor chemicals.

11. Gas station workers and auto mechanics. Gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oil, degreasing agents etc. are all liver toxic and may be absorbed through the skin or by inhaling them.

12. Those on long term prescription drug therapy. Dilantin, Phenobarbital, Nizoral etc. are some of the many potentially liver toxic drugs. Those regularly abusing drugs illegal and legal are at risk.

13. Athletes using anabolic-synthetic variations of male hormone testosterone. Serious liver damage is a medically recognized major side effect of chronic steroid abuse.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it should offer some clues as to whether the reader may be at risk for mild or severe chronic liver damage.

Therapy That Protects the Liver

Fortunately modern nutritional science has discovered many nutritional measures to promote optimal liver function and detoxification, even in the presence of unavoidable toxins. A major liver protecting nutrient is vitamin E. E is generally recognized as the major lipid fat-soluble antioxidant in human tissue. As a free radical/antioxidant expert Stephen Levine has noted, toxic xenobiotic (foreign to the body) chemicals that may damage the liver during detoxification fall into four main classes:

1.Toxins that are themselves radicals or contain free radicals.
2.Toxins that are very reactive, and though nor free radicals themselves, cause radicals to be formed in target molecules, e.g. ozone.
3.Toxins that can spontaneously yield free radicals in the body, e.g. brain chemicals such as 1-dopa.
4.Toxins that are metabolically converted to radicals derivatives in the body, e.g. carbon Tetrachloride, acids and other solvents, etc. As early as 1973, N.R. Diluzio published studies demonstrating that many liver toxic compounds caused their damage through creation of lipid peroxides (rancid fats) in liver cells, and that this damage could be offset by supplementary vitamin E. Fatty infiltration, in which streaks of fatty material interpenetrate the liver's structure, is a common feature in alcoholism and in various liver diseases.

 

[Gaby]

Checklist of "sluggish liver" (I have or had ALL of them!):

http://ezinearticles.com/?Liver-Problems---What-are-the-Symptoms?&id=281170

Depending on the problem, many people are unaware they have a liver problem and may only have vague symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is chronic tiredness. These people generally feel lethargic and sluggish during the day, especially in the morning.

...

General symptoms that can indicate a liver problem

# Feel tired and unrefreshed when you wake up

# Energy levels fluctuate throughout the day, with your tiredness becoming worse around mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon

# Difficulty losing weight

# Frequent headaches

# Bad breath, digestive problems, bloating, gas, indigestion

# Allergies and intolerances to foods that are worsening as time goes on

# Reactions to many chemicals including cleaning products, petrol, paint, perfumes, bleaches, etc.

# Problems digesting fatty/creamy/oily foods. They can make you feel unwell, nauseous or cause heart burn and reflux

# A yellowish tinge to the skin, eyes and palms of the hands

# Reactions to drugs, in particular headache tablets, antibiotics and anti-histamines

# An intolerance to alcohol. Either you get drunk very quickly or you have bad hangovers that are out of proportion to the amount of alcohol you have drunk

# Caffeine gives you a strong buzz and can keep you awake for hours

# When you eat asparagus, you have a funny smell in your urine

# Skin problems such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, general rashes, itchy skin

# Hot flushes that feel as if they rise up from the torso towards the head

# You frequently wake up around 1-3am in the morning

...

 

[theos]

# When you eat asparagus, you have a funny smell in your urine

I thought that was just the nature of asparagus.

From Wiki:

Urine effects
The effect of eating asparagus on the eater's urine has long been observed:

"[Asparagus] cause a filthy and disagreeable smell in the urine, as everybody knows." (Treatise of All Sorts of Foods Louis Lemery, 1702)[24]
"asparagus... affects the urine with a foetid smell (especially if cut when they are white) and therefore have been suspected by some physicians as not friendly to the kidneys; when they are older, and begin to ramify, they lose this quality; but then they are not so agreeable" ("An Essay Concerning the Nature of Aliments," John Arbuthnot, 1735)[25]
Asparagus "...transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume." Marcel Proust (1871–1922) [26]
There is debate about whether all (or only some) people produce the smell, and whether all (or only some) people identify the smell. It was originally thought this was because some of the population digested asparagus differently from others, so that some people excreted odorous urine after eating asparagus, and others did not. However, in the 1980s three studies from France,[27] China and Israel published results showing that producing odorous urine from asparagus was a universal human characteristic. The Israeli study found that from their 307 subjects all of those who could smell 'asparagus urine' could detect it in the urine of anyone who had eaten asparagus, even if the person who produced it could not detect it himself.[28] Thus, it is now believed that most people produce the odorous compounds after eating asparagus, but only about 22% of the population have the autosomal genes required to smell them.[29][30][31]

Well, I just had aspargus for dinner tonight. I guess I'll see how my liver is doing later. :)