Abby's

Volume 4 Issue 1

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as a huge storage unit, housing an abundance of substances including glycogen (for stored energy), iron, blood, and vitamins A, D, and B12. In addition to removing toxic substances from the blood, it can also store them. Keeping your metabolic engines running and your body toxin free is a 24/7 job for your liver. Much like your heart's continuous beating, your liver continuously removes drugs, toxins, and hormones from the blood – deactivating and eliminating them. Remember, your body is in a constant state of renewal. New cells replace old cells. e same cells that comprise your stomach lining, skin, liver, blood, and even your DNA today will not be the same ones that make up these critical components next month. e same way your body prefers fresh cells, it also likes to keep churning new molecules and creating fresh supplies of myriad compounds, including hormones and proteins. is is why even "good" substances need to be broken down, reassembled, and either recycled or sent to the trash bin (i.e. properly eliminated). And it is your liver that holds the conductor's baton in orchestrating many of these perpetual operations. Liver Func on Blood tests can help indicate how well your liver is functioning, especially if there is a question about liver disease, but unfortunately these tests cannot show the true extent of your liver's functional capacity. For example, if your liver goes from operating from a full 10 (100 percent functional capacity) to a 7, this slight loss of function might not show up in traditional screening tests from blood alone. Such a slowdown in your liver's functional capacity, as well as its concurrent slowdown in detoxification, is called having a "sluggish liver." In this state, your liver won't process toxins at a normal and necessary speed, thus causing a buildup in your blood and potentially your organs. For instance, women who suffer from problematic premenstrual syndrome may have an unhealthy buildup of estrogen in the blood that has not been effectively removed by the liver. at excess estrogen can then aggravate her hormonal cycle and trigger more painful symptoms of PMS than normal. ere are many potential causes of a sluggish liver, in addition to the usual suspects of toxins like heavy metals. Certain medicines, including cimetidine (antiulcer; brand name Tagamet), benzodiazepine- containing drugs (antidepressants and Valium), antihistamines, and oral contraceptives can all hinder phase 1 detoxification. Doctors are now diagnosing more and more fatty livers (especially in children), a result of too much sugar and processed foods in the diet. A diet heavy in sugar and hydrogenated fats, the cornerstones of the processed foods that have infiltrated our lives, can encumber phase 1 detoxification and add to this vicious cycle. e very toxins the liver is supposed to process are also contributing to a toxic buildup that inhibits the entire detoxification process. e liver cells themselves, which are designed to be champions of the detox process for the benefit of the entire body, are in effect damaged. As fewer detoxification enzymes get produced, the more difficult it is for your liver to operate at the level 10 capacity. So we see how damage can occur not only from the toxins themselves but also from the amount of toxic buildup as part of our normal detox process, which also spurs the generation Abby's Magazine - Volume 4 Issue 1| Page 9

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