Supporting Liver Function With Nutrition
Written by: Richard Mayfield, DC, CCN,DACBN
In the modern world, everyone is exposed to a mixture of chemical compounds daily, as well as many foods and nutrients that can upregulate the body’s natural processes of eliminating those toxicants. An overloaded detoxification pathway may lead to clinical patterns such as immune dysfunction or endocrine disruption. Food and nutrients that support liver biotransformation may help alleviate toxic burden and allow the body’s pathways to operate more efficiently.1,2
Foods and Phytonutrients for Biotransformation and EliminationDietary changes may help patients with elevated toxicant exposures.1-3 Foods that may support the biotransformation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), for example, include cruciferous vegetables, berries, soy, garlic, and spices like turmeric.4 Among the vast array of phytonutrients currently being studied for this purpose, sulforaphane, curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol have been reported to stimulate the expression of endogenous detoxification enzymes and may neutralize harmful environmental agents.5,6
Phytonutrients in cruciferous vegetables, including a rich amount of glucosinolates that are hydrolyzed to bioactive isothiocyanates such as sulforaphane, regulate liver enzymes, phase I cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, and phase II conjugation enzymes to increase biotransformation rates.7-9 As another example, soy and soy isoflavones have many effects on the CYP450 enzymes.10,11
While certain foods support the body’s natural detoxification pathways, food-based toxicant exposures may contribute to poor health. Metallic compounds in seafood,12 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables,13 and hormones found in some dairy products14 are examples. To be sure, our diet can either be healthful and protective or harm our well-being.
Limiting or eliminating certain foods to reduce the total intake of toxicants while consuming more plant-based foods rich in fiber, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory nutrients may support the liver and promote efficient biotransformation and elimination.1,2,15
As a cautionary note, dietary components that affect liver enzymes may influence the profile of some prescription medications, impacting the duration of effect for various drugs.16
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