Are you in need of a liver detox? ALEXIA SAOULLI speaks to a Cyprus doctor who brings our second largest organ back into the spotlight
HUNDREDS OF people a year need to have their livers detoxified after overloading their bodies on a diet of fatty and sugary foods. Many more need to be detoxified and do not even know it.
According to Natural Medicine Practitioners, by flushing out the liver every six months, it ensures the vital organ continues doing its job properly,
The liver is the largest internal organ and performs over 500 functions, including among others, filtering toxic chemicals from the body, breaking down the major nutrients in foods, storing vitamins A, D, E and K, building proteins and removing waste products of nutrient breakdown.
The liver’s natural detoxification works by both filtering toxins directly and by altering toxins so that they can be removed at other stages of detoxification. The liver filters toxins from about one litre of blood every minute.
Some of these endotoxins, exotoxins and wastes are sent to the kidneys or the colon. Other toxins, made up of compounds that are difficult for the liver to filter, must be broken down with enzymes so that they can be removed.
Speaking to Dr George Georgiou yesterday, the Cyprus Mail learned the burden of the liver today is more demanding than ever, with diet and lifestyle two of the most important factors that influence detoxification activity.
Toxic chemicals are found in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe, he said. Stress, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, smoke and prescription drugs also overload the liver and prevent it from performing optimally.
“Although I try to live healthily and avoid fast food, totally organic food is not available to us in Cyprus all year round. For instance, I know the salads I eat contain chemicals, which are therefore inevitably taken into my body, and then inevitably metabolised by my liver. That’s why I detoxify ever six months,” he said.
Georgiou, 48, is the director of Natural Medicine at Cyprus’ newly founded Integrated Medicine Centre in Larnaca. The Centre uses all forms of natural therapies and integrates Natural Medicine with Orthodox Medicine and aims to provide integrated medical care to all patients who choose this method of treatment. The Centre is well equipped with the latest technology and the experience to deal with all types of health problems and generally does not use drugs of any kind. Yearly he sees hundreds of patients who need to have their livers detoxified.
When the liver’s natural detox system is compromised, toxins accumulate in the body. They have damaging effects on the immune function and digestive system, and an overtaxed and undernourished liver is known to be the root cause of many degenerative diseases.
He said: “The liver is perhaps the largest and most important detoxification organ therefore is most beneficial to our body’s detoxification process if it’s working optimally.”
But how do you know if your liver under-functioning?
A Liver Health Checklist of 34 symptoms easily indicates whether or not a liver is under strain, he said. These include poor memory and concentration; depression, mood swings; headaches;
migraines; high blood pressure; fluid retention; palpitations; coated tongue; bad breath; indigestion; bloating; nausea; intolerance of fat-rich foods; candidiasis; constipation; pale coloured stools;
flatulence; reduced tolerance to alcohol; unexpected hangovers; increased side effects from medical drugs; irritability; anxiety; easy weight gain; difficulty losing weight; fatigue; chronic fatigue syndrome; unusual body heat or flushing; eczema; dermatitis; grey shadows under the eyes; premature aging; and allergic symptoms.
He said each symptom scored one point. “The higher the score, the more important this Liver Detox is for you. If your total score is between 17 and 25 you should seriously consider detoxifying – over 25 suggests you’re super toxic and shouldn’t think about detoxifying, you should just do it,” he said.
Georgiou added: “Your liver’s ability to function and to rebuild itself is dependent on the quality of the food and nutrients you give it. What you eat and the supplements you take are of paramount importance to the optimal functioning of the liver. You will be surprised how quickly your skin improves with this detoxification programme, and how many of the symptoms in the Liver Health Checklist will disappear – I have seen this with hundreds of patients over the years. This detox diet is not designed to be gourmet cuisine, but it is only for 15 days and the rewards to health will be worth every minute. It is powerful detoxification programme so do not underestimate it.”
SIDE BAR:
Continue the following detox foods for 15 days:
1. Fresh fruit and vegetables: steamed, roasted, salads, grilled etc. Eat plenty of onions and garlic as they contain sulphur compounds, which are helpful in detoxification. Avoid avocados, olives and eat minimal bananas. Also add fresh alfalfa sprouts to your salads, and eat plenty of broccoli, cabbage and artichoke.
2. Fresh herbs and spices: use as many fresh herbs as you can, including spices such as peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, mace and turmeric.
3. Grains: Brown rice, preferably organic.
4. Fish: eat only fresh fish and grill it with a little olive oil with plenty of lemon juice. Avoid tinned, smoked fish and shellfish.
5. Oil: Small amount of virgin olive oil or cold-pressed linseed oil.
6. Salt: use herbal salt or sea salt preferably organic but only use as little as possible.
7. Drinks: Roasted dandelion root (coffee) – (available in good health food shops).
Still mineral water with some sparkling water occasionally.
Organic herbal teas e.g. chamomile, dill, lemongrass, lemon balm, nettle, peppermint, sage and thyme with no added sweeteners/sugars.
Drink at least 2-3 glasses of carrot and beetroot juice daily (can be mixed together), as this is excellent for detoxifying the liver and blood.
8. Specials: Linseeds (best ground and sprinkled on salads or other foods – refrigerate these to preserve the fatty acids they contain), ground psyllium hulls (mix with water and drink followed by another glass of water. They absorb water and add bulk to clean the intestine and helps constipation), Aloe vera juice (add to water or fresh fruit juice).
During the Detox Diet, Georgiou recommends having one or two large glasses of Lemon Water (soak sliced lemons, preferably organic, in water). This can be followed by the carrot and beetroot juice and then by fruits of your choice or fruit salad, with plenty of herbal teas. Lunch and dinner could be a small piece of fish or roasted vegetables with a little rice and a large organic salad with plenty of lemon or limejuice and a little, cold-pressed virgin olive oil, he said.
There are also many herbs and vitamins that can facilitate the liver’s detoxification pathways. These would include milk thistle, N-Acetyl Cysteine, methionine, taurine, glutathione, glucoronic acid, vitamins B6, B9 and B12, as well as minerals such as selenium and magnesium. These supplements can be found in capsule formulas that are easily available. It is very beneficial to add a little extra vitamin C in powder form, as well as a good multivitamin/mineral formula. Also beneficial is a good probiotic that contains friendly bacteria that populates the gut, as well as a good digestive enzyme to optimise the breakdown of food. These supplements should be taken for two to three months for optimal results.
