Your Liver’s #1 Defense Against Damage from Toxins and Pollutants

3.8.2023 0 comments

Author: Trisha Houghton, CNS, ASIST

Do you have any idea just how enormous a toxic load you’re exposed to on a daily basis?

The answer will blow you away: some research [1] suggests that the average human can be exposed to as many as 700,000 toxins per day, though some estimates can rise as high as 2.1 million.

Take a moment to read that again. 2.1 million.

That is an immense amount of toxicity, which can mean an immense strain on your liver.

Thankfully, research has uncovered an amino acid that can reduce the toxic burden on your liver and give your body a break.

What amino acid is this, you ask?

Read on to learn everything there is to know about this amazing amino acid, what it does for you, how it works in your body, and how it can be the key to protecting your body from toxins and their long-term deleterious effects.

Toxins Are Everywhere!

Most of us tend to go about our day fairly ignorant of the dangers around us—and that may be a good thing, because the truth is terrifying.

Our lives are filled with opportunities to be exposed to a wide range of toxins, including (but certainly not limited to) [2][4]:

• Organophosphate pesticides that are sprayed onto the crops that become our food source.
• Phthalates: chemicals that are used to soften plastics, including the plastics that we use around our house (food containers, bottles, etc.). Also found in perfumes, colognes, soap, shampoos, conditioners, and a wide range of grooming products.
• Air pollutants, emitted by burning fossil fuels like coal, gasoline, and oil. These pollutants are often laced with formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, and benzene.
• Lead in your drinking water, due to corrosion from old pipes or exposure to lead-based paint from before the 1970s.
• Mercury from the fish and shellfish you eat.
• BPA, a chemical used in the production of water bottles, food packaging, cans, and other plastic products.
• Flame retardants in your home insulation, electronics, carpets, furniture, and even food packaging.
• PFA’s, used in everything from pizza boxes to take out wrappers to waterproof clothing to non-stick pots and pans.
• Parabens in haircare products, shaving products, makeup, moisturizers, and other personal grooming products.
• and the list goes on…

It’s no surprise, then, that daily toxin exposure can be so incredibly high because toxins are found in a lot more products than you might have realized.

The Danger Toxins Pose to Your Health

Toxins can pose a very wide range of problems to your health.

For example:

• The phthalates used to make plastics more durable have been linked to gestational diabetes, miscarriage, sperm damage, and child behavioral disorders.
• PFA’s have been linked to cancers, lower sperm count, and even decreased penis size.
• Pesticides are known endocrine disruptors, and can lead to both cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Flame retardants have been linked to thyroid problems and dysfunction with the male reproductive system.
• BPA has been linked to altered brain development, recurrent miscarriages, and reproductive system dysfunction.

You might be thinking, "Well, surely the body has internal mechanisms capable of cleansing our bodies and purging these toxins?"

And you’d be right!

The human body does have a number of organs and internal systems dedicated to flushing out toxins. [5]

Your lungs contain cilia that trap airborne contaminants absorbed via your lungs and prevent them from being absorbed into your bloodstream. When you exhale, those contaminants are expelled.

Your colon (large intestine) is basically a self-cleaning system where bacteria break down toxins absorbed via the food you eat or simply eliminate them through your waste material.

Your liver filters your blood to neutralize toxins (absorbed via ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through your skin) and sends those toxins out of your body via your urine and feces.

Your kidneys work together with your liver to filter toxins from your bloodstream, sending them to be eliminated via your urine.

The problem is, your body can only eliminate so much toxicity every day.

With the healthiest liver, kidneys, colon and lungs, there is a certain amount of toxic exposure that the body can account for and protect against. But, as you saw above, you’re exposed to so many toxins in such high quantities every single day that it often ends up being more than your body can handle.

Think of your body as a "Toxin Bucket."

When it fills up with toxins every day, your organs try their best to empty the bucket by purging the toxins from the system. But there’s always just a little bit left in the bottom of the bucket.

Over time, as the toxic burden on your body increases and accumulates, the bucket slowly fills little by little. What might’ve started out as a small toxic load on your body ends up being significant accumulation of toxins resulting from daily toxin exposure.

Your body just can’t keep up with getting rid of all the toxins.

And that’s when the problems set in…

Toxin overload can lead to a wide range of problems—everything from memory problems to negative moods to brain fog to debilitating fatigue.

As the toxins accumulate, they clog up the inner workings of your body, slowing down organ function and impairing the various internal systems that keep your body running smoothly.

Until, eventually, your body stops working properly. That’s when you start to experience the negative side effects of excessive toxin exposure.

Your Liver is at Greatest Risk

While your intestines, lungs, and kidneys are all affected by excessive toxicity, it’s your liver that suffers the greatest.

The liver is the organ that bears the greatest brunt of toxin exposure, which means that it is the one that will be most prominently affected by this slow increase of toxic buildup.

The liver is a filtration system that captures toxins and chemicals present in your bloodstream, prevents them from being circulated further, and eliminates them. However, the elimination process is not immediate. The liver has to store the toxins short-term until they can be excreted from your body.

But while the toxins are stored in your liver, they can start to cause problems. They can damage the liver cells, causing inflammation and forcing your liver to scramble to repair the damage.

And because the liver is always absorbing more toxins even after eradicating the old ones, the damage persists. The inflammation may never fully go away, and liver function may never fully return to normal.

Over time, as you absorb more and more toxins into your liver, the liver is unable to repair itself fully. The less it can repair, the more damage persists, and the less the liver is able to function properly. It’s a vicious cycle that spirals downward straight toward serious liver damage.

Toxic liver disease [6], or hepatotoxicity, is a serious condition resulting from excessive exposure to toxins, including chemicals, alcohol, medications, and solvents, to name a few.

With toxic liver disease, the inflammation caused by toxins is so extensive that scars form on the liver tissue. The more scarring there is, the less the liver is able to function, and the more damage accrues in the organ.

Eventually, the damage can become so extensive that it results in liver cirrhosis which can lead to liver failure, and even be a fatal condition. All because of the toxins!

Your Solution to a Healthy Liver

To prevent your liver from being damaged and your body from being overwhelmed by the daily toxic load, it’s important to take two steps:

Step 1: Reduce Toxin Exposure

As you saw above, toxins are everywhere and, unfortunately, in everything. It’s nearly impossible to completely avoid toxins in your everyday life.

They’re in the air you breathe every time you walk outside your house and step onto the road where cars drive.

They’re in the cleaning chemicals and solvents that help you keep your house from being overrun by bacteria, germs, mold, and mildew.

They’re in the wrappers that are used to package the food you buy every time you go shopping.

They can even be in your drinking water, the fruits and vegetables you eat, for the fish that you serve on your plate.

But just because it’s nearly impossible to avoid, that doesn’t mean you can’t reduce your exposure to them on a daily basis.

In fact, a few simple actions can do wonders to decrease the number of toxins that are absorbed into your body every day [7]:

• Buy organic produce that is grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides. This is particularly important for the "Dirty Dozen" [8] fruits and veggies that are the worst culprits in toxin exposure.
• Avoid fish that might be contaminated with mercury (including swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, ahi tuna, bigeye tuna and shark) [9]. Stick with eating smaller fish like sardines, and anchovies that are less likely to be contaminated.
• Limit your use of single-use plastics, including bottles and containers.
• Decrease your use of plastic food containers. Consider upgrading to glass containers to store leftovers. Switch to a glass or steel water bottle.
• Avoid smoking or vaping, as well as exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Reduce stress (which could worsen inflammation) and give your body time to rest, sleep, and recover.
• Go over the list of your toiletries, grooming products, and household cleaning products and find any that might contain hidden toxins or chemicals from the list above. Get rid of them, and replace them with non-toxic alternatives.

Step 2: Protect Your Liver

Protecting your liver isn’t just about reducing toxin exposure. Reducing toxin exposure is a great first step, because it decreases the amount of damage or liver will sustain on a daily basis. But that’s just the first step!

As you go about cleaning out toxins from your life, it’s important to take actions that will actively repair existing damage, restore full function, and protect your liver from future damage.

To do that [10]:

• Reduce your intake of foods that are high in saturated fat. High saturated fat intake can lead to a buildup of cholesterol and triglycerides, both of which are substances the liver tries to filter out and may contribute to an increase in liver damage and inflammation.
• Reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol. Both can strain the liver, and alcohol in particular will contribute to liver inflammation. Alcohol will also increase the buildup of fat cells inside the liver, which will interfere with healthy liver function and stop the liver from repairing and restoring itself.
• Reduce your use of medications and drugs whenever possible. Your liver is responsible for metabolizing the drugs and chemicals in your system, many of which can cause liver damage ranging from minor to major. Antibiotics, illicit drugs (a.k.a. cocaine and heroin), cancer drugs, immunosuppressants, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, excessive acetaminophen are all known contributors to liver damage.
• Take supplements that will help to restore liver function and repair existing damage. Mother nature has provided a number of hepatoprotective nutrients that can aid you in the fight to maintain a healthy liver—including milk thistle, dandelion root, artichoke and NAC.

Your Liver’s True Champion: NAC

If you’re serious about giving your liver a fighting chance—and going on the offensive against toxins— NAC may be just the thing.

NAC stands for "N-acetyl-L-cysteine", an amino acid that is used by your body to produce glutathione.

Your body combines NAC with glycine and glutamine to produce glutathione, a potent antioxidant that plays a critical role in maintaining your immune system and protecting against oxidative stress and damage.

But most critically, glutathione is a powerful force for protecting your liver. Research [11] has proven that the glutathione resulting from NAC absorption can protect against hepatotoxicity—in the case of one study, toxicity caused by excessive acetaminophen intake.

Another study [12] found that NAC could not only protect the liver, but also prevent liver damage and liver failure. NAC can combat pro-oxidants, decrease oxidative damage, increase liver function, and increase antioxidant activity in the liver.

NAC is even used in hospitals (ICUs) by doctors who are treating patients against acetaminophen overdose and other causes of liver toxicity. It is also used to protect organs during major surgeries. That’s just how potent it is.

It can support your body’s detoxification, decreasing the toxic burden of air pollutants, antibiotics, pesticides, and heavy metals.

All of this combines to give your liver a fighting chance against toxins!

Give Your Liver a Fighting Chance with Restore Detox

As we’ve seen above, NAC is a potent amino acid that can have major benefits for your body overall, but especially the liver. Thanks to its role in replenishing glutathione and increasing antioxidant activity, it can decrease liver damage and help to restore liver function.

But there’s so much more that you can do to give your liver a fighting chance. NAC is just one of the ingredients that can repair and replenish your liver.

That’s why we’ve combined NAC with 5 other hepatic and antioxidant-boosting nutrients into one powerful supplement that promotes a systemic body detox, significant toxin release, and deep support for your liver, further aiding your natural detox process.

In addition to NAC, our Restore Detox supplement contains:

• Citrus pectin, which binds with toxins and heavy metals so they can’t be absorbed into your bloodstream, making it easier for your body to flush them out.
• Selenium, which encourages your body to repair itself on a cellular level, rejuvenating your tissues and repairing DNA.
• Milk thistle, which is a detox powerhouse capable of reducing liver inflammation and flushing toxins from the liver. It’s also excellent for supporting healthy liver function, and even improving insulin regulation.
• Dandelion root, a powerful natural tonic that helps the liver more effectively flush toxins and contains potent antioxidant properties that will protect your liver against future damage.
• Artichoke extract, which can increase bile production and make your liver more efficient at scavenging and eradicating toxins and chemicals from your bloodstream.

Together with NAC, these science-backed ingredients, included in our potent Restore Detox formula, can restore healthy liver function and put your body back on the path of recovery and healing.

Click here to learn more about Restore Detox and find out how it can change your future for the better by boosting your body’s natural detoxification pathways and helping you to live your best, youngest, and healthiest life!

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