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Our Individual Genetic Makeup May Need Extra Help

Around 10%-15% of the population are considered “canaries”, meaning they are the most affected by the toxins and get excessively sick. Others will get sick over time. Toxins work synergistically; the accumulative effect is far greater than the individual effect.

Toxins block or interfere with detoxifying pathways, damage the machinery inside the cells, and compromise the body even further. There have been nearly 90,000 new chemicals introduced since 1990; more than half are small enough to enter the body’s cells, where they damage the nucleus, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (the cell “brain, power houses and factories,” respectively).

If our body could not detoxify itself, we would be dead in 6 hours. Dr. Sydney Baker, a well-known functional medicine pediatrician, suggested that 80% of our body’s energy, as adults, goes to detoxifying. We have different pathways for detoxifying our bodies.

The liver is the main detoxifier, but our skin, hair and nails, kidneys, gut and lungs also detoxify their share. The liver is primarily a third-shift worker; overnight it detoxifies hormones, medications, environmental toxins, heavy metals, and waste products from daily cellular activity and others in two phases. Most environmental toxins are fat-soluble to start with, so they are difficult or impossible to eliminate without the liver’s help.

In Phase One, the liver uses oxygen and enzymes to oxidize toxins, converting them from fat-soluble to water-soluble. Making toxins more water-soluble is necessary so they can be eliminated from the body by the kidneys or the liver.

Frequently the end product of Phase One detoxification is more dangerous than the original compound being detoxified. These oxidized molecules are highly charged free radicals. They can damage the liver if not eliminated efficiently. This is why Phase Two, the conjugation phase, is so important. In this phase, oxidized molecules are combined (“conjugated”) with sulfur, specific amino acids, organic acids or glucose.

These larger water-soluble molecules are then released harmlessly into the blood to be excreted by the kidneys or are excreted by the liver into bile and eliminated through the bowels. Eating organic foods promotes Phase Two processes.

Both phases of liver detoxification are inhibited by nutritional deficiencies, accumulation of toxins, medications, alcohol consumption, and a diet not containing enough protein.

The liver definitely needs daily protein, phytonutrients and vitamins and minerals to detoxify the body. Unfortunately, most individuals often do not consume enough nutrients in our diet to detoxify our bodies, and some individuals never consume enough! Toxins further deplete the body of vitamins and minerals since these nutrients are consumed while detoxifying the toxins themselves.

We Are Chronically Stressed
To complicate this further, all of us live with too much stress--we don’t sleep enough, we don’t exercise enough, and we are inflamed--making the nutritional demands on our bodies even greater. Those with chronic illnesses are in even worse shape. Those on medications also have more to detoxify. Supplements will help the body handle some of this load.

When stressed, the body uses excessive amounts of B vitamins and the kidneys excrete large amounts of magnesium. This, in turn, causes increased mental stress, depression, fatigue and instability. B vitamins are critical cofactors for almost all enzymatic processes in the body.

In fact, Phase One detox (referenced above) completely shuts down without them. Serotonin and melatonin production also shuts down without B vitamins. Magnesium is a cofactor in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Deficiency of magnesium causes anxiety, cramps, twitching/spastic muscles, insomnia, high blood pressure, and asthma. When there are not enough available vitamins and minerals, the body is more susceptible to illness.

Many people live with their toxic load without that many symptoms until they experience an emotional crisis, then they get an illness from which they cannot recover. The emotional stress pushes them off the cliff and the toxic laden and nutritionally depleted body cannot “bounce back.”

Prescription Medications Compromise Absorption and Increase Our Need For Nutrients
If all of the environmental toxins and nutritional deficiencies in our food weren’t enough, there are medications that significantly lower our ability to absorb nutrients and digest protein, and can even deplete certain vitamins, minerals, amino acids and coenzymes. Supplementation can help make up the deficit.

Having enough stomach acid is a factor in good digestion, absorption and immune health. Without enough stomach acid the body does not absorb essential nutrients. These include B-12, folic acid, zinc, selenium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Stomach acid is also necessary to begin the process of digesting proteins in the stomach.

Once the acid reaches the small bowel, it is the strongest stimulant to trigger the release of pancreatic enzymes, which further break down proteins and other foods components during digestion.

If your gut cannot break down the food you’ve consumed (regardless how organically it has been produced), then the nutrients will not be available for absorption into the body. Taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), and pantoprazole (Nexium), decreases the production of stomach acid.

Take a look at how some other prescription medications can affect our nutrient levels:

Not All Supplements Are Created Equal
It is so important to use physician-recommended, pharmaceutical-grade supplements from reputable supplement companies. These companies make sure the ingredients are not adulterated, and that they are well-absorbed by the body. You may pay a little more for these supplements, but their increased quality and bioavailability are worth the extra expense.

You should detox once or twice a year with a detox cleansing routine. Look for pharmaceutical grade detox kits that are packed with vitamins, minerals, herbs and amino acids that assist your body in reducing your toxic load. There are also year-round supplements that you can take every day to support your detoxification pathways as well. These can include N-Acetyl Cysteine, Glutathione, Glutamine, Glycine, Methionine, Silymarin and Dandelion.

If you get tired of swallowing pills, there are alternative options. There are minerals that are chelated and are more easily absorbed. “Super Food” products – powders, drinks and bars that contain condensed vegetables and fruits – are loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants. There are pre-workout shakes, post-workout shakes, and protein shakes. There are even free Amino Acids (pre-digested protein) for those who have difficulty breaking down and absorbing protein.

Integrative Physicians Can Help
The good news is that testing is available for a wide variety of nutrients. Simple blood levels of nutrients may indicate a deficiency; however, these tests may also miss significant deficiencies in various tissues.

For example, many patients get B-12 levels and are told they are within normal range. But a better test is a methyl malonic acid test, which indicates not only that B-12 is sufficient but that it is also doing its job. Another wrinkle in the B-12 story is that if one is deficient in zinc, B-12 cannot get into the brain. So the blood level looks normal, but the brain is suffering.

There are also lab tests for genetic glitches, which cause functional deficiencies. Many patients have normal folic acid levels in their blood, but they have a genetic mutation that prevents them from activating the folic acid. This may increase their risk of heart disease, serious birth defects, and depression for starters.

Micronutrient testing is available from specialty labs that are sometimes covered by insurance. This allows the doctor to order multiple nutrient levels at one time.

Of course eating healthy, organic, local produce, exercising, avoiding environmental and food toxins, and adding supplements are the best recommendations to stay healthy.

An integrative doctor can order the right tests to see if you are in need of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, neurotransmitters, and more stomach acid for their absorption, and make recommendations for appropriate supplementation.

Do the Prescriptions You Take Deplete Your Nutritional Status?
The following SpectraCell Laboratories charts, provided courtesy of Natural Triad Magazine, show the nutrients your body can become deficient in due to use of certain prescription medications: 
For more information about topics covered in this article, see the following links:








Content created by Elizabeth R. Vaughan, MD, and Tina Arey, BSN, RN
Posted by Elizabeth Vaughan at 11:00 AM