Toxic waste in your body?

Chronic health problems can develop from your body’s impaired
Detoxification ability. Uncover the link between your symptoms and
your liver function.

What role does the liver play in detoxification?

The liver is a key organ in your body’s self-defense system. It changes or detoxifies, many harmful substances into forms which your body can safely eliminate.

How do these toxins get into the body?

In today’s world of processed foods and pollution, toxic substances exist almost everywhere. They are in the food you eat, the water you drink (from fertilizers, chemicals and other additives such as colorings and preservatives), and the air you breathe (from automobile emissions, pesticides and industrial pollutants). Some of the body’s own compounds must be detoxified as well.

How does the liver detoxify substances?

A healthy liver uses two mechanisms, called Phase I and Phase II detoxification, to remove toxins. In Phase I, your body’s enzymes activate toxic substances to make them more accessible to Phase II. In Phase II, other enzymes covert toxins to more water-soluble forms, which your body eliminates through urine or stool.

What happens during impaired liver detoxification?

An unhealthy liver does not detoxify substances as rapidly or as completely as a healthy liver. Slower detoxification results in more toxic substances circulating in the body. Unchanged or partially changed toxins are not easily eliminated and instead pass from the liver into the body. Eventually, the toxins are stored in fatty body tissue, including the brain and central nervous system cells. Stored toxins may be slowly released into the blood, contributing to many chronic illnesses.

How is liver function damaged?

A number of conditions affect how well the liver performs its detoxifying duties. Repeated exposure to chemicals and toxins in food, water, and the environment increases the detoxification burden.

If you have a “leaky gut” your intestine allows large, undigested molecules to pass into the body. Increased amounts of toxic substances can travel through the liver and overload its capacity to detoxify them.

How is liver function measured?

One method to assess the liver’s detoxifying ability is to examine the overall state of your health. Toxic substances are contributing factors in a wide range of health problems.

You may have heard of several different liver tests (such as liver enzyme analysis) which look for clinical evidence of existing liver damage. Standard “liver function” tests measure levels of enzymes such as SGOT and SGTT. Unfortunately, by the time these tests register “abnormal”, liver damage is already present.

A definitive assessment of function can be made using the Detoxification Profile. This test uses common substances to challenge the liver’s detoxification ability using urine and saliva samples. You simply swallow the tablets, collect urine and saliva specimens, and return the test kit to Genova Diagnostics. The specimens are analyzed, and the results are sent to Dr. Holec. The specific results can be used to develop a treatment plan.

In addition to detoxification testing, Dr. Holec may want to test your level of oxidative stress. Impaired liver function can lead to higher levels of free radicals, substances in the blood which have been linked to chronic illness. Analysis of the blood and/or urine samples provides important information about damage resulting from a dysfunctional liver.

How can I get a Detoxification Profile?

Talk to Dr. Holec about your symptoms and ask if a Detoxification Profile from Genova Diagnostics would be useful for you.

Your body’s natural self-defense system may be overwhelmed by toxins in food, water and air. Take this quiz to determine your level of toxic exposure and its effects on your body.

Ask yourself:

___ Do you use tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, or chewing tobacco?

___ Do you live or work with someone who smokes in your presence?

___ Are you often exposed to automobile exhaust fumes?

___ Do you live or work in a building that has new carpeting, paint, or furniture
That may be giving off odors or gases?

___ Have you ever used toxic chemicals such as insect sprays or herbicides at home or at work?

___ Do you have one or more alcoholic drinks per week?

___ Have you taken prescription drugs two or more times in the past year?

___ Do you often eat meat grilled over a charcoal fire?

___ Do you suffer from gastrointestinal problems?

___ Do you have allergies, sinus problems, or joint pain?

___ Are you frequently tired from a normal day’s activities?

If you answered “yes” to two or more of these questions, you may be reacting to increased toxic exposure and burdening your body’s detoxification ability. Share this information with Dr. Holec to see if a Detoxification Profile from Genova Diagnostics would be helpful.

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