The major detoxification areas include the liver, intestine, kidneys, lungs and brain. The body has the lymphatic system that helps collect and move toxins into circulation out through the excretory systems. The brain has the glymphatic system that is made up on the brains unique immune system called glial cells.
The body’s natural detoxification process is dependent on the ability of water to act as a solvent to dissolve toxic substances. The cell membrane is made up of fatty acids and is impermeable to most water soluble substances.
The most important nutrients to effectively complete phase II detoxification include all the B vitamins and in particular B6, folate and B12 which are known as the bodies major methyl donors. Sulfur containing amino acids such as methionine and cysteine are also extremely important for this phase.
The body’s natural detoxification process is dependent on the ability of water to act as a solvent to dissolve toxic substances. The cell membrane is made up of fatty acids and is impermeable to most water soluble substances. Therefore, water soluble compounds depend upon specialized transport proteins to get into a cell effectively.
The major detoxification areas include the liver, intestine, kidneys, lungs and brain. The body has the lymphatic system that helps collect and move toxins into circulation out through the excretory systems. The brain has the glymphatic system that is made up on the brains unique immune system called glial cells.
The body’s natural detoxification process is dependent on the ability of water to act as a solvent to dissolve toxic substances. The cell membrane is made up of fatty acids and is impermeable to most water soluble substances.
The most important nutrients to effectively complete phase II detoxification include all the B vitamins and in particular B6, folate and B12 which are known as the bodies major methyl donors. Sulfur containing amino acids such as methionine and cysteine are also extremely important for this phase.
This is especially problematic with chemotherapy drugs. Use of nutrients that stimulate phase III transporters will decrease the effectiveness of chemotherapy and create resistant cancer cells.
These include the flavin monooxygenases (FMOs are responsible for detoxifying nicotine from cigarette smoke); alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases (metabolize alcohol), and monamine oxidases (MAOs break down serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine in neurons).
In this phase there are enzymatic reactions that transform the particular toxin into a chemical form that can be metabolized by the phase II enzymes. These reactions are particularly carried out by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in the liver ( 4 ).
The three phases of detoxification happen in all the cells of the body but the liver is the primary organ that has the most concentrated amount of the key detoxification enzymes.