Why is the liver so important in hormone balancing?

Drugs, artificial chemicals, pesticides, alcohol and hormones are broken down (metabolised) by a 2 step detoxification pathway inside the liver cells. These 2 liver pathways are designed to convert fat-soluble chemicals into water-soluble chemicals so that they may then be easily excreted from the body via watery fluids such as the bile, sweat glands, and urine.

For an efficient detoxification pathway, the liver must have adequate amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and natural carotenoids. Carotenoids are the pigment substances which gives colour to fruits and vegetables. If antioxidants are lacking, then toxic chemicals become far more dangerous.

For efficient Step Two detoxification the liver cells require sulphur containing amino acids such as taurine and cysteine. The nutrients glycine, glutamine, choline and inositol are also required for efficient Step Two detoxification.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts and cauliflower, raw garlic, onions, leeks and shallots are all good sources of natural sulphur compounds which enhance Phase Two detoxification. Thus these vegetables and nutrients can be considered cleansing substances for the liver.

If the Step One and Two detoxification pathways become overloaded there will be a build up of toxins in the body. Many of these toxins are fat-soluble and incorporate themselves into fatty parts of the body where they may stay for years, if not for a lifetime. The brain and the endocrine (hormone) glands are fatty organs, and are common sites for fat soluble toxins to accumulate.
This may result in symptoms of brain dysfunction and hormonal imbalances such as infertility, sterility, sexual dysfunction, breast pain, menstrual disturbances, adrenal gland exhaustion and early menopause.

There is an increasing incidence of degenerative diseases of the nervous system such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Motor-Neurone disease, which cause sever disabilities.

Accumulation of insecticides, pesticides and petrochemicals inside the cells of the nervous system will damage these cells, increasing the risk of these neuro-degenerative disorders. If the liver is unable to detoxify these deadly toxins they will get past the liver and accumulate in the fatty parts of the brain and other nervous tissue. People generally believe that such terrible diseases will never happen to them and yet we do very little to support liver function because we do not realise that a healthy liver is vital if we are to protect ourselves from these common diseases, let alone hormonal problems.

Cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks are the leading cause of death in society today. Most people do not realise that it is the liver that removes excessive dangerous fats from the blood stream thereby preventing fatty blockages of the blood vessels, which cause these diseases.

Many chemicals such as pesticides, petrochemicals, aspartame, etc., are carcinogenic and have been implicated in the rising incidence of many types of cancers. If the filtering and/or detoxification systems within the liver are overloaded or inefficient, this will cause toxins, unhealthy fats, dead cells and microorganisms to build up in the blood stream.

This will increase the workload of the immune system which will then become overloaded and irritated. The simplest and most effective way to cleanse the blood stream and thus take the load off the immune system is by improving liver function.

As you’ve read, the liver not only breaks down and eliminates toxins in the body, this process contribute to reducing estrogen dominance by assisting in the removal of excess hormones thus promoting hormone balance. This facilitates more effective performance of progesterone and possibly provides scope to reduce you dose if the body is functioning optimally. On the flip side, a woman with a fatty, dysfunctional liver will require far greater dosage of progesterone perhaps with minimal benefits.

Many women fall into the trap of believing that taking Silybum marianum (St Mary’s Thistle) and Taurin supplements are adequate to detox a sluggish liver. The Natural-Progesterone-Advisory-Network.com website always advises women to get their hands on a premium formulation that contains the necessary vitamins, herbs and essential nutrients to facilitate pathway 1 and pathway 2 detoxification, assisting with the efficient burning of fat from the liver itself.

Weight reduction cannot take place until the liver has cleared itself of all fat deposits, at which point it can then eliminate fat and toxins from the body. This is when women see permanent weight loss as opposed to ‘yo-yo’ or crash diets that tend to see a women gain more weight.