The liver is an extremely complex organ involved in multiple immune and metabolic processes. If the liver is not detoxifying optimally, it will be virtually impossible to have success with any disease including thyroid and hormone imbalances. Unfortunately, many patients are given hormones without a thorough analysis of their liver’s ability to metabolize hormones. This can do more harm than good due to a build-up of unmetabolized hormones or incompletely metabolized hormones circulating in the blood- stream causing abnormal hormone responses. Partially metabolized hormones can bind to hormone receptor sites blocking normal hormones from binding and causing abnormal responses.
Nutrition, toxin exposure and genetics are all key factors in liver detoxification. I have seen many patients who were put on hormones and had impaired liver detoxification systems only to result in a worsening of their condition and even cancer from excess estrogen. Many studies have shown that impaired liver detoxification can lead to fatigue and autoimmune disease – both major factors in thyroid health. The majority of thyroid hormone is converted into its active form in the liver. If the liver is not functioning optimally, signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism will arise.
The liver is also important for balancing sex and adrenal hormones due to its role in metabolizing hormones and detoxifying thyroid-disrupting chemicals. The process of detoxification is basically the conversion of fat-soluble compounds into water-soluble compounds that can be eliminated in the feces, urine and sweat. Hormones are fat-soluble compounds as well as environmental toxins, drugs, pesticides, and allergy-causing complexes.
There are two distinct phases of liver detoxification known as Phase I and Phase II. Phase I involves the cytochrome P450 enzymes and Phase II involves six pathways: glucuronidation, acetylation, sulfation, methylation, glycine conjugation, and glutathione conjugation. Liver enzymes can directly neutralize chemicals or convert them into waste products that can be easily excreted by the body.
Inflammation can put undue stress on the liver but can be reduced by compounds such as zinc, curcumin, fish oil and alpha-lipoic acid. L-carnitine, l-methionine, choline and inositol all help to metabolize fat in the liver-enhancing function and can reverse fatty liver disease. Phosphatidylcholine (from lecithin) can protect from liver alcoholic cirrhosis.
Insulin resistance puts major stress on the liver due to inefficient sugar-burning in the liver which leads to fatty acid production from the excess sugar. Over time, this leads to fatty liver disease.
A leaky gut will put undue stress on the liver due to a constant flow of toxins passing through the gut barrier and entering the liver which must then detoxify these compounds.
The following pathways must be supported for proper detoxification. This can be important for thyroid patients who have thyroid imbalances due to excess testosterone, estrogen, toxic metals and thyroid disrupting chemicals.
Sulfation Support
Sulfation basically involves binding toxins with sulfur-containing amino acids so they can be excreted. The enzyme used in this step is dependent on molybdenum. Sulfur-containing amino acids include methionine, glycine and n-acetyl-cysteine.
Glucuronidation Support
Glucuronidation occurs when toxins are bound to glucuronic acid which is produced by the liver. B-vitamins, glycine and magnesium are required for this process.
Methylation Support
Methylation is required for compounds that have been altered in Phase I detoxification. This process requires folate, SAMe, methylcobalamin (B12), magnesium, trimethylglycine, pyridoxal-5-phosphate(B6), choline, vitamin E, vitamin C, betaine and methionine.
Acetylation Support
Acetylation depends on vitamin C, thiamine (B1) and pantothenic acid (B5).
Bile Synthesis Support
Bile is produced by the liver to break down fats in the intestine, act as a “detergent” and to carry toxins with it that are produced by the liver. Bile production and flow must be optimal for detoxification. Taurine, vitamin C, betaine (beet root), lecithin (phosphatidylcholine), methionine, inositol and l-carnitine have been shown to support bile production and flow.
I use many different detoxification programs depending on each individual case. Detoxification can be a vital part of optimizing thyroid function due to the multiple thyroid disruptors in our environment. Be sure to be adequately evaluated by a qualified functional medicine practitioner before beginning a detoxification program. A properly performed detoxification program should not result in sickness or severe symptoms.
Property of The Immune Restoration Center Copyright 2012, Rheingold, LLC.
I have been dealing with this nutty thyroid problem for over ten years. At first I felt almost out of body with confusion. Began seeing a series of Dr's felt better, lost weight felt entergenic and fabulous…..more thyroid tests, always, always the same results…Your thyroid is really low, we are going to have to increase your dosage…finally, 8 moths ago i was told the same thing…..I felt like a failure for some reason, gained 15 lbs and am semi lifeless most of the time until I read this article this morning and for the first time i could feel some real hope…..I am definitely buying this book……..
Thank you for your comments Judy. I’m sorry to hear you have been through so much without answers. I hope the book sheds some light on what could be causing your health problems. take care
This is to inform anyone that is dealing with thyroid disorder after 10 years I was able to come off of thyroid medication for underactive gland. What I did is I found a holistic doctor to check my pituitary glands which is in the brain that controls the thyroid and ovaries which are all connecting glands. The doctor discovered that my pituitary glands in the back of the head were shut off. He put me raw glandular tissue and it turn the glands back on and at that point it made the thyroid work again it built up my glands and it was then bye bye medication.
Congratulations on your success. What you describe is one possible scenario with thyroid dysfunction. Not all thyroid problems are pituitary-based. Keep spreading the word!
I am very interested in learning more of your process. All through my life I have felt that my hormones were not balanced. I test positive for Epstein barr. I am adjusted by a chiropractor each week. Four years ago I began sleeping 21 out of 24 hours and saw a clinical nutritionalist who used a wet blood test on a computer screen to show me the yeast and fungus in my blood. I eliminated grains, corn, chocolate, caffeine, sugars, etc. out of my diet. Muscle testing showed that my adrenals and thyroid were low. I was given ecothyroid and miladrene. I also took probiotics and floraguard, viroplex, magnesium. I have been alternating agricept and oreginol as antifungals. That helped me for quite a while but this fall I have the worst chronic fatigue I have ever had. This summer my mom died and I was in a car accident. I was less careful on my diet. For the past five weeks I have had only proteins and vegetables to lessen the feeding of the yeast. My ph factor (urine and saliva) is now between 6.4 and 8.0. I really want to get this permanently under control if possible. My white blood cell count was 4.4–6 weeks ago–nutritionalist said this suggested chronic viral activity. I never come alive before 5 pm and sometimes not even then. Insomnia has been an inconsistent problem ever since I stopped nursing my first child–31 yrs ago(I am 59 yr caucasion. My mom had every upper respiratory infection, copd, and most intestinal diseases as well as lymphomona. I had a maternal aunt with allergies to grains and needed b-12 shots in her thirties and another on kidney dialysis.) Would you recommend that I have blood work run or saliva testing to determine where my level are? Would I have to stop my gladulars for a period of time (how long) before these tests would be reliable? I have never had a liver detox–should I have a test done before I would consider doing that? What liver detox do you use? Have you ever used a KMT machine in your practice? My clinical nutritionalist had my daughter use one for a couple of hrs during a visit a few months ago. Do you know of any health providers that have your understanding of autoimmune thyroiditis in the Tidewater Virginia area? Thank you for you consideration of my many questions. I have been on a journey with health questions for probably 40 years of my life. It would be wonderful to find some permanent protocols and more stable health. Thank you.