Weight loss can be a frustrating and arduous task for many people, especially when it seems like you’re doing everything right but not seeing the results. The days of approaching weight loss as simply ‘calories in, calories out’ are now long behind us, as researchers and clinicians continue to find new correlations and connections to body composition and biochemistry. With these new relationships and a deeper understanding of the body, clinicians have a better understanding of weight loss resistance, including the dreaded ‘plateaus’. As it turns out, the body’s ability to detoxify plays a major role.
Losing More than Fat
When a body is exposed to chemicals, exogenous sources of hormones or any other foreign substance, it has two options: detoxify it and clear it from the body, or stow it away in the least harmful places in the body. Because many chemicals are fat soluble, researchers have found the body often stores excess chemicals in our body fat. Samples in one study revealed more than 210 chemicals stored in human fat. The study also found:
- 76 chemicals linked to cancer in humans or animals
- 94 chemicals that are toxic to the brain and nervous system
- 86 chemicals that interfere with the hormone system
- 79 chemicals associated with birth defects or abnormal development
- 77 chemicals toxic to the reproductive system, and
- 77 chemicals toxic to the immune system.
Weight loss becomes a much bigger endeavor when one not only has to increase activity and decrease caloric intake, but also clear the substances stored away in body fat. In a more positive vein, weight loss can have a profound impact on our health, by reducing buildup of toxic substances in our fat tissue. Weight loss and more importantly fat loss result in toxin removal, and a reduction in our total toxic burden.
The Liver’s Role
The body does have the ability to remove toxins, using a series of pathways and enzymes to package up unwanted chemicals and pass them into the colon and bladder for waste removal. The liver is the body’s packaging center and it requires numerous nutrients including many vitamins, minerals, proteins and amino acids as well as an adequate intake of calories. With proper amounts of these tools, the liver is able to not only process the daily burden of chemical exposure, but also remove excess toxins that are liberated with fat loss.
Detox as Supportive Weight Loss
Damage to the liver has long been medically tied with obesity, and weight loss has been shown to improve stress on the liver and overall liver function. Now we know that the reverse is true as well: liver support can help with weight loss. If the body is able to process and clear excess chemicals, it is more capable of liberating more fat and toxins for clearance. This means detoxification can be an excellent tool for weight loss, especially weight loss that is resistant to basic dietary changes and increased exercise. Nutrient deficiencies and other underlying weakness in the liver’s ability to detoxify may need to be addressed to ensure that the toxin-packaging center is working properly.
Detoxification from this perspective has nothing to do with harsh laxatives, fasts or even calorie restriction. Frequently, removing inflammatory foods, nourishing the body with proper nutrients and giving the liver support with either botanicals or foods will not only improve liver function but also kick-start weight loss.
Healthy weight has a myriad of health benefits associated with it, from cardiovascular to immune function. Some of these benefits might be due to a secondary association with a healthy liver. We know that not all livers are created equal, and while some people may not require much liver support, others may need more. Individual assessment of nutritional needs and deficiencies as well as liver function tests can be done with routine blood work.
Healthy diet and exercise are certainly a great start for weight loss, but looking at the liver may enhance efforts or minimize weight loss plateaus.
Dr. Lauren Gouin is a board certified naturopathic physician with a family practice at 135 Center St, Manchester. She is currently accepting new patients and is in-network with most insurance companies. To make an appointment, call (860) 533-0179 or visit www.ctnaturalhealth.com