Toxic soup: the damaging effects of the modern world on our health

When I think of spring, I think of spring cleaning, which is essentially clearing space for something new.  Whether it’s a refresh of your garage or garden, or cleaning up the diet, the energy that motivates this activity comes from the Liver.  The Liver (capitalized to denote the Chinese idea of liver) corresponds to the season of spring, and in terms of its function, it is known as the General…it’s the organ in charge of activating all the other organs.  

When we think of Liver energy, we think of energy in motion.  When the flow of Liver energy becomes impeded, then we suffer symptoms of stagnation: sluggishness, frustration, impatience, pain and discomfort, emotional lability, swings in hormones, seasonal allergies, tension headaches, frequent colds, and the list goes on…..

There are many factors that can negatively impact the flow of Liver energy, and of those many factors, toxins are a big contributor.  I was asked a very relevant and interesting question about the idea of detoxifying the liver, essentially spring cleaning for the body. 

What does Chinese medicine have to say about detoxing the Liver?

Before I get into the TCM concept of Liver detox, let’s unpack what the word detoxification means. 

Detoxification is a normal bodily function of every day life. Each cell has the machinery to package up toxins and eliminate them from the inner cellular matrix into the extracellular fluids. And this process is critical for our health and vitality!

Organs like the liver, spleen and kidneys have an important role in filtering toxic substances from the blood, lymph and urine and enable the body to excrete toxins through perspiration, defecation, urination, mucous, and even vomiting. 

I have always found it curious that there are many products marketed as “Liver Detox”, but almost none for a  kidney or spleen detox, when these organs also act as filters. 

Back to the question: what does TCM say about Liver detoxification? 

Basically, nothing.  Through the lens of Chinese medicine, there is no such idea as Liver detox because the concept of a toxin didn’t exist thousands of years ago. 

Also keep in mind that the world was magnitudes less toxic a few thousand years ago than it is now.  Although some plants have chemical compositions that are toxic to humans, that is very different than what we think of today when we talk about toxins. 

We are living and breathing-in a toxic soup of chemicals that contaminate our air, food, and water supply.  Additionally, we need to take into account the effect of radiation from cell phone towers, WiFi, and the electrical grid. Without question these things adversely affect cellular metabolism, disrupt cellular detoxification machinery, exacerbate free radical damage and contribute to disease processes. Check out this video to learn more.

If you really want to understand the magnitude of the impact on toxins,  check out this video about the effect of plastics on human fertility. 

Or this video about glyphosate and how it is responsible for a dramatic rise in many diseases including Alzheimers, Dementia, auto-immune diseases, cancers, and even mood disorders. 

In TCM, we think in terms of optimizing and harmonizing the Liver.  For a healthy Liver, one is wise to limit their exposure to “toxins”  (which could be environmental, emotional or spiritual) and support the free flow of Liver energy with plants, herbs, foods, activities, behaviors and attitudes that are beneficial.

The closest TCM comes to the concept of toxins is with regard to environmental influences and whether the body is able to adapt to a dry, damp, hot, cold, or windy environment.  We also think in terms of the emotions and spiritual influences. For example, a traumatic event could be emotionally “crippling”, blocking the flow of Liver qi, cascading into physical imbalances and symptoms. Or if you feel “stuck” in your life, lacking a sense of purpose, meaning or connection, how that might impede flow within the physical body, manifesting as chronic pain or discomfort. 

Does a “liver detox” help the liver? Most definitely! The most common plants and herbs used in commercial liver detox products are very supportive of the liver as observed in biomedicine, western herbal medicine and Chinese herbal medicine. 

There is another important factor in supporting the energy of the Liver: limiting your exposure to “toxic” information and news.  Basically anything that triggers you emotionally into a state of anxiety, worry, fear, anger, frustration and rage is inhibiting your liver’s ability to “detoxify”.

That’s the theme for Springtime: cut out toxins and choose plants, foods, activities and even media that will support the uninhibited flow of energy to nourish body, mind and spirit.  Support the energy of the Liver as this is the time of year when it is most active!