“We Have To Take Care Of The Liver Every Day Of The Year”

Xevi Verdaguer is a physiotherapist, a specialist in psychoneuroimmunology, a teacher and an effective communicator, probably because before giving advice he has practiced it. And because it offers keys to preserve and restore health based on science. The chapter he dedicates to the liver in his latest book, Take Care (Ed. Grijalbo), is full of valuable information to understand the detoxifying function of this organ and how we can help you.

We had a chance not long ago to interview him to talk about gut health (you can watch that interview here). This time we have focused on how to cleanse and care for the liver.

The keys of Xevi Verdaguer to detoxify and take care of the liver

–When we think about taking care of ourselves, we don’t usually remember the liver, but it is important…
–It is a true protagonist. It is in charge of eliminating hormones and toxins that make life bitter. Many people, instead of eliminating them, reabsorb them.

–You list symptoms that doctors do not usually associate with liver problems.
–Your liver may not be inflamed, it may not be fatty and the transaminases are not elevated, but it may have difficulty eliminating hormones, toxins, neurotransmitters or polyphenols. Routine tests do not look at these parameters, but with certain urine and blood tests, and by observing symptoms, we can see if you are detoxifying well. For example, people who do not methylate well have elevated homocysteine ​​and are perfectionists and obsessive. In contrast, those that do not “glucuronidize” well have a thick head. Many are diagnosed with chronic fatigue.

– How can you do these tests?
–A specialist in psychoneuroimmunology can ask for, interpret and advise them. But I don’t keep any information in my book. I say what are the analytics, the diet that is appropriate in each case and the supplements. But if I had a pathology, I would go to a doctor or therapist to personalize the treatment.

– Are these analytics expensive?
-They are much cheaper than ten years ago. Personalized medicine is now accessible. We can do, for example, a stool analysis and know what specific probiotic we need. If we see that the patient does not improve with changes in diet and habits, we perform a genetic analysis to discover if he has a polymorphism that hinders any detoxification route. If methylation is slow, for example, we recommend group B vitamins. This is my case and that of 30% of people.

“The vital attitude also influences the detoxifying function of the liver”

-How you take care of yourself?
– I was a boy with autoimmune problems and I also had an anxiety crisis. I exercise, I try to improve the diversity of healthy bacteria that make B vitamins and eat foods that contain them in abundance, because that is where I fail.

– Are there general councils?
– Physical exercise is good for all people. On the other hand, the consumption of sugar, fructose, refined cereals and ultra-processed foods does not help anyone. Foods rich in fiber and unsaturated fats are recommended. But don’t be obsessed either. For example, people who methylate slowly want to do everything right always and that can generate anxiety and social problems. I impose myself to transgress my own rules from time to time as part of self-care.

– Can we influence the liver by modifying our attitude?
-Of course. You can modify your diet, not smoke and not drink alcohol, but if you also meditate, do yoga or exercise every day, I would give you a hug! Because that makes everything much easier.

–Can you have all the detoxification processes altered?
–It is the case of people with multiple chemical sensitivities. Here in La Garrotxa (120 km from Barcelona) I do not have any patients with chemical sensitivity. When I receive inquiries about this problem in Madrid or Barcelona and they are not feeling well, even if they eat eco-friendly food suitable for them, filter the water with osmosis and avoid plastics, they can consider living in a less polluted place.

–In your book you don’t propose the typical one-week detox cure.
-I do not believe in that. The liver doesn’t say “now I’m going to detoxify”, it does it every day of the year. It is true that intermittent fasting (leaving 16 hours or more without food) can go well. I do it on weekends, on Saturday I don’t have breakfast, and I have broccoli and celery juices. Thus, you let the digestive system rest and activate the NRF2 gene, which improves your antioxidant capacity and accelerates the second phase of detoxification. People who do age slowly and improve their health.

–Explain that it is good to stimulate 2-OH? What is it? Why?
–2-hydroxyestrone is a metabolite of estrogen with a protective effect. You can help your liver and increase this metabolite by consuming more omega-3, which we find, in the vegetable diet, in walnuts and chia or hemp seeds, and foods rich in lignans, such as flax and sesame seeds , and eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and sauerkraut. You can also drink coffee in moderate doses.