By naturopath Margaret Jasinska

The human brain is a fatty organ and although there is a physical barrier between the brain and the blood circulation, fat-soluble toxic chemicals can get into the brain if the blood-brain barrier is compromised. This is particularly so if exposure to such chemicals involves a large dose, or chronic repeated exposure.

Many fat-soluble chemicals are made from petrochemicals (petroleum based) and are found in commonly used everyday products. These chemicals adversely affect the function of the brain and can result in mental fuzziness, mental fatigue, headaches and mood disorders. They also increase the risk of neuro-degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease and dementia.

It is only the liver that has the enzymatic detoxification pathways to break down these fat-soluble chemicals and the liver converts them into water-soluble substances. Once they are made water-soluble, these chemicals can be excreted from the body in watery fluids such as the bile, sweat, saliva and urine. To protect yourself against these chemicals you need to support your liver function with a healthy diet, as described in the books Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It and The Liver Cleansing Diet.