Cytochrome P450 is the name of the liver enzyme system that keeps your body processes humming along in a healthful way.
Have you ever wondered how an “extra strength” over-the-counter medication works on all adults equally?
The liver takes in raw materials and produces all sorts of products we need to live. It is also one of our body’s main purification systems.
Cytochrome P450, also known as CYP450, is the liver enzyme system that clears toxic waste from the body. When you take any medication it has material that helps deliver the drug to the body, components not meant to be absorbed but passed through. This is part of CYP450’s big, important job.
When developing a drug, scientists establish its dosage based on standardized measures. How quickly are the components absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted, and what effects do the drug have on the body? By the time a drug makes it to the market, it has been well-tested to make it safe for public consumption, whether you are a 100 lb woman or a 200 lb man. How effectively cytochrome P450 interacts is an important part of establishing that safety range.
A couple of things to be aware of where CYP 450 and your liver health are concerned:
1) More is NOT better- CYP450 can process only so much at a time
2) Herbs and prescription drug should be taken two hours apart to minimize interaction
Here’s why:
Certain drugs and herbs increase the activity of CYP450 and others inhibit it so that the drug or herb stays in the body longer.
Just as we all don’t wear the same sized sweater, so too are medication dosages not meant to be one-size-fits-all. Follow dosage directions to the letter so you don’t overtax your liver by asking it to process too much at once.
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