The effect of nutritional factors on hepatic drug and toxicant metabolism.

A variety of foreign agents, including environmental chemicals, food additives, natural food constituents, and pharmaceuticals, enter the body every day. Many of these compounds must undergo metabolism by specific enzymes within the body to facilitate their clearance. The most important of the enzyme systems, which is found in the liver, includes the cytochrome P-450 dependent mixed function oxidase, as well as several conjugation enzymes, including sulfotransferase, glucuronyl transferase, and glutathione-S-transferase. The balance of the reactions determines the rate of metabolism and clearance of the agents, as well as the degree of intracellular damage or toxicity. Specific dietary factors, such as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, affect the efficiency of these reactions.