Calcium D-Glucarate is a combination of glucaric acid bound to calcium. Glucaric acid is a naturally occurring chemical found in our bodies and in certain fruits and vegetables, albeit, in very small amounts. Calcium D-Glucarate supports the glucuronidation pathway of detoxification. The glucuronidation pathway is one of the most important phase II conjugation pathways in the liver.
The liver is the major detoxification organ of the body. Glucuronidation is a normal process that happens within the liver, where a glucuronic acid molecule is attached to certain substances that need to be detoxified and eliminated from the body. Toxic chemicals, steroid hormones and other fat-soluble toxins undergo glucuronidation during phase II detoxification of the liver, and they are then excreted either through bile (and into the intestines) or the urine.
This crucial process – the glucuronidation pathway - can be interrupted by high levels of beta-glucuronidase. The enzyme beta-glucuronidase, when produced by gut bacteria, can de-conjugate the glucuronide-toxin complex, freeing toxic substances in the gut, which may cause damage locally or be reabsorbed systemically. Toxins are most damaging in their free form, which is why we want them to be bound (conjugated) and then released from the body. Calcium D-Glucarate has been shown to inhibit the activity of beta-glucuronidase, helping to ensure this process can occur uninterrupted, allowing toxins to be removed.
