The liver is a major site for immune activity, and one of the most complex organs in our body! Our liver is the first organ to absorb nutrients from the blood that flows from our GI tract. It contains a large population of immune cells. The liver is involved in every physiological process.
Talking and learning about liver health is a subject one should revisit often. The liver is strong and capable, but we must take care of it! It is responsible for too many processes, namely:
- digestion and metabolism of fats;
- metabolizing carbohydrates and maintaining blood sugar levels;
- converting nutrients for utilization by the body;
- synthesizing proteins that carry nutrients via body fluids;
- synthesizing cholesterol, an essential component of membranes necessary for the manufacturing of all steroids;
- maintaining blood fluid volume;
- removing excess hormones from the blood;
- eliminating worn-out red blood cells;
- manufacturing proteins imperative for blood clotting;
- filtering the blood from chemicals and other environmental waste.
I have come to believe, that if I hadn’t started cleaning my liver, my health wouldn’t be where it is today. Best of all, that weight that just would never come off…. has completely disappeared.
Liver and Detoxification
We cannot detoxify the body if our liver is not functioning well. Here are a few reasons for a well functioning liver:
- Manufactures lipoproteins that transport fat-soluble toxins (blood and lymph);
- Break down toxins into less toxic components and eliminate them;
- Converting fat-soluble toxins into water soluble molecules for easy elimination through urine and sweat glands;
- Dissolving fat-soluble toxins and secreting them into the digestive tract for elimination through our feces.
Bile produced by the liver has a natural laxative effect. This facilitates elimination of toxins and waste products via the colon. Maintaining low levels of tissue toxicity is essential to health, and a liver performing at its best guarantees good health.
Excessive stress, poor diet and lifestyle choices all negatively affect liver function, including detoxification.
Using detoxification techniques such as Epsom salt baths, coffee enemas, oil pulling, dry brushing, intermittent fasting, colonics, and infrared sauna are especially helpful for strengthening the liver. These should be done whenever possible along with consuming liver healthy foods.
Improving liver health
How can you improve liver function?
- Reduce consumption of bad fats and oils (trans fats/oils, rancid fats/oils, and saturated animal fats).
- Avoid high glycemic-load foods like sweets, white flour products, whole grain flours (not stone ground), polished grains, puffed grains, fruit and vegetable juices with added sugar, and dried fruits.
- Water and food containing harmful hormones, animal agriculture, pesticides and herbicides, steroid drugs, oral contraceptives, and synthetic HRTs.
- Consume fewer products stored in plastic.
Extremely difficult on the liver are: prescription medications, recreational drugs, agricultural chemicals, and other sources of toxins in cosmetics, cleaning products, home furnishings, building materials, and chemicals used in the workplace.
A word of advice here: Steer clear of the high protein / low carb fad diets. Consume fresh, whole foods, avoiding processed food products like fast foods and soft drinks! If there’s a label on it… it has been through a “process” – and don’t get me started on added sugar.
Eat an organic diet to reduce your exposure to agricultural chemicals. Practice an active lifestyle. Try 20 minutes of moderate exercise three times per week. I like to take a brisk, peaceful walk and count my steps – 10-15K each day.
Liver-Loving Nutrients
Fruits and vegetables are key to liver health. Concentrate on lemons and green leafy vegetables. Bitters like Rapini, Mustard greens, Belgian endive, Escarole, Dandelion leaves, and Chicory leaves all have valuable medicinal effects on our organs.
Important! High-quality essential fatty acids like Omega-3s – in my opinion, the best source being flax seed oil. Use brands organically grown, manufactured, and minimally exposed to heat, light, and oxygen. Organic extra virgin olive oil is beneficial for the liver (not a source of omega-3).
Buy good quality organic fruit and vegetable juices. Choose freshly squeezed where possible, and organic dried fruits. Drink water to dilute the concentration of sugar in the digestive system, as this will slow down the absorption of sugar.
In terms of nutrients, ensuring adequate intake of all nutrients is important for the health of our liver, just like any other organ. Highly important for liver function are antioxidants, vitamins B12, folic acid and K, and the minerals selenium, zinc, copper, and manganese.
Liver Loving Herbs
There are many herbs that can help improve liver function and assist in the role of detoxification. Here are three therapeutic categories of herbs that should be included in tinctures intended for liver detox.
CHOLAGOGUES
Cholagogue herbs cleanse, decongest, eliminate fat-soluable waste and toxins from the liver. Cholagogue herb varieties include yarrow herb (Achillea millefolium), celery seed (Apium graveolens), burdock root (Arctium spp.), wormwood herb (Artemisia absinthium), white sagebrush herb (Artemisia ludoviciana), centaury herb (Centaurea erythraea), turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa), yellow gentian root (Gentiana lutea), elecampane root (Inula helenium), white horehound herb (Marrubium vulgare), peppermint herb (Mentha x piperita), spearmint herb (Mentha spicata), yellow dock root (Rumex crispus), milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum), dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale), and ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale).
CHOLAGOGUES promote the flow of bile from the gall bladder into the duodenum. Speak to your health care practitioner before adding too many of these to your routine. They can cause stress to the pancreas if not administered with care.
BITTER HERBS
Bitter herbs are important for liver function. They are not for everyone, as the taste can be quite unpleasant. NOTE: Not all bitter herbs are cholagogue, and not all cholagogue herbs are bitter. Formulations to support liver function should be moderately bitter. Blend a mix of strong bitters and some mild bitters. If all of the herbs are highly bitter they can over stimulate the liver, gallbladder, and digestive system.
Bitter herbs among the cholagogues listed above, include wormwood, white sagebrush, centaury, yellow gentian, and white horehound. Those moderately bitter include yarrow, celery, elecampane, yellow dock, burdock, turmeric, and dandelion.
HEPATO-PROTECTIVE HERBS
Hepatoprotective herbs contain antioxidants that protect the liver from the harmful effects of toxins. Hepatoprotective herbs reduce scar tissue formation (sclerosis of the liver).
My favorite anti-hepatotoxic herbs include garlic bulb (Allium sativum), celery seed, turmeric rhizome, rosemary herb (Rosmarinus officinalis), milk thistle seed, and ginger rhizome. Others mildly antihepatotoxic herbs include burdock elecampane, dandelion, garlic and rosemary.
CARMINATIVES
A fourth category of herbs are the carminatives – aromatic herbs that help improve general digestion, and reduce gas, bloating, spasms and cramping in the digestive tract. Carminatives, combined with bitters, have a balancing effect on the liver and GI tract. If formulating a tincture with a degree of bitterness, include one or two carminative herbs. Carminatives include yarrow, garlic, celery, wormwood, white sagebrush, turmeric, elecampane, peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, and ginger.
Formulations?
Seek a professional! Elecampane and rosemary are mildly heating; garlic and ginger are moderately heating. Keep in mind, we don’t want any formulation to be too hot. A good liver formulation will usually contain four or five herbs including at one pungent, or heating herb.
Our 21st century world and lifestyle puts a lot of stress on our liver. A good maintenance plan includes a liver herb formulation taken for a couple of months each year. Spring is an excellent time of year to add a liver tincture. Tinctures help with many health problems, notably digestive and chronic inflammatory conditions.
Liver cleansing at home
Liver cleansing does not equal liver maintenance. They are two different things. Do not jump into liver cleansing without proper preparation. The die-off can be extremely difficult to manage – most people don’t make it through. You should cleanse your liver often!
For a full liver cleanse, refer to our home cleanses and speak to us about your immediate needs.
For more information, connect with our partners at www.zencleanz.com. Use our Vitalife10 code if purchasing online.
If we wait too long to start practicing good habits, healing can be a long and difficult road. My journey took about 3 years of consistently practicing good habits. Now, moderation in all things and making good choices whenever possible is my standard living practice. I still have a little fun along the way, but it’s become much easier to say no to things that may hinder my ongoing progress.
The most important thing is to prevent the onset of illness and enjoy a long and healthy life.
No liver…no life!
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