Healthy Liver Detox Tips

The liver, often referred to as the body's quietest organ, plays a vital role in maintaining our health, fat loss and hormonal balance, especially for women over 40. Despite its significance, it tends to be overlooked due to its lack of visible symptoms. This isn't because we intentionally ignore it, but rather because it remains silent unless it becomes severely compromised. This page will cover some easy healthy liver detox tips.

We can carry on with our daily lives while our liver may be quite sick, unaware of its condition. Fatty liver disease is particularly common and rarely exhibits noticeable symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage.

Therefore, it is crucial for women over 40 to establish a daily routine of engaging in one or more beneficial practices for their liver. In an increasingly toxic world, nurturing and supporting our liver becomes even more essential. Below, you will find various approaches to promote the well-being of your liver in such an environment.

10 Healthy Liver Detox Tips - Foods You Can Add

1. Garlic : This ready to go vegetable contains selenium, a mineral that helps detoxify the liver. It also has the ability to activate liver enzymes that can help your body naturally flush out toxins.

2. Citrus Fruits : Fruits like grapefruit, oranges, limes and lemons all boost the liver’s cleansing ability. Even consumed in small amounts (we know some of these can be tart!), citrus fruits help the liver to produce the detoxifying enzymes that flush out pollutants.

3. Vegetables : Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower contain glucosinolate, which helps the liver to produce detoxifying enzymes. They also contain sulphur compounds that aid with liver health. Leafy green vegetables are high in chlorophyll, which leaches toxins out of the blood stream. They can neutralize heavy metals to protect the liver.

4. Turmeric: This herb works wonders for the liver—it helps the enzymes that flush out toxins and contains antioxidants that repair liver cells. It also assists the liver in detoxing metals, while boosting bile production. 

5. Walnuts : Walnuts are high in the amino acid arginine and assist the liver in detoxifying ammonia. They’re high in glutathione and omega-3 fatty acids, which all provide support to natural liver cleansing.

6. Beets : Beets assist with increasing oxygen by cleansing the blood, and can break down toxic wastes to help them be excreted quicker. They stimulate bile flow and boost enzymatic activity. Beets also contain fiber and Vitamin C, which both are natural cleansers for the digestive system.

7. Carrots: Carrots are very high in plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene, which stimulates and supports liver function overall. They also contain Vitamin A, which prevents liver disease.

8. Apples: Apples contain high levels of pectin, a chemical that helps the body cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract. With fewer toxins in the digestive tract, the liver can better manage its toxin load, being able to better cleanse the rest of the body.

9. Avocado : Avocados are basically a superfood. In addition to cleansing your arteries, they help the body naturally produce glutathione, the compound that helps the liver rid itself of toxins.

10.Fatty oily fish : Salmon, Mackerel, and herring are rich in powerful
omega-3 fatty acids that offer an amazing array of health benefits.
Studies have found omega-3s can fight inflammation of the liver.

 Healthy Liver Detox Tips -Drinks 

These have a seriously good influence in supporting your liver health!

1. Lemon Juice and warm water first thing in the morning
A freshly squeezed lemon, chopped up with the rind in warm water first thing is amazing for your liver. While you are asleep your liver is working hard at processing and flushing out toxins. Having a lemon and water drink first thing helps wake up your liver and stimulate stomach acid and bile production which aids digestion.

A recent Chinese study suggested lemon juice protects against
alcohol-related liver damage.

2. Dandelion Root Coffee

Having a dandelion root tea or sometimes it is called coffee has
incredible health benefits, mainly for the liver!

You can buy Dandelion Root in a granulated format and just add water. I use the larger chunks and just steep in a tea pot and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before I drink.

It helps detoxify the liver and can relieve symptoms of liver disease.
In traditional Chinese and Native American medicine, dandelion root has long been used to treat stomach and liver conditions. Herbalists today believe that it can aid in the treatment of many ailments, including acne, eczema, high cholesterol, heartburn, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and even cancer.

Interestingly, a Korean study found that dandelion may have similar
effects on the body as the weight loss drug Orlistat.

3. Green tea

Think of this tea as a natural flush for your entire body!
It is a brilliant way to detoxify your body as well as boosting your
immune system and most importantly protecting your liver from alcohol consumption. It's one of the easiest healthy liver detox tips to add into your daily life.

One large Japanese study found that drinking 5-10 cups of green tea per day was associated with improved blood markers of liver health!

The antioxidant properties in Green Tea can also prevent fat from being deposited in the liver and aid weight loss too!

4. Fresh Juices

The liver loves raw vegetables! And the best way to ingest them is by
juicing! Try and make sure you have one of these a few times a week! Your liver will thank you BIG time!

Beetroot juice helps protect the liver with its antioxidants, vitamin A,
vitamin B-6 and iron. This compounds help protect the liver form
inflammation and oxidative stress while removing toxins from the body.

Other healthy liver detox tips are to try celery juice. Celery is rich in vitamins and iron and is a perfect tonic for the liver! The nutrients protect the liver and researchers have found that when treated with celery extract, liver cells produced liver enzymes that flush out toxins.

Celery is also highly alkalizing and amazing for hydration. It is claimed that 8oz of fresh celery juice for two weeks can help rehabilitate the liver!

Ginger cleanses the body by stimulating digestion, circulation and
sweating. It helps to cleanse the build-up of waste and toxins in the
liver. This action may protect against liver fibrosis which is a form of
degenerative scar formation.

Here is a great recipe that you can ask your local juice shop to make or if you have a juice extractor you can make from home.
Of course you can always make it as a salad too!

Juice extract the following ingredients:
● 2 celery stalks
● Handful of spinach
● 2 medium carrots
● 1 small beetroot
● 1 inch of fresh ginger root

Healthy Liver Detox Tips - Supplements

I am asked often what the best supplements are to take for liver health. Below are the main ones I would suggest trying. You can easily find these in either pill form or in tea form if you prefer.
If you are looking for a good combination please ask at a reputable health food store near by you.

Milk Thistle
This plant is also known as Silybum marianum. It is a herbal remedy
promoted for its liver protecting effects. It is regularly used by people who have fatty liver disease.

The active ingredient is silymarin which acts as antioxidant by reducing free radical productions.

Some preliminary studies have suggested that Milk Thistle may improve liver function by keeping toxic substances from binding to liver cells. As it's easily found in teas, it's one of my favorite healthy liver detox tips to try.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

ALA has been suggested to support liver health by protecting the liver from oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals and regenerating the body’s other antioxidants.

ALA protects against fat accumulation in the liver (steatosis), which is linked to fatty liver disease.

N—Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) this supplement is a small protein with over 40 years of scientific research to back up its clinical effectiveness. NAC’s benefits are amazing!

It restores intracellular levels of glutathione.

Glutathione helps your liver to protect you against toxicity, and it is most needed by people with an inflamed liver or fatty liver. Chronic liver inflammation depletes your body of glutathione, and in fact so do many different diseases. Immune system problems and autoimmune diseases cause chronically low levels of glutathione. This is not good for your liver and it can worsen the inflammation and symptoms of autoimmune disease.

NAC neutralizes toxins and pollutants that accumulate in the liver,
kidneys and fatty parts of the body.

Restoring glutathione levels with NAC supplements make liver cells more able to protect themselves from ongoing damage caused by fatty accumulation, viral infections, alcohol excess or autoimmune
inflammations.

Selenium:

Helps to fight against free radical damage and to reduce inflammation in the body. It is required for the production of glutathione, which is the most powerful antioxidant in the body. Selenium supports and strengthens the detoxification pathways of the liver and helps to fight viral infections.

A study published in the journal Acta Biochemical Polonica showed that patients with chronic Hepatitis B or C infection or with alcoholic,
autoimmune or cryptogenic chronic liver disease had significantly less selenium in their blood than healthy people.

Selenium is also needed to maintain tissue elasticity in the liver,
particularly in those who have chronic liver disease. Many diseases of the liver can lead to rigidity in the tissues and local blood vessels.
Selenium helps to preserve and retain elasticity while also supporting healthy hepatic circulation.

Taurine:

The major amino acid required by the liver for the removal of toxic
chemicals. It is needed for the manufacturing of bile acids, which aid in fat digestion and the excretion of cholesterol from the body. It also assists in liver detoxification for the removal of toxins.

Vitamin C:

This antioxidant helps to scavenge free radicals in the body, and assists liver detoxification. It helps to reduce toxic damage to liver cells from chemical overload. It also supports the immune system to fight off infections and to reduce inflammation.

B vitamins and folate:

This group of vitamins are required for methylation processes of the
liver, which help to detoxify the liver from harmful toxins. They are also important for energy production, and supporting healthy nervous system function.

Alcohol intake can cause deficiency of some B vitamins.

Zinc:

Zinc is required for cell growth and development and can aid in
repairing and regenerating damaged liver cells. It has antioxidant
properties and is vital for the cellular immune system, to fight off
infections.

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