Love your Liver

The liver is a metabolic powerhouse, performing over 500 functions daily which helps the entire body stay in a balanced, energetic and healthy state.  This amazing organ is the size of a football and is the second largest organ behind the skin. It holds almost 15% of the body’s blood supply and plays a key role in digestive health.

More impressive than its vast size is its functionality and workhorse performance. Anything that we eat or consume, whether it be food, alcohol, drinks, toxins or medications all get filtered through the liver. When we eat food, it is digested by the stomach and intestines, it then gets absorbed into the bloodstream and is filtered through the liver. 

The liver is super intelligent (especially if we keep it healthy) – it knows when to detoxify, when to guide the toxins out via the urine or stool or whether to put the nutrients back into the blood for another reason. It also plays a role with the pancreas keeping the right amount of sugar in the bloodstream, via its release of glucagon. This can have a dramatic effect on energy, weight loss and the prevention of diabetes and weight gain.

When we process a meal, the liver removes sugar from the blood and stores this in the form of glycogen. When a person’s blood sugar decreases, it converts the stored glycogen to glucose adding the perfect amount of energy into the blood  for the cells to use. Once glycogen stores are used, the liver creates glucose from carbohydrates  and a form of protein.  The liver produces bile to help break down fats, even cholesterol and to metabolise vitamins. 

The liver cleans up to 1.7 litres of blood per minute filtering drugs, medications, alcohol, heavy metals, toxins, soil, air and water pollution, fire retardants, petroleum products, pesticides, herbicides and insecticides, household cleaning products, cosmetics, tap water and even free radicals from the incomplete breakdown of foods. The liver detoxifies using certain enzymes designed to convert fat soluble toxins into water soluble substances so they can easily be excreted in the urine or bile. The liver also helps with the production of blood proteins, clotting factors and substances important to the production of red blood cells. It is an important housing complex as it helps to store iron, B12, copper and Vitamins A, D, E and K.   

When the liver is overloaded and sluggish it starts to cry out in pain giving signs like dark circles under the eyes, yellow or coated tongue, bad breath, excess belly fat, digestive problems, bloating, constipation, fatigue, itching skin, rashes, nausea, headaches and generally a feeling of not being well.  Other common symptoms of an unhappy liver includes: 

• Flushed face or broken capillaries on the face
• Red, swollen itchy eyes
• Acne, skin breakouts
• Brownish spots and blemishes on the skin
• Rashes and itchy skin
• Intolerance to fatty foods and alcohol 
• Indigestion and reflux
• Nausea
• Abdominal Bloating
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Easy to anger
• Foggy brain
• Overheating
• Fatty liver and fat buildup in other organs
• Obesity or inability to lose weight
• Fatigue
• Sluggish metabolism
• Chemical and food sensitivities
• Recurrent viral, bacterial and parasitic infections
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Hayfever, allergies and asthma 
• Menopausal symptoms like severe hot flushes
• Recurrent headaches 
• And more…

To ensure a healthy and happy liver it is important to remove substances that overload its detoxification abilities.  The worst toxins include refined and saturated fats, sugar, caffeine, chemicals, alcohol, excess caffeine and processed foods.  Regular fasting and even intermittent fasting is a great way to take the stress off the liver to give it a chance to detox by not adding extra toxins into its blood supply.   

The Best foods for a Healthy Liver

There are certain foods that protect and detoxify the liver so it can perform its functions well.  The best foods to support liver health includes: 

• Apples contain pectin which helps to bind and excrete heavy metals from the intestines. This directly helps to reduce the load of filtration on the liver
• Beets, carrots, red onions and aubergine (eggplant) contain flavonoids and betacarotene which are potent antioxidants to support liver health 
• Garlic contains allicin and the mineral selenium – these antioxidants assist the removal of heavy metals from the liver
• Eggs, brown rice and whole grains, broccoli and spinach contain B-complex vitamins to improve liver function and promote liver decongestion
• Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Bok Choy, kale, radishes, and turnips contain glucosinolates which help the liver produce enzymes for detoxification
• Add a super green organic powder to your daily protocol – use one that contains organic wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina and blue-green algae – you will be surprised at how quickly the liver responds to the rich chlorella found in this mix
• Get adequate fibre to encourage regular bowel motions and elimination of waste. If you feel like you are not getting enough add some PHGG (partially hydrolyzed guar gum), inulin or another type of healthy fibre to your diet
• Grapefruits are rich in antioxidants to enhance natural detoxification
• Bitter vegetables such as bitter gourd, dandelion greens, endive, rocket, mustard greens and chicory promote the production and flow of bile.
• Beetroot and artichokes help with liver drainage
• Protein is needed to provide the amino acids for healthy liver detoxification – include healthy grass fed meats, oily cold water fish from clean waters, organic nuts and seeds 
• Consume two litres daily of alkaline and hydrogen rich water to purify the lymphatics, kidney and liver.  If you don’t have a great filter, ask us as we only recommend the best filters around 
• Eat foods rich in sulfur like radish, watercress, onions and garlic
• High fiber foods such as whole grains, psyllium, flax seeds, fruit and vegetables: fiber binds toxins and eliminates them through the GI tract

Supplements that Aid Liver Detoxification

Certain supplements are amazing at helping to enhance detoxification thereby supporting liver function and health. Some of my favourites include: 

• B-complex vitamins: these are necessary co-factors used in Phase 1 detoxification 
• Digestive enzymes: may be necessary to ensure that protein is adequately digested to take the stress off the liver 
• N-acetyl cysteine (NAC): this is an immediate precursor to glutathione, a potent antioxidant and among the most import detoxification nutrients for the liver
• Liposomal glutathione or intravenous glutathione – enhances heavy metal and toxin elimination 
• Selenium, zinc, magnesium and manganese are cofactors for liver detoxification 
• Taurine 
• Vitamins C and E and beta carotene. 
• Inositol, Choline & Methionine: lipotropic agents (help with the breakdown of fat in metabolism) that work to transport fat out of the liver 

My favourite herbs for liver health and detoxification

Herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years to support liver health and detoxification. My favourite liver supportive herbs are:

St Mary’s Thistle (Silybum marianum) contain the active ingredients silychristin and silybinin. This herb has been used for over 2000 years to treat bile duct and liver conditions including cirrhosis of the liver.   It is a powerful antioxidant that promotes liver regeneration, reduces inflammation and benefits anyone with liver problems. It is important to ensure your milk thistle has a high silybinin content to be highly effective. 

Turmeric and its main active component curcumin have been linked to a variety of health benefits. Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. It is known to reduce liver fat content and improve levels of AST and ALT in blood tests. 

Dandelion, Globe Artichoke, Bupleurum and Yellowdock all stimulate liver secretions and bile flow improving detoxification and liver and gallbladder health. 

Burdock Root contains some powerful antioxidants that protect the liver against oxidative stress damage driving liver disorders.

Schisandra is a natural liver tonic that helps to strengthen and protect the liver.  It prevents inflammation and guards against liver stress.  

Green Tea is one of the best herbs for helping to reduce fatty liver.  It also plays a role in helping to reduce the risk of liver cancer and the EGCG found in green tea has beneficial effects on gut health. 

Rosemary protects against liver damage and prevents the depletion of liver glycogen levels. It also helps to reset liver enzymes to aid hepatitis and liver failure

In addition to the above herbs and nutrients, we use an amazing range of practitioner based supplements that can offer lots of love to your liver. We have also created our own ‘Liver Love’ supplement which contains an extremely high amount of milk thistle (silymarin), Globe Artichoke, Dandelion Root, Schisandra, inositol, taurine, choline and glycine to enhance fat removal from the liver.  

If you want a specialised liver supportive formula, our naturopaths can make up an individualised liver supportive herbal in alcohol or glycetract form suited for your individual needs. 

Regular exercise, near far infrared saunas, dry skin body brushing and coffee enemas can also assist the body and its natural detoxification processes taking the stress off the liver.

My Favourite Wholistic House Picks:

Liver Love 

Liposomal Glutathione

Clean and Pure

In liver love, health and gratitude always,