What's the best way to keep your liver healthy?!
Question: I am wondering if there are some foods to avoid or some foods to pay attention to instead in order to keep a liver healthy. Anyone knows? My doc says my liver might be sick. Since I'm a student, it's too expansive to do blood tests, so I was wondering if there is an alternative.
Answers: I am wondering if there are some foods to avoid or some foods to pay attention to instead in order to keep a liver healthy. Anyone knows? My doc says my liver might be sick. Since I'm a student, it's too expansive to do blood tests, so I was wondering if there is an alternative.
The liver has as more than 500 vital functions, though not all of them are fully understood. Its primary function is the detoxification of the whole body. Everything absorbed during the toxic substances then oases what's left into the circulation. The liver removes drugs and toxins from the blood. The liver is also responsible for storing fat-soluble vitamins. It also produces cholesterol and bile in order to help digestion and it converts molecules absorbed from the intestines into fats carbohydrates and proteins.
Liver Diseases
The most common liver disorders include cirrhosis and hepatitis. Because the liver can still function even when up to 80 percent of it damaged, symptoms often go unrecognised until they become serious. Symptoms include yellowing of the eyes, pain on the right side, jaundice and yellow stools.
Dietary and environmental toxins are also responsible for a great deal of stress on the liver. May people have too much fat in their diet and this can be a problem because the liver may be unable to metabolize it all. Excessive intake of alcohol and tobacco can also adversely affect the liver.
Supplementing the diet with zinc, selenium and vitamins C and E and can help protect the liver from damage caused by free radicals. B complex vitamins are also important for cell regeneration. Lecithin can also contribute to liver healing. Not only does lecithin promote healthy liver functions, it may also promote tissue regeneration.
How to keep your liver healthy:
The best thing you can do to keep your liver healthy is to maintain a balanced diet.
Avoid excessive alcohol intake.
Prevent contact with other people's blood and other body fluids, to avoid the transmission of hepatitis.
Get a vaccine for hepatitis.
Some herbal supplements should be avoided, as they can be toxic to the liver. These include: pennyroyal, comfrey, kava and skullcap.
Maintain a healthy weight, overweight and obesity can put a huge strain on the liver so a healthy diet and regular exercise is important.
If you notice any symptoms of liver disease such as a yellowing of the eyes or skin, abdominal pain or swelling, continual itching or skin irritation, you should consult your doctor immediately.
Several herbs can help protect and stimulate the liver. Perhaps the most commonly known is milk thistle. Silymarin is the potent chemical in milk thistle. Several studies have shown its antioxidant affects and its effectiveness against hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Dandelion is another nutrient-rich herb, which has a long folk history as a liver tonic. Studies conducted by the German Commission E revealed that compounds in dandelion leaves and the root stimulate the production of bile.
Turmeric also has shown to have promise for liver disorders. The substance curcumin which is derived from it also increases bile output.
Because the liver is such a complex organ and we are only beginning to learn about its functions and how it can combat disease, incorporating these herbs into your regular diet may help to increase the strength of your liver functions and possibly prevent future disease.
Milk thistle is a great liver protector. You can find a lot of liver detox formulas at a health food store. It will probably make you go to the bathroom a lot until you get used to it. There is a great one that is cheap at :
http://hcbl.com/
My husband's liver levels are back to normal and only uses these with milk thistle. He has had Hepatitis C for 10 years.
Yes, there are natural wellness products that can help improve liver function.
There are quite a few natural herbs that can help with liver health.... but if your doctor says your liver might be "sick", I would ask him what he means. He might mean it's under-nourished and/or weak, or he might mean it's got an illness/disease of some sort. The herbs will help if your liver is under-nourished or weak.... but if it's "sick" with an illness, the herbs might not help and it could get worse if it's not treated.
If you can't afford to get the tests done, I would check your phone book for a "free clinic" or a "learning hospital"... they are cheap/free so you can at least get checked out. If there aren't any in your town, you might want to get some money from Mom and Dad to cover the tests.... it's better to be safe than sorry (and liver failure is a really bad "sorry" to get).
If it is just under-nourished, the most popular natural products for liver health are Milk Thistle, Dandelion, Yellow Dock, TMG (Trimethylglycine), Wolfberry/Goji Berry, Choline, Inositol, Spanish Black Radish, Red Clover, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Good luck!
You need a two week detox diet of raw fruits, vegetables and nuts, along with a lot of filtered water.
All processed foods and beverages are to be avoided.
During the detox phase, free radicals are formed. In order to rid the body of them, you'll need plenty of antioxidants, folic acid and phytochemicals. (Carrots, broccoli, blueberries)
Good foods for maintaining liver health: Soy beans, Cayenne Pepper, Lemon, Walnuts, Caraway Seeds.
First and foremost, avoid any medicine with acetaminophen as it damages the liver with prolonged use. Don't drink alcohol and never mix the acetaminophen with alcohol.
As far as liver building foods...here is a list: Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage; cauliflower; garlic; eggs; kohlrabi; turnips; nuts; seeds (especially flax, sunflower and pumpkin).
Also try these suggestions: Sprinkle flax seeds on your salads or into soups everyday. Drink 3 cups of sage tea a day; take a teaspoon of Spirulina every day; take L-Glutamine powder before all meals.
You can also use one of many preparations for liver detoxification over the counter...look for products that contain ayurvedic cleansing tri herb combination with Triphala.
Also coffee enemas are wonderful for detoxifying the liver or you can use a psyllium husk enema.
There are supplements, yes. But in conjunction with those mentioned how about being aware of what you put in your mouth and your environment - what you breathe, products you use on your body and places you hang out.
Avoid smokey bars and smoking
Avoid alcohol
Avoid deep fried food and "processed food"
Drink pure water.
Avoid over the counter drugs when possible. You would be surprised at how many people pop pills or get on antibiotics from a doctor the first sign of a sniffle. Your body can and will fight non life threatening illness without aid from chemicals.
And, of course, avoid non prescription recreational drugs.
Use organic and eat organic products when possible; food, hair products, nutritional supplements, lotions and creams. All of these are available in organic form.
Avoid plastic in all forms from polyester clothing to polyester carpets, food stored and bought in plastic and never heat food in microwave that is in plastic.
Be careful handling cleaning products and poisons and breathing vapors and dust from them. Reduce or eliminate harmful chemicals from your home like ammonia, bleach, prepared sprays for surfaces in your home for bath, floors, furniture, etc. Use as much natural as possible; lemon oil, wood oil soap, natural enzyme cleaners and spot removers and laundry products and dishwashing products.
You can take this to the umpteenth degree. I have, through the years, phased out all chemicals from my home from A-Z and make as much food as possible from scratch with organic ingredients.
When you investigate what is sold to consumers in stores, you would be mortified at what the FDA or other government agencies deem "safe". The laundry soap, the bleaches, the spray cleaners, what is in our pre-packaged food and the empty vitamins people flock to take that is put on the shelves. The regulation and de-regulation of chemicals in this country is fascinating to follow. Short term studies are done on products that will be used long term so the effects of long term on humans is not known in a majority of cases from food additives to medicines.
You have to be smarter than the chemical companies that are huge corporate conglomerates running the show and running the government.
Eat smart, put things in your body that you can pronounce the ingredients of and know their effect.
Since your liver is the processor of toxins entering the body, keep it's workload to a minimum and be aware of your body and surroundings and what you expose your self to by eating, breathing, and using.
Pain relievers, prescription meds and artificial sweeteners are all hard on the liver.
Oldtimek... give you a good list of aids - milk thistle being top on the list. I take about 750mg per night, right before bed, as the liver works hardest between 1 and 3 a.m. I had noticed lots of night waking, with specific liver pain, before starting milk thistle. It made a huge difference!
As with anything cleansing system, also remember to drink lots of good quality (no fluoride or chlorine) pure water. A good spring water is best bet. I've never been a fan of long term use of RO or Distilled water as they are void of some of the naturally occurring nutrients in water. For short term, they can be helpful, especially if the alternative is chlorinated and fluoridated.