Finding the best way to naturally cleanse the liver
The liver is an important organ that serves many purposes. It produces substances the body needs to digest food and to eliminate toxic substances. Keeping the liver healthy is an important part of staying healthy.
Many foods, drinks, herbs, and medications affect the liver. Some of them are beneficial while others are really bad for the liver. To give an example, alcoholic beverages and Tylenol are substances that are not good for liver health, causing damage or disease. Garlic, milk thistle and aloe vera can help keep the liver in good shape. Take action and change your diet. Here are 10 natural remedies that can help cleanse it naturally.
Natural remedies
Garlic: This bulbous plant has been used since prehistory
There are a lot of claims about it, especially when it comes to the circulatory system. However, that is not its only benefit. When someone has overdosed on Tylenol it can destroy the liver. Garlic helps the liver get rid of the excess amounts before more damage is done. It is also useful to prevent or help get rid of liver cancer cells.
Garlic also helps to lower blood pressure. This is important, especially for people with liver disease. High blood pressure can be a side effect of some of them. When coupled with essential hypertension, or common high blood pressure, the chances for liver damage and circulatory problems are much higher.
There is some thought that it may help with cholesterol numbers, although that is in dispute. Reducing cholesterol is important for the whole body, including the organ that makes it – the liver.
The study done on garlic cites using garlic powder. You can take it in a capsule or add it to food. Fresh cooked and raw garlic are more powerful. These can be eaten as part of a meal or between two bits of bread to protect the stomach.
Beets: A vegetable many people walk past
It is a root vegetable that is usually a deep red color. The juice can stain anything it touches which is one of the reasons people don’t want to work with it. On the other hand, beets contain a lot of things that are good for the body.
One group of compounds found in beetroots is called betalains. The study reported that they were “highly bioactive pigments.” This means that the substances can be absorbed through the intestinal wall and be useful in the rest of the body.
Oxidative stress and inflammation cause a lot of liver diseases. In the past, doctors might have recommended over the counter NSAIDs for inflammation. However, they aren’t very good at the job and all of them pose significant health risks. Beetroots are showing signs of being a powerful anti-inflammatory as well as reducing oxidative stress.
In the studies, the beetroots were given powdered in capsules or the plants were juiced and the participants drank them. Juicing can be done at home for a liver cleanse. Adding beetroots to the diet can also help keep the organ functioning properly.
Broccoli: It is low in calories but contains a lot of healthy vitamins and minerals
Broccoli and especially the sprouts of broccoli seeds contain a chemical called sulforaphane. It has been widely studied in animals and there have been some human studies done. In one study rats were given a substance that caused liver disease. Once they had the disease the scientists did the controlled study.
Half of the rats were given an extract of broccoli sprouts and the other half were not. At the end of the study, the rats that had been given the broccoli sprout extract had significantly reduced levels of markers that show liver disease.
A human study done in Japan was published in 2015. Japan has a strong drinking culture that is in all parts of life; business, social, religious and so on. Alcohol is well known for causing liver damage, especially hepatitis. In that culture, stopping drinking is unlikely so scientists are looking for ways to mitigate the damage.
A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out at a Tokyo hospital. These were men who were outpatients with alcohol caused liver disease. During the two months, the men were either given an extract of broccoli sprouts or a placebo. At the end of the study, not only did the men have lower markers for liver disease, but they had also lost weight and had a healthier body mass index.
Walnuts: Of all nuts, walnuts have the highest content of Omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants
While all nuts provide health benefits, walnuts are particularly beneficial when it comes to non-alcohol related fatty liver disease. The premise for a study published in December of 2016 was that walnuts contain many antioxidants; therefore they should offer benefits to help the liver.
The study used mice. They were fed three different diets. One had a high-fat diet, another had rodent chow with walnuts and the third had a high-fat diet without walnuts. The results showed that the mice that had the walnuts had the least amount of liver disease. Those who ate the high-fat diet with the walnuts did not have the same markers that the control group that ate the high-fat diet did.
The implications for people are enormous. A high-fat diet is a norm in many countries and the expanding waistline of the population shows it. Such a diet harms more than the liver; it harms every system in the body. Adding walnuts to the diet can mean that some of these problems are avoided.
Walnuts can be tricky to find in the supermarket. With the exception of harvest time, they are not in the produce section of the market. To find them, go to the baking section. The walnuts there come in many forms, chopped, pieces and halves are available. There are also flavored walnuts. These can be added to a salad, a dessert or served on a cheeseboard. They also make great snacks.
For those who don’t like the bland taste or texture of the large pieces of walnut, it might be best to get the chopped variety. These are a lot easier to slip into food and still get the health benefits.
Citrus: Did you know that vitamin C deficiency causes chronic illnesses?
The citrus family includes a large number of fruits. All of them may be helpful for liver detoxification due to the antioxidant qualities found in them. Liver damage can be caused by oxidative stress, so reducing it is necessary.
Lemon juice was particularly studied. A study using mice was published in June of 2015. The problem being looked into was alcohol-induced liver damage. This is a problem worldwide and growing. The mice were divided into four groups. One was a control group and the other three received varying amounts of lemon juice.
When the study was over, all of the mice that received the lemon juice showed some benefit. The two smaller doses showed no increase in a marker for alcohol-induced liver damage. The group that had the largest amount showed a significant decrease in these markers.
Citrus can be added to the diet in a variety of ways. Eating the fruit can be one of the best, although many find lemons hard to eat. Drinking the juice is good, although people on certain medications cannot drink grapefruit juice. To incorporate lemon juice into the diet, a small amount of sugar can be added to take some of the sourness out of it. It can also be added to other beverages, such as tea.
Green tea: This popular green beverage is full of antioxidants and catechin polyphenols
Drinking a cup of green tea can be helpful for many things. Antioxidants catechin polyphenols help lower markers for the liver disease found in the bloodstream. They are chemoprotective, meaning that they can help prevent a wide variety of cancers which may include liver cancer. These antioxidants are also antiproliferative. When tested in animals with hepatoma, a type of liver cancer, the cells were killed.
Many people take green tea extract. This is not always a good plan, although for more than ninety percent of people it is fine. Green tea extract can be found by itself or in many herbal products. The problem for a small percentage of people is that the extract can be hepatoxic. The good news is that in most cases liver enzymes go back to normal after stopping with the use of the extract.
Green tea and to a lesser extent the other preparations of the tea leaf can be brewed at home or purchased in most supermarkets. There are decaffeinated versions for those who need to limit caffeine.
Pomegranate: It applies to fruit with outstanding healing properties
The pomegranate comes from Western Asia. It is now grown all over the world and widely found in grocery stores and backyard trees. The flowers are useful in antiaging products and also offer some liver protection.
The fruit and pomegranate juice have a combination of medicinal properties that help cleanse the liver. It has more hepaprotective properties than flowers. It also helps with fatty liver disease, both from obesity and from eating too much junk food. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory aspects are also good for the liver as oxidative damage can cause liver disease.
Pomegranate can be eaten as is or sprinkled on salads. It is used in cooking as well. It is possible to buy it already out of its tough rind and juice products are also available in most stores.
Dandelion: Do you think dandelion is a common weed?
It is not common knowledge that dandelions are not native to many places they are now considered weeds. The seeds were carefully brought to the New World by settlers and planted in gardens. Up until recently, people would dig up grass to plant them. Now they dig them up to plant grass.
All parts of the dandelion are edible and useful. For the purposes of this article, the emphasis will be put on the health benefits of roots and leaves. The roots are a mild diuretic, which can help the liver function better. Type 2 diabetes can also affect the liver, especially when it comes to the use of insulin. Dandelion roots and leaves can help with that.
The roots and leaves also contain other chemicals that benefit the body as a whole and the liver in general. It is an antioxidant, which helps with free radicals and oxidative stress. It is an anti-inflammatory that helps with inflammation of the liver, sometimes referred to as hepatitis.
Dandelions are plentiful in many areas. Some people are now growing them for food and medicine. It isn’t always easy to find in grocery stores but health food stores should carry them. Some packaged salads also contain dandelion greens.
Young leaves can be used in salads and eaten raw. Older leaves are bitter and should be cooked like spinach. The roots and leaves can also be made into a tea by pouring boiling water over them.
Wild yam: It’s an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine
It has many uses and has often been used for menstrual complaints and menopause. However, that is not its only benefit. It also helps the liver and kidneys.
In 2002 a study done in Taiwan was published. Tylenol poisoning happens frequently and it can destroy the liver as well as badly damage the kidneys. The study used mice that had been overfed Tylenol. When it was concluded there was obvious evidence that wild yam had indeed improved both organs.
Wild yam is endangered in its natural habitat. It is best to buy the dried tuber from a reputable source to make sure it survives. While the root can be purchased and made into a tea at home, the best way to use it is to purchase tablets or capsules that contain it.
Summer squash: Their medicinal ingredient are carotenoids
This gourd is also called crookneck squash because it can have a curve where it meets the stem. Its yellow color is due to carotenoids. Red and orange fruits and vegetables also contain these pigments.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a growing problem around the world, particularly in developed countries. People eat diets higher in fat and lower in fiber. A lot of it is junk food and obesity is a problem. All of these create problems for the liver.
To cleanse the liver from the fat, consuming summer squash is recommended. A study done on carotenoids shows that this set of chemicals will help. It will also reduce cholesterol, oxidative stress and inflammation. The fiber content will help cleanse the body of waste products.
Summer squash can be grilled, boiled, fried, stir-fried or baked. It can be added to salads or stuffed with other things. The less it is cooked, the better. This squash can be grown at home in most climates or purchased in stores. Farmer’s markets, roadside stands, and other locations also have them. If your neighbor is growing it they may be all too willing to give you some as they do tend to produce profusely.
When considering a liver cleanse, it is important to find out the state of your health
Ask your doctor to give you a complete physical and go over in medications or supplements you are currently taking. You should also speak to your pharmacist, as they are trained to spot interactions.
Most of the things on this list are all right in food amounts. Increasing those amounts to medicinal level can cause problems. As an example, garlic is a blood thinner. Taking it with Warfarin could cause bleeding issues.
Dandelion roots diuretic effects combined with those of green tea can cause dehydration. This is especially true if it is a green tea extract, which is much more concentrated.
Green tea contains caffeine. People with certain heart or blood pressure problems may be warned by their doctors not to consume caffeine in any form. It may also interfere with medications used to treat anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar and PTSD.
In these cases, use the other items on this list.