Liver Wash
Dig Into Detox
Liver cleanses are popular treatments. Some involve special diets, some involve special supplements. A detox is a program designed to remove toxins from your liver.
Livin’ Large
The liver is our largest organ. It helps break down fat and filters toxins from our bloodstream. The liver, in effect, ‘burns’ toxins so that the kidneys can flush them out. Kidneys need the liver’s help because they can only flush out toxins dissolved in water. The liver breaks down toxins into a form that can be dissolved in water, or it packages them into bile that exits through the intestines.
Give It a Rest
Rather than detoxing your liver, your liver detoxes you. What you need to do is keep it healthy. To keep your liver healthy, give it a rest. That is, have a good part of every day where your liver is not actively working to process food. If you can, try to go 16 hours a day without food. Eat all your food in an 8 hour period. You can call it micro-fasting. Fasting for health is not new. The ancient Greeks fasted for health. Short-term fasting seems to be good for health.
The Liver Vice Tax
Also, don’t overtax your liver. Keep your alcohol consumption low. More than one drink puts a lot of strain on your liver. And keep high fat and high sugar foods to a minimum. Food with a lot of saturated fats like french fries and food with lots of sugar puts a heavy load on your liver. And to build a healthy liver, eat leafy green vegetables and nuts.
We Have the Technology
The liver is the only organ with the ability to regenerate itself. With only 25% of the original liver, it can regenerate to full size. So healthy eating, in the long run, can keep your liver fresh and new.
Water Cleanse
Drink lots of water throughout the day every day. It’s the easiest form of detox. Drinking lots of water makes your kidneys’ job easier. They can remove more waste products with minimal work.
Milk it to Help Your Liver
A few supplements may help liver function. Milk Thistle is one herb that may help with liver function. Be sure to get Milk Thistle pills that have a standardized amount of silymarin. That is the active ingredient. With herbs, the lowest cost option is rarely the best choice. Although it may contain the right plant, it may have the wrong parts or is missing key extracts. Aim for 500 to 750 mg of Milk Thistle per day.
Another herb that may be worth trying is Turmeric. It decreases inflammation, which may protect the liver. Try taking 1,500 mg a day.
Give us Livers C, or Give us Death
Vitamin C is also a good addition. Vitamin C helps scavenge some of the harmful molecules that can damage liver cells. Eat foods high in vitamin C like red and green peppers, broccoli, strawberries, oranges and more.
Toxic Pain Relief
One of the most common ways to damage your liver is to use too much Tylenol. To filter out Tylenol, your liver goes through a multi-stage process. If you do use Tylenol (or generic acetaminophen) don’t take too much at one time, don’t use for more than a few days, and don’t drink alcohol while you’re on it. It’s more toxic than you think. It causes 50% of liver failures, far more liver damage than any prescription drug. It causes 1,000 hospitalizations a year in Canada. When possible, use a natural source pain reliever.
Have a NAC to protect your liver
Also, to reduce the damage from too much Tylenol, you can take a tablet called NAC. It is a natural supplement that helps rid your body of many toxins, like Tylenol. As a bonus, it is inexpensive. If you have kids in the house and Tylenol, keep a bottle of NAC handy in case of accidental Tylenol overdose.
Learn your A, B, C status
Hepatitis A, B, and C all damage the liver. If you are older than 55, it might be a good idea to get tested for hepatitis, especially if you have any risk factors such as a history of reckless partying, diabetes, a blood transfusion, or travel outside of North America.
The Real Food Cleanse
Some liver cleanses or detox programs can actually be harmful because they restrict your intake of healthy food. A better way to do a cleanse is to try eating only real food. Avoid food that comes in a box or package. Stick to fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and real meat. Keepin’ it real is the best thing you can do for your liver.
