The liver is a hard-working organ, and its proper functioning is paramount to a healthy life. Showing it the love it deserves should be your goal, so we’re going to talk about how to cleanse your liver naturally. We’ll also discuss some habits that can help make this powerhouse organ much happier.
10 Superfoods for Natural Detoxification
It probably comes as no surprise that one of the best ways to keep your liver in tip-top shape is through diet. Here are ten superfoods that cleanse your liver naturally.
1. Beets
Beets have several properties that help liver function.
For one, they increase the liver’s natural detoxification enzymes and stimulate bile flow. Beets also help the body break down and flush toxic substances faster. Additionally, they’re also full of fiber and vitamin C, which are natural digestive system purifiers.
2. Citric Fruits
Citric fruits boost the liver’s ability to produce toxin-flushing enzymes. You can choose from oranges, grapefruit, lemon, and lime to gain these benefits.
3. Apples
Apples contain pectin, a substance that helps the body purify and rid itself of toxins in our digestive tract. Having fewer toxins is good news for our liver, which means it can do its job more effectively.
4. Garlic
Garlic is rich in selenium, a mineral that increases antioxidant enzyme levels in our liver. It also has lots of sulfur, which activates toxin-flushing enzymes in the liver.
5. Green Tea
You already know that sipping on tea has lots of health benefits, but your morning cup may benefit the liver in particular. A Japanese study found that tea consumption (specifically green tea) improved the blood markers of liver health. Another study found that green tea drinkers were less likely to develop liver cancer.
While it seems that the reasons to drink tea keep growing, we do have a quick word of caution for tea lovers. Avoid green tea extract, which might have adverse effects on health.
6. Avocado
Besides being delicious, avocados assist our body with producing glutathione. Glutathione is the compound responsible for helping our liver get rid of toxins.
7. Walnuts
Walnuts contain glutathione, omega-3 fatty acids, and arginine, which contribute to liver cleansing.
8. Carrots
Carrots are rich in vitamin A, a vitamin that helps prevent liver disease. They also contain the plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene necessary to support healthy liver function.
9. Vegetables
Bet you’re not surprised that vegetables play a significant role in maintaining liver health. That’s because cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts contain glucosinolate. Glucosinolate helps the liver generate detoxifying enzymes.
10. Turmeric
Turmeric is a mighty spice in general, but it’s also fantastic for natural liver detoxification. Turmeric helps our liver detox metals, boosts bile production, and aids enzymes that expel toxins from our body. Plus, it’s got antioxidants that repair liver cells.
Activities to Support Liver Health
Besides consuming the foods above, here are some other activities to support liver health and reduce the risk of liver disease.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
One significant risk for those that drink alcohol is liver damage. Luckily, a simple way to lower your risk factor is to reduce your intake. Limited alcohol consumption in women amounts to one alcoholic beverage per day and two drinks per day for men.
Watch Your Weight
Never touched alcohol in your life? Your liver might still be at risk if you’re overweight. Being overweight increases the probability of suffering from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Weight loss is the easiest way to decrease your risk. When you lose weight, the amount of fat in the liver decreases, and so does the inflammation it causes.
Drink Coffee
Yes, good news for coffee addicts—we’re telling you to drink up. Our liver seems to love coffee, as demonstrated by several benefits. For example, your daily cup of joe may reduce your risk of liver disease by up to 70 percent. It might also help protect you against alcohol-related cirrhosis.
Try Milk Thistle
According to Healthline Media, milk thistle appears to have beneficial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for the liver. It’s an herbal supplement that comes from a prickly plant, and it’s often used in patients with liver damage. However, more research is needed to determine whether it’s effective.
Other Habits for a Healthy Liver—Naturally
The keys to a healthy liver don’t stop with the above activities. Here are some other habits to support healthy liver function naturally.
Exercise
If you needed another reason to move your body, here’s one: a sedentary lifestyle is one of the risk factors for liver disease. But just how does exercise impact our liver?
Exercise revs up the body’s glutathione production, which helps with detoxification. Plus, getting in a daily sweat session boosts circulation and promotes lymphatic elimination. Exercise also helps us maintain a healthy weight, which is critical to keeping the liver functioning optimally.
Walking is a fantastic place to start if you’re not already exercising, and gradually work up to thirty minutes of aerobic activity per day.
Eat Healthily
Maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding processed foods as much as possible is another key to liver health. You can find refined sugar in processed foods, which can cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. And you don’t have to be overweight to suffer the consequences; the sugar can damage your liver just as much as alcohol, regardless of your size.
Talk to Your Doctor
Finally, if you have any known risk factors, we recommend talking to your doctor and getting screened for liver disease. For example, a history of alcohol abuse and a family history of liver disease are two reasons you may want to speak with a medical professional.
Take Action
Taking excellent care of your liver will help it take better care of you, so check in with your habits. Are you an ideal candidate for a liver detox? Take our detox quiz to find out and comment below with any questions you have about liver health.
