Today I want to walk you through some of the best foods to cleanse your liver.

And these are foods you can easily include in your day to day meals, so there's nothing to worry about there. 

First things first, let's bust a myth:

Your liver is not a store of toxins!

You might have seen ads for products meant to help "detoxify" or cleanse your liver.

But It doesn't get "dirty", and it doesn't hold toxins. 

Except if you have a fatty liver,

because toxins are stored in fat cells.

Fatty liver can be caused by poor diet, sickness, or abuse of alcohol or drugs,

and then your liver can become inflamed, scarred,

and from there you can develop all kinds of problems. 

But the function of your liver is to detoxify your body by getting rid of toxins.

That's just one of its functions.  

On top of detoxifying your body, it makes bile,

which helps your body break down and extract nutrients from fats. 

Your liver is one of the main producers and regulators of hormones, including IGF-1 and the steroid hormones estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol.

It makes these hormones with cholesterol.

Interestingly, a lot of people take medication to block cholesterol, and that can negatively impact the function of your liver. 

Now if you do have damage to your liver, you will feel lethargy, aching joints, the whites of your eyes and your skin might become yellow, and you might find yourself feeling nauseous. 

But before you panic, just because you feel tired for example, does not necessarily mean you have a problem with your liver. 

And, here's the great news;

even if your liver were to get damaged, it's an incredibly strong and robust organ.

It can take a beating and bounce back. 

So with that said, let's talk about some foods that can not only help your liver,

but can actually get it functioning at it's very best.

 

1. Turmeric

The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, is a really powerful anti-inflammatory.

It is very highly studied for many things, including its ability to help decrease fat on your liver,

and as we know, fat on your liver can lead to scarring, inflammation, and cirrhosis. 

It can also help detoxify heavy metals,

help repair and regenerate liver function,

and outside the liver it also helps stabilize the mitochondria of cells. 

You can easily add turmeric to your diet by roasting the roots and eating them like carrots, including  turmeric powder in meals (a lot of Indian cuisine is made with turmeric), or even drinking it in tea. 

 

2. Cruciferous vegetables

These are foods such as broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, and arugula.

They are all very high in a bioactive compound called sulforaphane.

This compound activates a pathway that leads to the production of enzymes that quickly breakdown and eliminate toxins. It can also help to reduce inflammation, protecting the body from all sorts of problems. 

The best effect from sulforaphane is found with uncooked cruciferous, such as arugula, or raw cabbage. This is because a key enzyme that actives sulforaphane can be destroyed when the food containing it is over-cooked. 

 

3. Mushrooms

Glutathione plays a vital role in liver health and function, and mushrooms are chock full of it.

The liver rids the body of toxins by changing them to a form that can be easily removed. This new form in really simple terms, is the toxin with glutathione attached to it. By attaching glutathione to the toxins, the liver is able to remove the toxins from the body. 

Glutathione also helps enzymes in the liver work better, and it protects liver cells from oxidative damage, which can contribute to liver inflammation, injury, and disease, making the whole detoxification process more effective.

 

4. Avocado

Avocados also contain Glutathione, and are rich in several other bio-active compounds including antioxidants and polyphenols.

The antioxidants in avocados can help neutralize harmful free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in liver cells.

While the polyphenols have been shown to inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes and molecules, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandins. These positive anti-inflammatory effects may contribute to reducing inflammation in the liver, and helping it repair itself

Just one avocado a week has been shown to improve functioning in the liver. 

 

5.  Beets

Beets are hepatoprotective, meaning they protect liver cells and can reduce inflammation in the liver.

Chronic inflammation is a common feature of liver diseases, and beets contain betalains that can inhibit pro-inflammatory molecules and pathways, reducing inflammation in the liver. 

Beets have been traditionally used to stimulate bile flow. Bile, produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, aids in the digestion and absorption of fats. By promoting bile production and flow, beets may support healthy liver function and fat metabolism.

 

6. Garlic

Garlic is a well known superfood and an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral compund, and a powerful anti-inflammatory.

It contains vitamin B1, and a lot of sulfur too.

Sulfur is important, and the reason why garlic makes it to this list, because it detoxifies the liver and it strips away the fat from the liver too.

 

7. Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are beneficial for liver health.

We all know that they are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, but they are also rich in some very specific compounds that protect liver cells from damage and support the detoxification processes. 

They do this by providing flavonoids and limonoids that stimulate the production of the cytochrome P450 liver enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for metabolizing and eliminating a wide range of toxins and foreign substances from the body.

The process of detoxication produces harmful by-products called free-radicals. These are neutralized by the liver using antioxidants. Citrus fruits are packed with antioxidants.

 

8. Salmon

Of all the foods commonly available, Salmon provides by far the greatest quantity of Omega-3. 

Even compared to other fish, such as cod, it provides 6 to 8 times the amount. 

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the production of pro-inflammatory molecules and promote the synthesis of anti-inflammatory molecules. They also inhibit the activation of inflammatory signaling pathways in liver cells.

Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids can influence the production of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) in the body. SPMs play a crucial role in resolving inflammation and promoting tissue repair. By increasing the production of these specialized molecules, omega-3 fatty acids can help dampen liver inflammation and support the healing process.

 

So there you go. the best foods to help support a healthy liver.

And if you want some more ways, you can check out our 

Quadruple Strength Turmeric and Curcumin here

Double Strength Glutathione here

or our Omega-3 here

or our Krill Oil here

They are currently on sale, along with all of our other supplements,

with at least 20% off single bottles, and up to 65% off if you buy more than one bottle. 

The discount code is SPRING23, just enter it at the checkout.