Get to Know Your Liver

The liver is one of our most vital organs and, next to our skin, the largest. Optimal function is essential to dealing with the abundance of toxins that are processed through the liver.

If our liver is not healthy, these toxins can cause it to become sluggish. This can lead to various health problems such as toxicity, high cholesterol, poor digestion of foods, fatigue, blood sugar problems, hormone imbalance, headaches, allergies, sensitivities, and poor skin.
The liver plays a role in a number of important functions in the body, including making cholesterol, bile, blood proteins, and clotting proteins. It is also involved in blood cleansing, production and breakdown of hormones, regulation of blood sugar, and detoxification.

Detoxification–Liver’s Primary Role

The liver’s main role is detoxification, using two methods.

Phase one liver detoxification eliminates toxins through a complex group of enzymes that break down toxins into nontoxic substances, ensuring they can be removed through the kidneys or via the bile.

Phase two liver detoxification involves a process called “conjugation,” where toxic substances are “bound” to other substances in the body (such as glutathione, amino acids, methionine, sulphur, acetyl coenzyme A, and glucuronic acid). Once bound, these substances can be safely eliminated through the kidneys or via the bile.

Cleanse Your Liver

When cleansing the liver, use supportive herbs as well as herbs that stimulate the liver’s production of bile. Used as a vehicle to carry toxins into the small intestine, bile is absorbed by fibre and removed through the colon. Herbs that increase bile include artichoke leaf, dandelion root, and Eclipta alba. It is essential, when performing a liver cleanse, to ensure your bowels are moving at least once per day, otherwise you may reabsorb the toxins.

A liver cleanse should also include antioxidants (such as alpha lipoic acid, green tea leaf, and selenium), as they are good not only for the liver, but also for the entire body. Cleansing the liver can help you to achieve healthy liver function, a necessity for optimal health.

Liver Helpers

Herbs and amino acids that help to support and enhance liver function:

Glutathione is essential for phase two detoxification. Alpha lipoic acid stimulates glutathione production, while L-methionine and N-acetyl-cysteine are amino acid precursors to glutathione.

Milk thistle seed includes the extract silymarin, which prevents depletion of glutathione, and has been shown to increase glutathione levels by up to 35 percent. It has also been shown to be effective for various liver diseases including cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, fatty infiltration of the liver, and inflammation of the bile duct.

L-taurine is important for detoxing drugs, food additives, and toxins from intestinal bacteria. It is also required to eliminate steroid hormones (estrogen) and thyroid hormones so they do not overload the body.