Liver Detox: The liver has many functions, one of which is removing toxins from the body, which is known as the detoxification process. Given that liver function often comes into contact with toxic substances, many detox products claim to cleanse this organ and keep it healthy. However, are our liver detox products scientifically proven?
The Detox Process in the Human Body
Every day, your liver is exposed to toxins from pollutants, pesticides, preservatives, gasoline, drugs, and cigarette smoke. Nearly everything you inhale and ingest will eventually undergo a cleansing (detoxification) process in your liver.
This organ has many ways to get rid of toxins, for example by breaking down toxic substances into other, safer substances or excreting them with bile. The liver sometimes stores toxins in its cells to protect the rest of the body.
When a toxin enters the body, the liver will drain it into the sinusoidal tract. The sinusoids are connected to immune cells called Kupffer cells. Kupffer cells then eat the toxin, digest it, and excrete it from the liver.
If the liver cannot detoxify a poison or chemical, it will store it in adipose tissue. However, the process of storing toxins over the long term has the potential to cause damage to the liver.
Do You Need?
A liver detox is a program that claims to remove toxins from the body, help you lose weight, or maintain your health.
This program usually involves some of the following.
- Taking certain products or supplements to remove toxins from the liver
- Cleaning the intestines with an enema is a technique of inserting liquid into the anus to stimulate bowel movements (BAB)
- Eat foods that are good for the heart
- Fast from solid food and drink-only juices
- avoiding certain types of food.
Unfortunately, various methods and products in liver detoxification programs have not been scientifically proven.
As long as the liver functions properly, your body can get rid of toxins without the help of any products or supplements.
The Dangers of Wrong Liver Detox
Many liver detox products are available on the market, and you can buy them over the counter. However, most of these products are not registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that there is no guarantee of the benefits and safety of these products.
The use of liver detox products without supervision has the potential to cause the following negative effects.
1. Liver Damage
Consuming supplements carelessly can make the liver work harder to get rid of toxins. As a result, your liver tissue is at risk of injury or even long-term damage.
2. Weight Gain Back
Liver detoxification programs claim to promote weight loss. Most people are losing fluids, not fat. When you eat normally, your weight will return quickly.
3. Metabolism Becomes Slow
There is no scientific proof that a liver detox helps you lose weight. Conversely, diets that involve detox can slow down the body’s metabolism so that weight loss becomes slower.
4. Unbalanced Liver Detox Diet
During a liver detox, you may also follow a special diet. Unfortunately, the diet does not necessarily contain complete nutrients. This can cause malnutrition in pregnant women and people with certain diseases.
5. Enemas can be Dangerous
Enema is a colon cleansing technique that involves making you defecate. This technique should not be done haphazardly. If you do it wrong, the enema can interfere with the function of the colon.
The Right Way
Liver detox is simpler than you might think. Instead of choosing a detoxification program whose benefits are not guaranteed, you can easily do it yourself without spending any money.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, there are several natural detoxification efforts to help the liver work.
- Eat a balanced, nutritious diet.
- Drink lots of water.
- Maintain your weight within a healthy range.
- Avoid taking drugs that have the potential to damage the liver.
- Limit or avoid alcohol consumption.
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B.
- Avoid exposure to harmful chemicals from pesticides, paint, cigarettes, fuel, or other sources.
- Wash fruits and vegetables before consuming them.
- Practice safe sex with condoms.
- Conduct regular examinations for sexually transmitted diseases.
So, the best way to detoxify is to maintain a healthy liver.
Of course, if your liver is always healthy, it can function optimally to eliminate toxins and protect you from disease.
How To Naturally
1. Eliminate Toxic Foods from Your Diet
The first way to detoxify the liver is to reduce your intake of toxic foods. If you eat too much-processed food, you are putting your liver health at risk because these foods work against liver health. Hydrogenated oils, refined sugar, convenience foods, and lunch meats are notoriously toxic to your system.
Hydrogenated oils, also known as “trans fats,” have higher levels of saturated fats. The chemical structure of the oil itself has been changed to increase its shelf life.
Consumption of trans fats dramatically increases the risk of heart disease by 25 percent or more. In addition, it is believed that trans fats cause problems with our immune system and can cause inflammation throughout the body.
Added nitrates and nitrites, which are commonly found in convenience foods, fast food, and lunch meats, have been linked to serious health conditions.
This chemical is used to preserve food so it lasts longer, inhibits bacterial growth, and maintains color. Replace these foods immediately with heart-friendly, healthy options. Healthy food tastes good, and, with a little creativity, you can make healthy meals for your family that will support liver health.
Grill your organic chicken breast and turkey breast to replace deli meat for quick lunches and after-school snacks. Replace chips and other processed snacks with fresh fruit, carrot sticks, nuts, and homemade granola bars.
In addition to eating a healthy diet, it’s important to make sure your digestive enzymes are working properly. Problems with liver enzymes can also contribute to liver disease and may be associated with other digestive diseases, such as Crohn’s disease.
2. Drink Raw Vegetable Juice
The second way to detoxify the liver is by drinking raw vegetable juices. It’s nearly impossible to eat all the raw vegetables you need to cleanse your liver.
However, by making a variety of raw vegetables, you can easily get the 4–5 servings of fresh, organic vegetables you need. Even vegetables that aren’t your favorites can be disguised and enjoyed in fresh vegetable juices!
With impaired liver function, juicing vegetables has the added benefit of making vegetables easier to digest and absorb.
Vegetables that are ideal for cleansing the liver include cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. While that combination may not sound like much fun, you can add any other vegetables you like to the mix, including carrots, cucumbers, beets, and greens.
All of these vegetables help reduce acid levels in the body, helping to create a friendlier pH balance. Experiment with your favorite flavor combinations. You can add fresh herbs, including parsley, mint, and more, to make juicing more enjoyable.
Fresh, organic carrots are essential for liver cleansing. In the liver, beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A to help get rid of toxins in the body while reducing fat in the liver.
The high fiber content helps support a healthy digestive tract, speeding up the elimination of toxins in your body.
Ginger root helps soothe the digestive tract, reduces intestinal gas, and has powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. The fresh oranges in this recipe not only add tangy sweetness but also significant amounts of vitamin C, added vitamin A, and vitamin B6.
3. Meet Potassium Intake
The third way to detoxify the liver is by increasing potassium intake. Are you getting the recommended 4,700 milligrams of potassium per day? Most likely not.
Potassium-rich foods help lower systolic blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and support a healthy cardiovascular system, in addition to helping cleanse your liver. If you’re tempted to take potassium supplements, add these healthy foods to your diet instead.
Here are examples of foods high in potassium:
a. Sweet potato
Surprisingly, it’s not bananas that are the richest in potassium. It’s a sweet potato. One medium sweet potato contains nearly 700 milligrams of potassium, not to mention its high fiber and beta-carotene content.
Sweet potato has only 131 calories but is rich in vitamins B6, C, and D, magnesium, and iron. Although naturally sweet, sugar is slowly released into the bloodstream via the liver, without causing spikes in blood sugar.
b. Tomato sauce
Potassium and other beneficial nutrients in tomatoes, are significantly concentrated as a sauce, puree, or paste. For example, 1 cup of tomato puree has 1,065 milligrams of potassium, but 1 cup of fresh tomatoes only has 400 milligrams. When choosing tomato sauce, paste, or puree, be sure to choose one made with only organic tomatoes.
To make your concentrated tomato sauce, cut organic tomatoes in half and bake them face down in the oven for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F until the skins are just crisped up. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Slide off the skin and gently crush it in your food processor or blender. Strain to remove seeds if you desire. Pour into the Dutch oven, and simmer until thick, 1 to 2 hours.
c. Green Beet and Spinach
Rich in antioxidants, beet greens contain more than 1,300 milligrams of potassium per cup. Add beets and beet greens to your fresh vegetable juice recipe; finely chop and add raw to salads; or lightly sauté, like other leafy greens. Beets also naturally cleanse the gallbladder and improve bile flow.
Fresh organic spinach is easy to add to your diet, and it’s a good source of potassium, containing 840 milligrams per serving.
d. Peas
White beans, kidney beans, and lima beans are all rich in potassium, protein, and fiber. Substitute garbanzo beans for one of these potassium-rich beans in your favorite hummus recipe. Enjoy with carrots and celery.
4. Coffee Enema
Coffee enemas help with constipation, reduce fatigue, and help detoxify the liver. Enemas target the lower part of your colon and can be done at home, unlike the colon, which covers the entire intestine and is performed outside the home by a professional. During an enema, organic coffee is deposited in your intestines, allowing fluids to enter the liver through the intestinal wall.
It has a stimulating effect that increases the flow of bile, helping to jumpstart your gallbladder and liver. This triggers the production of the chemical glutathione, a powerful cleansing compound that helps release toxic buildup in your system.
Toxins must be removed during liver cleansing so that they do not accumulate and are quickly excreted from your system.
Mix 2 tablespoons of organic ground coffee with 3 cups of filtered or distilled water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. After 15 minutes of gentle simmering, allow cooling. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and use your enema kit. Try to maintain the mixture for 10–15 minutes and then release it.
If you’ve had complications from using an enema in the past, it’s best to talk to your doctor before trying to do a coffee enema yourself.
The first time you try a coffee enema, it’s a good idea to do it under supervision or with the guidance of a medical professional, although some people feel comfortable jumping right into the process.
Coffee enemas are usually not recommended for pregnant women or children because they can be sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
5. Consume Turmeric
Turmeric relieves joint pain, and is an effective antidepressant, helping digestion, restoring a healthy blood sugar balance; and supporting liver tissue and healthy liver metabolism.
Currently, researchers are studying turmeric for its various health benefits for diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, depression, osteoarthritis, breast health, prostate health, and chronic pain.
6. Consumption of Beef Liver or Supplements
The last way to detoxify the liver is by consuming the liver. The liver from veal, healthy grass-fed animals, or chicken is rich in vitamins A and B, folic acid, choline, iron, copper, zinc, chromium, and CoQ10. The liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods we can eat.
If you can’t eat liver, you can take beef liver pills. Look for supplements that don’t guarantee the hormones, pesticides, or antibiotics used in feeding and caring for livestock.
7. Quick Start 24-Hour Liver Cleanse
In addition to the healthy foods and supplements mentioned above, you can give your liver a boost by starting with a quick 24-hour liver cleanse.
In the seven days before this brief cleanses, eat kale, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, asparagus, beets, and celery. Avoid processed foods and consume organic, meat-free, refined carbs, and gluten in moderation. This preparation will make cleaning easier.
