Is Liver Cleansing Really Good for You?

Health Wellness

Many people have asked if liver cleansing is necessary, is it a good thing to do or is just another medical hype to sell products and they are all good questions.

However, most of the same people don’t fully understand the total function and purpose of the liver, so allow me to give a brief (hopefully) and simple explanation.

Many hear that the liver helps filter the blood and gets rid of many toxins. It helps to breakdown the deadly effects of alcohol. It also processes a lot of the rich fatty foods we eat, but eating or drinking too much can stress out the liver, causing it to overload. One source states:

“We’re often tempted to overindulge during the holidays, then wish we could wave a magic wand to undo the damage. With our liver working overtime to inactivate alcohol and process rich, fatty foods, a potion to heal stressed-out liver cells might just do the trick. But before you stress out your holiday budget on expensive dietary supplements, consider the following facts.”

“Most toxins, or poisons, reach our bloodstream when we swallow or inhale them. Others pass through our skin, while still others are released by dying cells or invading bacteria. Many of these toxins pass through the liver — the body’s waste-purification plant — where they are broken down and removed from the blood before they can do their dirty work.”

“Poisons are also broken down by the kidney, eliminated in the urine and feces, or exhaled. Drinking six to eight glasses of water daily; eating lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains; and avoiding tobacco smoke and other fumes can all help keep your body in top working order. So, can cutting back on fried foods, animal fats, sugar, and caffeine.”

However, the detoxing of your blood is only a portion of what the liver does.

For instance, did you know that about half of your cholesterol is manufactured in the liver? And did you also know that your body needs some cholesterol to properly function? Most of the liver’s cholesterol is used to make that thick bitter tasting greenish yellow stuff you sometimes throw up when your stomach is empty of food. That stuff is called bile and it helps breakdown and digest your food. The liver’s cholesterol is also used to make a host of hormones, including estrogen, testosterone, and the hormones secreted by the adrenal glands. Additionally, cholesterol is used in the formation of cell membranes throughout your body. The liver also produces a number of proteins, some of which are important for the blotting of blood and Albumin, which helps maintain fluid pressure in the bloodstream.

People, including some doctors, believe that cleansing the liver occasionally does help to get rid of some of the toxins that may build up over time. Many holistic and homeopathic doctors also recommend liver cleansing, especially in today’s society where many of us consume too much sugar and fat and drink too much alcohol.

You can find a number of online tips on how to cleanse your liver. One source recommends eliminating toxic foods from your diet and that refers to food that have refined sugar, saturated fats, and meats with added nitrates and nitrates (lunch meats). They recommend drinking raw vegetable juice, not the stuff you buy in a bottle at the store, but vegetable juice that is freshly made by juicing fresh vegetable. They also recommend eating potassium rich foods like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, spinach, beet greens, blackstrap molasses and bananas.

Believe it or not, some sources suggest using a coffee enema. They claim it helps with constipation, reduces fatigue and helps detox the liver and increase the flow of bile.

They also recommend several supplements including milk thistle, listed as number one for liver detoxing, dandelion root and turmeric.

Lastly, many of them claim that eating real chicken liver or grass-fed beef liver or take liver tables, to help cleanse the liver.

If you think you need or want to try a liver cleanse, take some time to do the research and let someone close to you know, just in case you have an adverse reaction and need medical attention.

Detox Liver Liver Cleanse Toxins

Related Posts