A well functioning liver is vital to our health as it is the main way our bodies expel toxins. The liver detoxifies and cleanses our bodies by continuously filtering the blood of poisons that enter it through the digestive tract, the skin, and the respiratory system. But when your liver becomes overworked as a result of stress or excessive exposure to toxins, your entire system can be thrown off balance, and your health severely compromised. But with these simple natural remedies we could detox our livers and restore them to peak working order….
HOW TO NATURALLY DETOX YOUR LIVER
1. WARM LEMON WATER – A glass of warm water with fresh organic lemons squeezed into it taken every morning is a great way to cleanse your liver. Not only does it smell fresh and zingy but it has been shown that the liver will produce more healthy enzymes in processing water with lemon than any other food tested. (i)
2. GARLIC – Garlic contains sulfur compounds that activate the enzyme production in the liver. In addition garlic is a rich source of selenium and allicin which help protect our livers. Add small amounts of garlic to your dishes, it doesn’t have to be overpoweringly strong, or try a thinly sliced clove of garlic over a fresh salad regularly.
3.TURMERIC – Turmeric, often called curcumin or indian saffron, is a powerful spice and has been well documented to have a wide range of health benefits. Not only does is protect our livers from damage , it actively encourages the cells in our liver to regenerate themselves. Adding it to our diet regularly also helps to increase our levels of natural bile production – essential to ridding our bodies of harmful toxins.
4. CILANTRO – Cilantro also known as coriander, is a fabulously versatile herb which can be put in everything from salads, curries, pastas or even smoothies. It helps to eliminate heavy metals from our systems – a job that the lover struggles to do when overloaded.
5. AVOCADOS – Reserach in Japan discovered that avocados contain several compounds which help protect our livers from long term damage. It is often mentioned as a ‘super food’ that we should eat for many health benefits, but in particular with relation to maintaing a healthy liver. They found that when they compared avocados with 21 other fruits, and analyzing their effect on protecting livers from galactosamine , which is a damaging toxin and amino sugar, avocados came out top. High levels of galactosamine causes liver damage in a similar way to the human viral hepatits.
These are all simple ingredients we can find, organically where possible, and incorporate into our daily diets very easily and is not an exhaustive list , also helpful are grapefruit, green tea, walnuts , and green vegetables to name just a few, but all of these give us a great start to a healthier and detoxed liver.
Sources/References:
www.foodmatters.net
www.undergroundhealth.com
(i) Biological Ionization as Applied to Human Nutrition by A.F. Beddoe
via Natural Cures Not Medicine