5 tips for a healthier liver

A healthy liver is the key to flourishing health and successful weight loss. Here’s what to do to keep your liver happy.

Eat wholefoods

The modern diet is laden with processed foods and copious amounts of caffeine. These foods work to clog the liver, inhibiting it from doing its job effectively, and therefore disrupting metabolism and regulation. This can lead to a whole range of health issues including low energy, weight gain, and impaired immune function. By eliminating refined and processed carbohydrates, reducing caffeine, and indulging in plenty of nourishing wholefoods, we can support the liver to function at its best for improved wellbeing.

Eat for an oestrogen detox

Our livers are responsible for getting rid of used and unwanted hormones in order to make room for new ones. We can support our liver to detoxify oestrogen by regularly consuming cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and cabbage), which contain a substance called indole-3-carbinol that helps to reduce the oestrogen load in the body. Lime, grapefruit, lemons and green leafy vegetables also contain oestrogen-detoxification promoting nutrients. Lastly, ground flaxseed is a wonderful condiment for salads or smoothies, as it binds to excess oestrogen in the intestinal tract and removes it from the body.

Go alcohol-free(ish)

Unlike food, alcohol isn’t stored in the body – it undergoes a metabolic process via the liver that can lead to an array of symptoms, such as: liver inflammation, fat deposited in the liver, and increased blood sugar levels. Consuming excess alcohol increases liver toxicity, which impairs total body health. We can avoid a toxic liver by reducing our alcohol intake, either embracing three or four alcohol-free days each week, limiting alcohol to the weekend, or avoiding it all together.

Cut down on sugar

Research shows a strong correlation between fructose, especially that found in beverages, and non-alcohol fatty liver disease. This leads to liver inflammation and disrupted normal metabolism. It has also been linked to increased production of uric acid, which can cause gout in joints or kidney problems. Avoid refined sugar and excess natural sugars wherever possible.

Drink dandelion tea

Some research suggests that dandelion acts as a wonderful liver tonic and improves the function of congested livers. Other research shows that dandelion helps the liver to process medications well, instead of them adding to toxic build up. Although more research is needed in this area, there is enough evidence to show that dandelion supports liver function in some way.