Supporting the Liver with Herbs and Nutrients

Our Western lifestyle often leads to an overburdened liver. Generally, we consume a lot of processed foods and don’t engage in enough physical activity. Additionally, poor sleep patterns and excessive stress can put pressure on the liver. Due to this strain, the liver’s functions may not operate optimally, resulting in damage and loss of function.

Thankfully, you can prevent this by making changes to your diet and lifestyle. This article explains how to achieve a sustainably healthy liver, making annual ‘detox juice cleanses’ a thing of the past!

Symptoms of Impaired Liver Detoxification

Recognizing impaired liver detoxification can be challenging, as the symptoms are often vague and not directly linked to liver function. Some common symptoms include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Headaches
• Migraines
• Skin problems
• Itching
• Hormonal imbalances
• Sleep disorders

Functions of the Liver

Weighing in at approximately three pounds, the liver is one of the largest and heaviest organs in the body, demonstrating the significant number of hepatocytes (liver cells) required to carry out a wide array of functions. These include:

Energy Management

The liver plays a vital role in energy management. It is a metabolically active organ that can:

• Store glucose as glycogen for reserve fuel.
• Convert glycogen back to glucose and release it into the blood when blood sugar levels are low.
• Create new glucose from proteins when blood sugar levels are low or when extra energy is needed.

Besides storing reserve energy, the liver can also store vitamin B12 for later use.

Liver Production

The liver is responsible for producing:

• Bile
• Cholesterol
• Clotting factors
• Blood proteins (such as albumin and inflammatory cytokines like C-reactive protein)

Detoxification Function

One of the primary roles of the liver is detoxifying substances in a process known as biotransformation. This involves changing the structure of endogenous (naturally occurring) or exogenous (external) substances to render them harmless so they can be excreted through urine or feces.

Biotransformation Stages

The liver accomplishes biotransformation in two phases.

In the first phase, all substances are made water-soluble through a process known as hydroxylation. This phase generates a lot of free radicals. Once a substance has been made water-soluble, it can be excreted through urine or feces. However, after this phase, some substances may remain active or even toxic.

In the second phase, the water-soluble substance is further neutralized and rendered harmless. B-vitamins play a significant role in this stage. It’s crucial for the detoxification process that these two phases are balanced.

The liver also detoxifies environmental toxins from food, medication, and alcohol and processes all nutrients and hormones produced by the body.

The liver is partially responsible for:

• Immunity
• Blood clotting
• Energy management
• Detoxification and conjugation of endogenous and exogenous substances
• Fat digestion with the help of bile

Taurine, a sulfur-containing organic acid, can be produced in the liver in limited amounts from the amino acids L-cysteine or L-methionine. L-cysteine is a semi-essential amino acid. Together with selenium, L-cysteine also contributes to the production of glutathione, the liver’s primary antioxidant.

Herbs to Support the Liver

Several herbs can help support liver health. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) help maintain normal liver function and also protect cells against oxidative damage. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica) and artichoke (Cynara scolymus) have been used in herbal medicine for centuries.

Additional Ways to Support the Liver

Besides nutrients and herbs, a healthy lifestyle with sufficient exercise and sleep is important. As the liver is active 24 hours a day, maintaining a regular sleep-wake cycle is essential for good liver function.

Summary of this Article

Impaired liver detoxification is often caused by unhealthy diet, excessive medication and alcohol consumption, disrupted sleep cycles, and stress, resulting in vague symptoms like headaches, migraines, skin, and hormonal problems. To restore health and energy sustainably, optimizing the detox function is crucial. Adjustments in diet and lifestyle are vital steps. Nutrients and herbs like vitamin C, zinc, selenium, choline, taurine, l-cysteine, milk thistle, dandelion, broccoli, and artichoke can provide supportive help.