Do You Need a Liver Detox?
Your liver is one of our most important organs in the body, did you know that your liver:
Can regenerate itself: you can donate 50% of your liver and it will regenerate new tissue and remain fully functioning.
It’s big: it weighs around 1.5kgs in adults making it the largest solid internal organ in the body. It can also swell in size when you have an illness or infection
Detoxifies: our livers breakdown harmful things we take in like alcohol and drugs, as well as bacteria, viruses, and other harmful particles.
It’s very busy: the liver is responsible for over 500 processes in the body,
It’s like a battery: the liver breaks down food and converts it to energy, which it stores and can release back to the body when needed. As well as energy it stores and releases essential vitamins and nutrients.
Signs of imbalance
If you have regular check-ups with your GP, you’ll no doubt be screening your blood for liver function. However, even if your blood tests are showing normal markers for liver function your liver can give early warning signs that it could do with some support. Signs of liver disharmony may include:
Fatigue
Abdominal bloating
Indigestion, burping, flatulence
Difficulty sleeping
Digestive disturbances such as diarrhoea or constipation
Bad breath
Allergies
Nausea
Coated tongue
Overheating
Body odour
Weight gain/loss
Slow to recover from colds/viruses
Frequently getting colds/viruses
Mind as well as body
In holistic medicine the liver plays a huge role in our emotional health and wellbeing. Many people we work with are doing a pretty good job of eating well and being mindful of alcohol intake, yet they still need some liver support. This is due to an accumulation of emotional stress which can show up in liver function.
Having a short fuse or being easily frustrated, suppressed anger and rage, depression and anxiety can all be linked to liver health.
How to detox?
Caring for you liver is an ongoing process, not something you can do once a year and expect to feel good the rest of the time. The best way to care for your liver is to make positive changes and stick to them including:
Diet: it’s pretty simple: replace processed food with fresh wholefoods, being especially mindful of alcohol and refined sugar consumption. Also, leafy greens are like medicine for your liver. A side salad of greens with a dressing of olive oil, apple cider vinegar and mustard is a simple healthy shift you can make.
Stress and emotions: find healthy ways to de-stress and move your body it will help. Don’t think that you can juts cope your way through life and bury your emotions down where nobody can see them, it doesn’t work. Seek professional help and let others around you know you need support.
Herbs, Acupuncture: Acupuncture is particularly good at restoring optimal liver function, sometimes with the addition of herbal medicine. Herbs like burdock, dandelion, celandine, rue and others can be very helpful but seek professional advice to get the best results.
