10 Best Herbs For Liver Repair & Natural Liver Detox
Nov 27, 2022Are you looking for the best liver detox and herbs for liver repair? Well you’ve certainly come to the right place. In this article, we’re going to talk about the importance of a natural liver detox and reveal the best natural remedies and herbs for a liver detox.
Since the liver is one of the most important organs in the body we must optimize it’s performance and lifespan. After all it’s critical to all functions, including detoxification, hormone balance, digestion, blood sugar storage, cholesterol metabolism, fat storage, vitamin and iron storage and immune cell activation.
Despite your liver’s numerous functions and its association to many diseases, most people take their liver health for granted. But not today! Let’s talk about the best herbs for liver repair!
Why A Natural Liver Detox Is Important
Your liver filters out 1.3-1.5 litres of blood every minute, that’s a lot of work! So it should be no surprise that you need to take care of your liver for it to function properly.
Every year, liver disease accounts for around 2 million deaths across the globe. When you have poor liver health, it’s important to take action right away with a natural liver detox.
Liver health is extremely important for maintaining your overall health, and poor liver health is linked to IBS, digestive issues, Chron’s disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, hormone imbalance and PMS, heartburn, cancer, fatigue, insomnia, acne and a lot of other diseases.
Signs You May Need a Natural Liver Detox and Herbs & Natural Remedies For Liver Detox
While you may not be experiencing severe symptoms at the moment, there are tell-tale signs that your liver may need some maintenance. Some of the first signs that you may need a natural liver detox include:
- Inconsistent bowel movements
- Skin irritation
- Fatigue
- Sugar cravings
- Sleep interruptions
- Changes in body odor
- Stress and Anxiety
- Gas
- Bloating
- Constipation
- A general feeling of being unhealthy
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, holistic methods and herbs for a natural liver detox can help you get back on track. It’s important to remember that you won’t see results overnight, and it’s important to make a habit of incorporating holistic approaches into your daily life to see a difference.
Natural Remedies For A Liver Detox
To start, embracing holistic medicine, herbs and natural remedies is a great way to start working on liver detox health. Along with natural remedies for a liver detox, practicing good habits will keep your liver in good shape.
Here are some tips for working on your liver with natural remedies and holistic methods:
Drink More Water
Hydration is important for many reasons. Drinking plenty of water will help you flush out your system including the liver and kidneys. You will also feel more energetic when you’re properly hydrated.
Reduce Red Meat Intake
Red meat can wreak havoc on the leaky liver, especially if you’re eating a lot of it. Eating it once in a while is fine, but if you are adhering to the holistic medicine approach, minimizing your red meat intake is a way of how to detox the liver.
Take Probiotic Supplements
Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your gut. You can take them as a supplement or eat food high in probiotics to improve your gut health. Having a healthy gut prevent toxins from entering your bloodstream, which then helps to reduce the toxic burden on your liver.
Sweat it Out
Don’t underestimate the power of a good sweat. Sweating in a sauna is a great way to eliminate toxins from the body and help your liver out.
Eat a High Fiber Diet
One of the best natural remedies for a liver detox is to eat more fiber. Fiber is your liver’s best friend. Eating a diet high in fiber is great for overall gut health as well. When we eat fibrous foods, it binds to toxins in your gut so that the toxins don’t get absorbed into your body. This helps protect your liver by reducing the toxic burden and inflammation in your body.
PHASE 1 & PHASE 2 DETOX PATHWAYS
Your liver processes toxins, hormones and other metabolites via 2 detoxification pathways: Phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification pathways. Both pathways require various nutrients to functional optimally.
If you are deficient in some of the nutrients, your liver will not metabolize and detoxify chemicals and hormones properly. This will lead to chronic disease, weight gain and mental health issues.
Some ways you can get nutrient deficiencies include:
- Not eating the right foods
- Improper digestion and absorption from leaky gut syndrome & liver toxicity
- Excessive inflammation and toxicity which uses up your liver’s main antioxidant - glutathione
- Having too much alcohol or too many carbohydrates which deplete B vitamins
Phase |
Function |
Nutrients Needed |
Phase 1 |
Begins metabolism and detoxification of all foods, drugs and toxins, using enzymes such as cytochrome p450 enzyme.
CYP450 enzyme damaged by toxins and pesticides, so eating organic improves liver function |
Glutathione, B vitamins, folic acid, iron, magnesium; antioxidants like Vitamin A, C & E and selenium.
Enhanced with herbs like milk thistle.
|
Phase 2 Liver Detox Pathway
Processes byproducts of phase 1 pathway. If phase 2 doesn’t work well, toxins from phase 1 build-up in the body, leading to oxidative damage and chronic disease
Phase 2 made up of different processes like Glutathione conjugation, Amino acid conjugation, Methylation, Sulfation, Acetylation, Glucuronidation
Phase |
Function |
Nutrients Needed |
Glutathione conjugation
|
Helps to process heavy metals and numerous other toxins |
Glutathione. Selenium, alpha-lipoic acid, N-Acetyl-Cysteine, Vitamin C, milk thistle and turmeric also enhance glutathione |
Amino acid conjugation |
Uses amino acids to bind to toxins known as xenobiotics: drugs, pesticides, herbicides, and food preservatives |
Glycine, taurine, glutamine, arginine, ornithine
|
Methylation |
Helps your body to produce and process drugs and body chemicals, including hormones, neurotransmitters, histamine, homocysteine. Methylation also recycles glutathione, needed for phase 1 and 2 detox pathways. |
Methionine, SAM-E, folate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, choline, betaine, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin D and molybdenum. |
Sulfation (Sulfonation)
|
Metabolizes toxins, drugs, and compounds created by your own body, including sex hormones, neurotransmitters, bile acids and thyroid hormones. Also detoxifies xenoestrogens – chemicals that behave like estrogen in your body. |
Sulfur containing amino acids (cysteine and methionine), molybdenum, vitamin B2, magnesium, taurine and retinoic acid |
Acetylation
|
Helps to detoxify many drugs from your body |
Acetyl CoA, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, and Vitamin C |
Glucuronidation |
Metabolizes drugs, fungal toxins, pollutants and your own body’s hormones, bile acids, and bilirubin.
|
B vitamins, magnesium, and glucuronic acid |
Best Herbs For Liver Repair and Liver Detox
Suppose you’ve put your liver through a bit of a hard time lately and you need to detox the liver naturally. Well, herbs for liver health and detox may be the answer.
Another way to improve liver health is to eat and drink herbs for liver repair. Herbs are a staple in naturopathic medicine, and there are many you can choose from to start your liver detox.
10 Herbs For Natural Liver Detox
Now that we know about holistic medicine and how it can benefit the liver, it’s time to get to work. A great place to start when working on liver detox is to incorporate herbs for your liver into your diet.
The good news is that there are several delicious options that you can cook with or simply take as supplements to start a natural liver detox. So here are 10 of the best herbs for liver repair and liver detox.
1: Ginger For Liver Detox and Repair
When it comes to liver detox, ginger is one of the best herbs for liver repair. This is because ginger does much more than aid in liver health and liver detox. Ginger is best known for its ability to increase immunity, aid in digestive health, increase circulation and eliminate toxins.
A natural liver detox is meant to flush out harmful toxins that decrease liver functions. Ginger can protect the liver and provide extra support because it’s an Nrf2 activator. Nrf2 is a liver detox pathway that regulates detoxifying and antioxidant defense genes. This pathway also plays a role in fighting against alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver disease, and certain forms of cancer.
Adding ginger to your diet as a liver detox herb can create an added level of protection during your detox.
2: Milk Thistle Herb for Liver Repair
Milk thistle is another herb for liver repair and liver detox. The plant has a long stem with spiky leaves. It’s typically considered a weed, but that hasn’t stopped milk thistle from proving itself as one of the best holistic remedies for liver detox. Milk thistle is considered a cholagogue, which is a substance that aids in the flow of bile from the gallbladder.
Bile is created in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Milk thistle helps protect your liver cells, aids in bile production and liver detox, and also helps your gallbladder release bile into your intestines. Milk thistle is therefore essential for proper liver function and natural liver detox.
3: Chicory Root for Liver Detox
Chicory root has been used in holistic medicine for the liver as far back as the Egyptians. This fibrous plant keeps its shape as it travels through the digestive tract, and is a great source of inulin. Inulin is a prebiotic, which we have to remember is just as important as probiotics. So if you’re looking for the best herbs for liver repair, make sure chicory root is on your shopping list.
In fact, prebiotics is the food for your probiotics. Without them, the good bacteria in your gut cannot do what it's supposed to! Chicory root also has a high concentration of antioxidants. When it comes to the liver, chicory root has been shown to improve oxidative stress and liver injury.
4: Turmeric for Liver Health
Turmeric is another great herb for liver health to have in your liver detox arsenal. Curcumin is the main component of turmeric which has several health benefits. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and is full of antioxidants. This makes it an incredible herb when it comes to protecting your liver cells from harmful toxins. Turmeric also helps promote a smooth flow of bile out of the liver, which makes it an excellent spice for liver detox.
5: Dandelion Root Herb for Liver Detox
A natural remedy for liver detox, dandelions aren’t just yellow flowers you find out in the field. When it comes to liver detox, dandelion root should be a staple in your routine. This root is high in inulin and polysaccharides. Polysaccharides support the liver in producing bile, and research has shown that dandelion root benefits overall liver function. In naturopathic medicine, dandelion root is said to help detox the liver as well as help with skin irritation problems.
6: Artichoke Herb for Liver Detox
Not only is artichoke delicious, but it’s a staple in holistic medicine and considered a herb for the liver. Artichoke is specifically known for its benefits on digestive health and liver detox. Along with many of the other herbs we’ve discussed, artichoke is a great source of inulin, which improves the health of your gut. Having a healthy gut reduces the amount of toxins reabsorbed into your body, which inadvertently helps to improve liver detox as well.
7: Burdock Root for Liver Detox & Repair
Burdock is a root with a mild taste that’s known for liver and kidney health benefits. It contains water-soluble fiber that aids in digestion and moving toxins through the intestine. Burdock root is anti-inflammatory, which protects your liver cells. It’s also a diuretic, so it will help flush your system during a liver detox and will also lower your blood pressure. That’s why Burdock Root is often used as part of a natural remedy for a liver detox.
8: Ginseng for Liver Detox & Repair
Ginseng is a well-known adaptogenic herb that can be found in many green tea products. Ginseng also contains ginsenosides and has anti-inflammatory properties, which have been shown to improve liver function and help with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
9: Garlic for Liver Detox & Liver Health
Garlic is an excellent herb for liver detox because it’s delicious and you can put it in everything. It’s full of antioxidants and is known to activate liver enzymes which is exactly what you need during a natural liver detox. This is because garlic is high in selenium, an antioxidant which is known to improve liver health.
10: Cardamom for Liver Health and Liver Detox
This liver detox herb is a delicious spice that has a sweet flavor to it. You’ll typically find it in tea, and is used around the world in various blends. Along with anti-inflammatory properties, research suggests that cardamom reduces inflammation as well as oxidative stress on the liver.
Best Teas for Liver Repair
Dandelion Tea
Dandelion root is one of the most common herbs used for liver detoxification because it helps to stimulate bile flow. Dandelion leaf has a mild effect on the liver, but is more of a kidney tonic and diuretic, so make sure you look for dandelion root if your intention is to detoxify your liver.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint encourages your liver and gallbladder to release bile, thereby improving detoxification and digestion. If you’ve ever eaten a heavy or fatty meal, and you’re feeling overstuffed or bloated, peppermint tea usually comes to the rescue!
Chamomile Tea
Surprisingly, chamomile tea also helps your liver detoxify. Chamomile calms your nervous system, which in turn regulates your vagus nerve. Your vagus nerve helps improve digestion, bile flow, heart rhythm and many other functions in your body. When you’re more relaxed, your body goes into “resting and digesting state” – a state where your liver begins to release more bile and detoxify.
Inflammation is one of the biggest causes of liver stagnation. Chamomile tea is also anti-inflammatory, and can help slow down the damaging effects of chronic inflammation on your liver.
Turmeric, Lemon and Ginger Tea
Turmeric is an excellent antioxidant and also helps to stimulate bile flow. Because your liver works hard to remove toxins from your body, it goes through a lot of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress means your cells are being damaged by toxins and free radicals. Therefore including herbs like turmeric and ginger, which are high in antioxidants, will help protect your liver. Turmeric, ginger and lemon also help to stimulate more bile flow, which is important for digestion and detoxification.
Cardamom & Fennel “Chai” Tea
Cardamom has liver protective and detoxifying properties. Cardamom is also a diuretic and helps to detoxify your body through your kidneys. Fennel also has detoxifying and diuretic properties. The combination of these two spices creates a lovely aromatic detox tea. You can add turmeric and black pepper to this mix to increase its detoxification and antioxidant properties.
Next Steps
Learn More About How to Detox Liver, Herbs and Benefits from Dr. Ameet’s Holistic Medicine Courses
We hope this overview has given you a good idea of where to start when it comes to a natural liver detox. Once you start and see the benefits, you’ll surely want to learn more! Dr. Ameet’s Free Holistic Medicine Courses will give you the guidance you need to be a liver detox expert. Along with liver detox, we’ll go over topics such as:
- Heal Leaky Gut in 2 weeks
- Natural treatments for anxiety, depression, stress and trauma
- Herbs for Adrenal Fatigue and Adrenal Health
- Improving Thyroid Health
It’s important to remember that everything in your body is connected, so you must take care of all of it, including your mind. Sign up for our holistic medicine courses today to get started!
You can also have a book at the gut health book and other holistic medicine books.
Click here to watch my YouTube Video on the connection between Liver and the Brain!
Learn More About Herbs for Liver Detox & How to Detox Your Liver from Dr. Ameet’s Holistic Medicine Courses
We hope this overview has given you a good idea of where to start when it comes to liver detox. Once you start and see the benefits, you’ll surely want to learn more! Dr. Ameet’s Free Holistic Medicine Courses and holistic medicine books will give you the guidance you need to be a liver detox expert. Along with liver detox, we’ll go over topics such as:
- Leaky Gut and Gut Health
- Natural remedies for anxiety and depression, stress and trauma
- Learn how to reverse adrenal fatigue naturally
- Improving Thyroid Health
It’s important to remember that everything in your body is connected, so you must take care of all of it, including your mind. Sign up for our holistic medicine courses today to get started!
Thank you for reading about liver health, finding out how to detox your liver, getting informed on the best herbs for liver repair, learning more on your liver health formula and more about liver detox!
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