Liver cleanse: Is it really possible?

Your liver is the largest internal body organ that performs more than 500 different functions from regulating the balance of the sex hormones to regulating most chemical levels in the blood.

Knowing that the liver is a detoxification organ, you might think doing a cleanse will help the body recover after a weekend of partying but truth be told, you might be wasting your money on those pills.

There are things you can do to improve your health and support a healthy liver function but our bodies have the built-in capacity to defend against toxins naturally.

Mainstream medical practitioners argue that the liver does not need detoxing and that doing so might even be dangerous.

While it is not possible to cleanse the liver with any specific food combination, experts do recommend dietary changes like avoiding very fatty food and reducing alcohol intake.

Other ways to improve liver health

Fill your basket with apples, grapes and citrus fruits like oranges and lemons which are proven to be liver friendly foods that provide the liver with enzymes that help in liver detoxification.

Berries like blueberries, cranberries and strawberries are antioxidants that can help increase immune cell response and slow down the development of lesions and fibrosis.

Drinking beetroot juice, which is a source of nitrates and antioxidants called betalains may benefit heart health and reduce oxidative damage and inflammation.

Broccoli, Brussels, cauliflower and cabbage also help to eliminate toxins from your body since they increase the detoxification enzymes.

They protect the liver from damage and improve blood levels of liver enzymes.

Add green leafy vegetables to your diet which contain high concentrations of nitrate, a compound that may keep fatty liver at bay.

Reducing alcohol intake and drinking water helps cleanse the system of toxins.

Water hydrates your body and adding a pinch of lemon drops helps stimulate bile to remove toxins.

During the detox water can help cleanse the kidneys during the liver detox.

Experts recommend drinking water immediately you wake up which helps remove toxins, before a meal, before sleeping and before or after a physical exercise which protects you from dehydration.

A 2019 study found that eating nuts decrease the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease due to improved liver enzyme.

Nuts are high in fats, nutrients like the antioxidant vitamin E and beneficial plant compounds.

Reducing your red meat intake helps to reduce the excess fat in the liver since breaking down proteins is a hard task for the liver which then causes excess protein buildup.

Studies also suggest limiting egg whites and fructose-rich fruits like raisins, dry fruits and bananas which can cause abnormal amounts of fat in the blood when consumed in large amounts.

Also, ensure that you thoroughly rinse fruits helps to ensure they are free of pesticides

Lastly, physical exercise decreases stress on the liver by increasing its capacity to produce energy by oxidizing fat.

Edited by D Tarus