liver-loving foods: the best foods for liver detox

Detoxing your liver, detoxing naturally, foods for liver detox, healing your liver naturally, liver loving foods, holistic healing near me

If you’re wondering how to detox your liver, using food as medicine is a safe and powerful place to start—no capsules, diet drinks, or food restriction necessary. When it comes to holistic healing, adding nourishing things in can be easier, and go further, than taking things out.

Your liver carries out more than 500 functions every day, so supporting the liver can greatly support your overall health.

Your liver is in charge of many important jobs. Here are a few:

  • Storage and metabolism of sugar, fat, and micronutrients

  • Synthesis of blood proteins

  • Production of bile

  • Metabolism of toxins and hormones

  • Filtration of the blood

A well-functioning liver is necessary to help us overcome stressors, heal from illness, recover from injury, and move toward greater health.

Our bodies face exposure to a wide variety and quantity of toxic substances on a daily basis, and the liver is tasked with preparing those substances to be eliminated from the body. The liver is also in charge of processing the fats and sugars we ingest through food, so when our daily nourishment is out of balance, this can also place a burden on the liver.

How do you know if your liver is overworked and needing attention? Here are a few potential signs of poor liver function and liver disease:

  • Fatigue

  • Itching

  • Abdominal pain

  • Indigestion

  • Nausea

  • Weight gain

  • Blood sugar issues

  • Elevated liver enzymes

  • Changes in appetite

  • Constipation

  • High cholesterol

  • Sugar cravings

I want to make this very clear, because it’s so important: Detoxing your liver is not about shot-term cleanses and crash diets. Liver health emerges from a commitment to fully nourishing your body on a consistent daily basis. You don’t need a 7-day cleanse or something similar to promote liver detoxification. Your liver is detoxifying on its own, right now, as you’re reading.

Outside of eliminating our exposure to harmful toxins, one way to support the liver is by consuming foods that nourish, support, and stimulate hepatic function.* Keep reading to learn about this long list of foods!

*If you’re looking to use food and herbs as medicine to treat and prevent disease, make sure you’re working one-on-one with a licensed practitioner. This blog is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have undiagnosed symptoms or an untreated medical condition, including concerns about your liver, work with a licensed practitioner to ensure you’re making medical decisions that are safe and healthy for your body. Talk with your practitioner before changing your nutrition, supplement, or medication routines.

Brassica (cruciferous) vegetables

These brassica family veggies are high in sulfuric compounds called glucosinolates, which support a critical antioxidant system in the liver: glutathione. Glutathione plays a large role in detoxing your liver. Eating the foods on this list can help support the liver’s natural glutathione system:

  • Cabbage

  • Broccoli

  • Asparagus

  • Brussels sprouts

  • Arugula

  • Cauliflower

  • Turnips

  • Rutabage

  • Radish

  • Horseradish

  • Kohlrabi

  • Arugula

  • Kale

  • Watercress

  • Collard

  • Bok choy

Food sources of glutathione

  • Asparagus

  • Avocado

  • Raw grass-fed milk

Foods high in protein

The process of detoxification requires an abundance of amino acids to fuel glutathione and all the other enzymes involved. Amino acids come from protein-rich foods. The best sources of protein are animal foods, including beef, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Plant sources include organic soy, beans, and lentils. Although nuts are often included in this list, they are fairly low in protein and are better categorized as a source of healthy fats.

Foods rich in fiber

Fiber slows digestion to decrease spikes in blood glucose and insulin. Because the liver is in charge of sugar and fat storage, supporting balanced blood sugar over time helps protect the liver. Fiber also helps bind toxins in the gut, decreasing their recirculation back to the liver. Cleanses often highlight fiber as a central part of liver detox. Foods high in fiber include rolled oats and other whole grains, fruits and vegetables with the skins, lentils, avocados, and seeds like flax and chia.

Foods rich in antioxidants

Antixidants are highly protective to the liver in preventing and decreasing the oxidative damage caused by everyday toxins.

Antioxidants are often present in high levels in the most colorful foods—the bright purple (cabbage, beets, grapes), blue (blueberries, blackberries), red (bell peppers, raspberries, cherries), orange (carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges), and dark greens (leafy green veggies) as quick examples

Foods rich in choline

Choline is an essential, vitamin-like nutrient necessary for many functions including cholesterol transport and neurotransmitter production. Deficiencies in choline can result in fatty liver. Choline supports liver health through its impact on fat metabolism and its role as a methyl donor within the detoxification pathways. The human body synthesizes very little choline on its own, therefore choline is considered essential—we need to eat it through food. The following is a list of foods highest in choline:

  • Beef liver

  • Pasture-raised egg yolks

  • Pasture-raised milk, yogurt, and butter

  • Scallops

  • Beef

  • Poultry

  • Salmon

  • Shrimp

  • Cruciferous vegetables including broccoli and brussels sprouts

Digestive bitters

This group of plant foods contains a special compound called sesquiterpene lactones. These sesquiterpenes offer a variety of helpful functions in the body, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and antimicrobial. They promote digestive function through stimulation of the vagus nerve, which promotes bile production and flow through liver and gallbladder.

In the Asteracea plant family:

  • Dandelion leaf

  • Artichoke leaf and heart

  • Burdock root

  • Chamomile leaf and flower

  • Chicory root

  • Milk thistel seed

  • Tarragon

  • Helichrysum

  • Radicchio

Bitter fruits

  • Bitter melon

  • Cranberry

  • Lemon

  • Lime

  • Grapefruit

Other bitter foods

  • Coffee

  • Green tea

  • Dark chocolate

  • Endive

  • Sasame seeds and tahini

  • Fennel seed

  • Anise

  • Yarrow leaf

  • Peppermint leaf

  • Turmeric root

Liver supportive herbs

The following list highlights some of the more widely-known hepatoprotective herbs used in live-support formulas

  • Silybum marianum, Milk thistle seed

  • Schisandra chinensis, 5-flavor berry

  • Centella asiatica, Gotu kola leaf

  • Glycyrrhiza glabra, Licorice root

  • Rumex crispus, Yellowdock root

  • Fumaria officinalis, Fumitory leaf

Considering the long list above, there are so many ways you can support the health and functioning of your liver through the foods you eat. Consider adding just one new food per week to begin expanding your food-as-medicine cabinet!

Wanting more focused guidance in your preventative health and holistic healing? Apply below to work one-on-one with Dr. Savannah


References

  • Linus Pauling Institute, Micronutrient Information Center: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/other-nutrients/choline

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