The first thing that comes to mind when you say liver detox is to drink loads of water. This is because water not only helps to moisturise the skin but also aids in flushing toxins from the body including the liver. This in turn can improve the overall functioning of the liver and help prevent liver damage in the long run. However, there are numerous ways to detox the liver but before that let’s know the need of liver detoxification.
Liver Detoxification: What’s The Need?
Our body is a complex machine with the organs working around the clock to keep us running. The smooth functioning of our body is largely dependent upon our food intake and our body’s ability to get rid of the toxins that are either consumed or produced as a by-product of metabolism. The liver is responsible for cleansing our bloodstream and plays an important role in maintaining our overall health. Of the multitude of roles to be fulfilled, the liver takes care of detoxifying blood, metabolizing alcohol, getting rid of the old blood cells and producing bile, to name a few. The constant functioning of this organ to break down potentially harmful substances makes it one of the most vulnerable and commonly injured organ of our body.
Needless to say, the part of our body that runs a quality check on each of every substance that enters the bloodstream should be taken care of. Fast paced life along with unhealthy eating habits and occasional alcohol consumption leads to accumulation of fats in the liver which can up the risk of fatty liver disease. While conventional medical therapies have limited effect and considerable side effects, it’s time we turn towards evidence-based modern alternative therapies and take a holistic approach. This includes taking a healthy diet, supplementing the normal diet with antioxidants as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Thankfully there are effective and easy ways to detox your liver without having to upturn our schedule.
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5 Simple Tips For Liver Detox
The liver is well-equipped to cleanse the organ and body of the harmful toxins which make the organ sluggish. However, at times, even the body’s natural detoxification needs to be enhanced. You do not need any supplements or special diets but simple tips and tricks to kickstart the process. Let’s dig into the details
1. Say no to booze
Alcohol even in small quantities is bad news for the liver. To give rest to our liver, any and all kinds of alcohol should be eliminated from our diet. Our body consumes an exorbitant amount of energy to flush out alcohol from our bloodstream. So let’s give our liver some rest and say no to alcohol altogether.
2. Try aerobic exercises
Aerobic exercises increase our heart rate and change our breathing pattern which in turn increases the amount of oxygen we take in. This helps in improving our liver functions. Regular aerobic exercise strengthens our heart muscle allowing more blood to be pumped with each beat making it easier for the liver to get blood.
3. Avoid food high in sugar content
Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages contain a high amount of fructose. Studies have shown that consumption of fructose is directly proportional to the increased risk of fatty liver disease. It is necessary to reduce high fructose intake in a healthy liver.
4. Include antioxidant-rich foods
Antioxidants are known to aid in the process of flushing harmful toxins and chemicals in the body and improve the functioning of organs including the liver. So up your intake of antioxidants which are commonly found in fresh fruits and vegetables.
5. Eat foods loaded with phospholipids
Phospholipids are essential compounds which are known to help in the repair of the cell membrane. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid regulating, regenerative, antifibrotic, and hepatoprotective effects. Due to its positive effect on the liver, it accelerates the normalization of liver injuries and diseases along with keeping the liver healthy.
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Detoxification of the liver is an essential process to live a long and healthy life. We don’t need to go out of our way to ensure proper liver functions, it can be achieved with a strict diet regimen and healthy lifestyle. Who said living healthy is not an easy task?
Recommended Reads:
World Liver Day: 5 Simple Tips To Prevent Liver Disease
Your Liver Could Be In Trouble!
References:
1. Arvind, Nitin & Savaikar, P & Rajkumar, J.s. (2006). Therapy for NAFLD – A comparative study of essential phospholipids vs. ursodeoxycholic acid. Ind J Clin Pract. 16. 21-24.
2. Dinakaran, N. (2003). Safety and efficacy of essential-L on the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Indian Journal of Clinical Practice. 14. 51-58.
3. K Daniela, T Lenka, S Michael, et al. Lipids in Health and Disease, 2012, Volume 11, Number 1, Page 1.
4. Gundermann K-J, Gundermann S, Drozdzik M, Mohan Prasad V. Essential phospholipids in fatty liver: a scientific update. Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology. 2016;9:105-117. doi:10.2147/CEG.S96362.
5. Assy N. Nutritional recommendations for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases. World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG. 2011;17(29):3375-3376. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i29.3375.
6. Dongiovanni, Paola et al. Nutritional therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Volume 29, 1 – 11