As our second largest organ in the body (after the skin) the liver takes care of us in more ways than we realise. We often associate the liver with detoxification and we’re right to do so. Every toxin that enters our body is processed by our liver. A lesser known fact is that our livers are responsible for over 500 vital functions. Amongst those are; carbohydrate metabolism, hormone metabolism, cholesterol metabolism and the storage of vitamins and minerals.
The liver doesn’t have any nerve endings, so we may not always be aware that it’s under strain. We can often experience symptoms that we don’t always realise relate to back the liver such as:
- Weight gain – around the abdominal in particular
- Fatigue
- Indigestion / bloating
- Constipation
- Strong reaction to alcohol
- Breaking / splitting / chipping nails
- Yellowing whites of eyes
- Bitter taste in mouth or burning tongue
- High cholesterol
- Hives / skin rashes
- Acne
- Dark urine
- Fatty stools that won’t flush
- Strong body odour
The good news is that our liver is a robust organ; it’s capable of regenerating new cells day in and day out. Plus, there are many simple things that we can do to help out:
- Eat a clean and nutrient rich diet
- Eat organic wherever possible. If you can’t, wash non-organic fruits and vegetables in a weak water vinegar solution and / or peel before eating
- Keep well hydrated with water and herbal teas (dandelion is particularly good for the liver)
- Reduce intake of saturated and hydrogenated fat. But do include some healthy fats from raw nuts, seeds and oily fish (e.g. sardines, salmon and mackerel)
- Increase your fibre intake – raw fruits, raw or lightly steamed veg and wholegrain foods (e.g. oats, brown rice, rye and millet)
Below are 5 foods for a healthy liver:
Artichokes
Beetroot
Vegetables from the Brassica family (e.g. cabbage, sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower)
Garlic
Lemons / Limes
This list is by no means exhaustive, however, it’s a good place to start!
For further information check out the Love your Liver website:
Kaysha Thomas (Dip. IoN)