The Many Ways To Love Your Liver
Throughout history and long before ‘cleanse’ or ‘detox’ products were ever marketed, humans have taken advantage of the body’s natural energy shifts as the weather warms. Fresh vegetables, bitter greens and herbs were relied upon to ‘refresh’ the liver at this time of year. We’ll explore these time-tested ways to optimize liver health, and look at how supporting the systems that are linked to the liver can have a positive impact upon its function.
Your liver works hard every day to help break down your food, make the building blocks for your body, and detoxify everything that you ingest. The liver is connected to your gut by the portal vein, so it’s directly affected by everything in your lower GI tract (bacteria, metabolites, lipopolysaccharide). In response, your liver makes bile and immune factors which in turn influence the balance of gut bacteria. This ‘dance' that your liver and gut do largely determines both your immune function and metabolic balance. In short, a healthy microbiome and gut lining is key to liver vitality. Another tool for liver support that’s not often mentioned is optimizing lymphatic flow: this helps remove metabolic waste and excess fluid, reducing inflammation and helping to ease the detox burden of the liver. There are many simple shifts you can make with food, activity, and supportive plants that can make all the difference in the vitality of your liver.
The Rough Stuff
It’s well-known how bad alcohol is for your liver, but it’s just as disruptive to your gut microbiome. It breaks down into acetaldehyde, a toxin which damages the gut lining (‘leaky gut’) and kills beneficial bacteria, both of which can seriously compromise your immunity and metabolic health.You’ve also heard how rough ultraprocessed foods are on your body: their refined sugar, saturated fats, and additives not only burden your liver, but also tip the balance of your gut bacteria in a negative direction (these foods increase LPS). This can cause insulin resistance and/or metabolic syndrome, which puts your body into a state of chronic inflammation and can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The good news is that it's reversible with changes in diet and exercise.
The Good Stuff
Living in the real world, it’s expected that less-than-optimal choices will be made: instead, focus on improving one small thing at a time. Small changes can add up to significant benefits for your liver. What you eat is key: a number of studies have highlighted the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on good fats and fiber-rich foods, for its ability to support liver health, a balanced gut microbiome, and the reduction of inflammation. Studies are also showing that probiotics may be one of the most significant things you can consume to improve your liver health. By healing the gut lining and boosting your beneficial bacteria, they help reduce LPS (see above note) and bad bacteria, easing stress on the liver.
Let’s take a look at all the ways you can help your liver help itself.
Toolkit for Peak Liver Health
Probiotics: Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, miso) are the easiest way to up your probiotic intake, but supplements are helpful if you need stronger/more targeted support. Working with a holistic practitioner (e.g,nutritionist, ND) can help pinpoint which strains are the most beneficial for you.
Fiber/Prebiotics: Prebiotics are fibers that help feed your good gut bacteria: whole fruits, veggies, grains, and the herbs chicory, dandelion, and burdock (often found in coffee substitute blends) are great sources. You can also supplement with powdered flax meal, acacia, or psyllium. Slimy foods (okra, oats, marshmallow root) can be very helpful: they feed your good bacteria and help heal the lining of your entire GI tract. Increase fiber intake slowly to minimize gas or bloating, and be sure to up your liquids to keep everything moving along nicely!
Good Fats: Emerging research is highlighting the healing influences of good fats upon both the liver and gut. For cooking, use oils that are minimally processed and preferably organic (olive, grapeseed, sesame). To increase the variety of good fats, drizzle avocado and hempseed oil onto already cooked/cold foods, and get others directly from food (fish, nuts, seeds, and seaweeds).
Antioxidants/Herbs: Found in brightly colored foods and many herbs, these phytochemical superstars help protect your cells from damage by oxidation. Eating a variety of plant foods, using spices liberally, and consuming herbs (teas, powders, extracts, capsules) daily will provide your body with an array of these protective constituents. Include herbs that specifically support liver health: milk thistle, tumeric, kutki, guduchi, and berberine-rich plants (barberry, oregon grape).
Bitter for the Liver: Bitter foods and drinks help stimulate bile flow, which helps your body utilize fats (including cholesterol) and positively affects your gut bacteria. Eating bitter greens (dandelion, arugula, mustard greens), spices like turmeric, fenugreek, mustard seeds, and citrus peel, and/or an herbal bitters blend can all boost bile flow.
Move Your Lymph: Regular movement like walking, yoga, or Tai Chi keeps your lymph flowing freely. Massage can be an enjoyable and effective activator of lymph flow, and dry skin brushing can help by stimulating the lymph nodes just under the skin. Keep it moving by staying well-hydrated with water and herbal teas (nettle, red clover, and dandelion root and leaf are perfect for this time of year).
Wellness influencers often say your body is ‘full of toxins,’ and that only their program or product will ‘truly’ cleanse your body. Modern environmental inputs can be challenging, but your marvelous liver is quite capable of clearing out what it needs to, if you give it regular support. Start with real food that’s full of fiber and probiotics, keep your lymph flowing with movement and massage, and lean on herbs that have been reliably helping humans care for their livers for thousands of years.