How to cleanse the liver naturally. Herbs and herbal teas for liver health

In this article I will explain in detail how to purify the liver in a natural way , making use of some medicinal herbs, which Nature generously makes available to us.

But first I would like to say a few words about the importance of this organ and why it is so important to keep it healthy.

The importance of the liver

The liver is the largest gland in our body, weighing about 1000-1500 grams and is located in the upper and right side of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm.

As you probably already know, it is an extremely important organ for the health of our entire body . In fact, from the liver depend:

• good digestion;
• the proper functioning of the intestine;
• the perfect assimilation of nutrients present in food;
• the formation of glucose , essential for nourishing the cells of the human body;
• the optimal synthesis of triglycerides , a fundamental source of energy for cellular life;
• the correct production of blood clotting factors (such as fibrinogen and thrombin) ;
• optimal cholesterol production ;
• strong and reactive immune defenses.

Just to name a few.

The liver detoxifies us!

The liver is defined as the excretory organ par excellence, a term which generically indicates the organs through which metabolic waste and toxic substances, not useful to the body, are eliminated.

It acts as a powerful “anti-toxin” filter , that is, it is able to capture and neutralize numerous toxic substances , introduced through breathing, feeding and taking drugs.

So do you understand how important it is to keep it healthy?

Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to keep our liver healthy. Starting with a good lifestyle.

The enemies of the liver

Do you know what they say? If you know them you avoid them. So here is a list of what we could define as the archenemies of the liver :

• alcoholic beverages;
• fried foods;
• dyes, preservatives and chemical additives contained in industrial products;
• pesticides, herbicides and all chemicals used in conventional agriculture;
• hydrogenated and transgenic fats;
• drugs (all).

The enemy you don’t expect

A recent study has shown that an excessive consumption of carbohydrates (therefore sweets and cereals) can also induce a greater production of triglycerides by the liver.

The triglycerides then accumulate in the liver cells giving rise to that condition called hepatic steatosis , or more simply fatty liver .

It is therefore better to opt for the consumption of alternatives with a low glycemic index , such as legumes, whole grains and of course green leafy vegetables, which help keep blood sugar low.

Herbs to detoxify the liver

In addition to following a correct lifestyle and good nutrition, it is possible to help the liver by making use of some purifying herbs.

Let’s see which ones.

1. Aloe Vera and Arborescens

Aloe is a powerful purifier , not only of the liver, but of the whole organism, as it also acts on the kidneys, skin and intestines, which are the other three excretory organs, or the organs that deal with elimination of waste substances.

Aloe juice works by greatly facilitating the elimination of toxins through feces, urine and skin . In fact, during the first days of taking Aloe juice, a substantial increase in bowel movements and diuresis immediately catches the eye.

In other cases, the purifying action is manifested by the accentuation of some skin disorders , such as acne, boils, hives, dermatitis, etc.

However, there is no need to worry, because these symptoms generally have a short duration (between two and three days), and then gradually decrease, until they completely subside.

Antioxidant action

Another very important action is the antioxidant one , given by the combination of vitamins (in particular C and E), polyphenols and acemannan, a polysaccharide present above all in the gel.

As demonstrated in several studies, Aloe is able to protect cell membranes from oxidative damage induced by free radicals.

For example, in this study we have demonstrated the hepatoprotective action of Aloe Vera gel , added as a supplement to the diet.

To achieve this goal, in vivo and in vitro studies were performed by chemically inducing liver damage in male rats. In vitro the effect was evaluated on the induced Fenton lipid peroxidation reaction. A co-incubation with Aloe Vera gel significantly reduced the generation of lipid peroxide in the liver (LPO).

Subsequently, to see the same effect in vivo, the gel was administered orally to the rats once daily for 21 consecutive days.

One hour after the last gel administration, the rats were given an intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4).

The Aloe gel showed significant hepatoprotective capacity against the damage induced by carbon tetrachloride through a restoration of liver lipid peroxide, of serum transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin which are returned to nearly normal values.

In another more recent study, Aloe Vera was found to be effective in reducing liver damage in mice with hepatitis induced by acetaminophen (paracetamol).

Which Aloe variety to choose?

Unfortunately, all studies focus on the most commercialized variety of Aloe, namely Aloe Vera. On the other hand, very few studies have been carried out on the Arborescens variety , which despite being less used for purely commercial purposes, has a much higher concentration of active ingredients than Aloe Vera .

As Father Romano Zago also points out in his book “Aloe is not a medicine … and yet it heals”, the juice obtained from the whole leaves of Aloe Arborescens and honey, compared to Aloe Vera, is far more effective both as purifying action, which as an antioxidant.

Why should honey be added?

I told you about Aloe Arborescens juice and honey. It is an ancient Brazilian recipe discovered and disclosed in the world by a friar, Father Romano Zago .

The recipe is based on the use of three ingredients in the quantities listed:

• 350 g of whole leaves of Aloe Arborescens;
• 500 g of organic honey;
• 3-4 tablespoons of grappa (or other distillate).

Now you are wondering what good is honey and alcohol for? Is it okay to add them if you have serious liver disease?

On the one hand, it is true that in liver diseases the consumption of sugars should always be limited.

However, as Father Zago points out in his writings, honey plays an important role in allowing the correct assimilation of all the active ingredients present in Aloe .

L ‘ alcohol instead, says Father Zago, being a vasodilator, speeds up entry into the bloodstream of the active ingredients , increasing the effectiveness of the recipe. It also appears to improve intestinal absorption of aloin, an anthraquinone with a laxative, antimicrobial and antitumor action.

Father Zago recommends eliminating alcohol only in the most serious cases of liver disease, or cirrhosis, or in the case of alcoholism.

Contraindications

Aloe juice is contraindicated for pregnant and breastfeeding women .

Aloe juice, due to the presence of vitamin k, is contraindicated to those who use anticoagulant drugs , such as cumadin.

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2. Milk thistle

The milk thistle ( Silybum marianum ) is a perennial plant that grows spontaneously in many areas of the Mediterranean.

The beneficial properties of Milk Thistle have been known since ancient times: Pliny the Elder described its uses and advised mixing its juice with honey to stimulate bile flows ; also Saint Ildegarda Von Bingen, herbalist doctor of the Middle Ages, had found activities that could be useful for liver function and which she described in her manuscript “Physica”

Over the last century, numerous scientific studies have done nothing but confirm the beneficial properties of this plant.

The medicinal part of milk thistle are the seeds , where silymarin is concentrated , a compound belonging to the flavonolignan family with a strong protective and regenerating action against liver cells .

The hepatoprotective properties of silymarin have been abundantly demonstrated by numerous scientific studies, both in vitro and in vivo, exposing animals to toxic substances capable of inducing liver damage, such as ethanol (alcohol), phalloidin (characteristic poison of fungi belonging to the genus Amanita), carbon tetrachloride , paracetamol and thioacetamide .

In this way, scholars were able to appreciate the protective efficacy of silymarin and investigate its various mechanisms of action, attributable above all to its ability to increase the synthesis of liver proteins and to inhibit that of inflammatory mediators and free radicals.

How to take milk thistle?

The best way to take milk thistle is through decoction .

For a decoction, a dosage equal to a teaspoon of milk thistle seeds is used, which must be crushed or ground before use and then placed in a saucepan with 250 ml of cold water. The water with the seeds will then be boiled for about 10 minutes. Finally, it is switched off, filtered and the hot or lukewarm decoction is drunk.

Consistency in use is important, from 2 to 4 cups a day of decoction.

Contraindications

It is not recommended to take extracts or decoctions based on Milk Thistle for those suffering from hypertension , and for those who have problems with biliary tract obstructions .

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3. Turmeric

The turmeric ( Curcuma longa ) is a plant whose rhizome, with its characteristic yellow color, is widely used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.

Due to its countless therapeutic properties in recent years it has made a lot of talk about it even in the West.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that the molecule to which most of the benefits are attributed is curcumin , a yellow-orange pigment responsible for the typical color of turmeric.

It is a substance belonging to the polyphenol family, which over years of research has shown that it possesses properties:

• Antioxidants : as it protects cell membranes from the harmful effects of oxygen free radicals;
• Anti-inflammatory : reduces the expression of enzymes involved in the development of the inflammatory cascade;
• Antitumor : on the one hand it inhibits the process of neoangiogenesis and on the other it induces the apoptotic process (programmed suicide of diseased cells).

Hepatoprotective

Researchers have recently focused on the alleged hepatoprotective properties of this molecule. An important study , published in the journal Drug Research, found that the antioxidant action of curcumin plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease .

In this study, the researchers evaluated the effects of supplementing with curcumin in some patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The latter were divided into two groups: a first group of 52 patients received a placebo, while the second group of 50 patients received curcumin supplementation, up to 1 g per day.

After 8 weeks of supplementation, the researchers found positive results in patients receiving curcumin supplementation. They noticed an improvement in the condition of the liver, with a significant reduction in fat levels .

They also showed decreased levels of pathogenic markers, such as aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. Compared to patients in the control group, patients supplemented with curcumin also lost weight and waist size .

Choleretic and cholagogue action

Another reason why turmeric is good for the liver is because of its choleretic action (i.e. the increase in the production of bile by the liver cells) and cholagogue (which stimulates the secretion of bile from the gallbladder).

Since taking turmeric it has been quantified in a 62% increase in bile production . It has also been seen how turmeric determines the formation of a bile much richer in bile salts and less in cholesterol, a factor that therefore favors its solubilization.

In this way it becomes evident that digestion of large and high-fat meals is facilitated . Furthermore, the improved emptying of the gallbladder favors the elimination of gallstones and considerably reduces their formation .

How to take turmeric?

Curcumin has a big problem: it is a poorly bioavailable substance .

In simple words it is difficult to assimilate by our body.

To increase the bioavailability of curcumin , the intake of turmeric should always be associated with black pepper , since it has been seen that piperine (active ingredient present in black pepper) interferes with the conjugation of curcumin in the liver, significantly improving bioavailability. of this molecule.

Contraindications

The intake of turmeric and curcumin is contraindicated in case of biliary lithiasis and biliary tract obstruction.

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4. Other herbs to cleanse the liver

There are numerous herbs that work by improving liver function and in particular the production of bile (choleretic action) and the secretion of bile by the gallbladder (cholagogue action).

For example, all bitter vegetables , such as chicory , red radicchio and artichoke .

As herbal tea, dandelion (leaves and / or roots), rosemary (leaves) and nettle (leaves) are renowned for their purifying action .

Often the mix of various herbs with similar properties have a synergistic action. This means that the final result of the mixture will be far superior to what one could think of obtaining from the sum of the individual elements.

This is the case of the herbal tea we called “Super Detox“, made up of the combination of the three herbs I just told you about, together with the leaves of Aloe Arborescens and two other herbs, namely sage and aniseed, which in addition to have an important purifying action , they also act on the problems of poor digestion and abdominal swelling .

The Super Detox herbal tea has a marked purifying action on the liver, much higher than the benefits obtainable from the herbs used individually. It is excellent both for prevention and for the treatment of various liver problems.

All the herbs listed are of our cultivation, 100% natural without the use of herbicides, pesticides or sulphites of any kind.

Contraindications

Having a cholagogue and choleretic action, the Super Detox herbal tea is contraindicated to people with problems of biliary tract obstructions.

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NB : All information published on this site is informative and should not be considered as advice, or medical prescriptions, or other.