Liver Health

What is the most important organ in your body?  The heart and brain are right up at the top of the list as being the most immediately necessary.  Kidneys are probably third in importance.  Fourth comes your liver.  It carries out so many essential functions that you cannot live long without it.  A few of the things the liver does include:

• Converting fats or proteins into glucose when you haven't eaten
• Filtering toxins and nutrients from your blood
• Breaking down toxins, hormones, and foreign substances
• Storing or sequestering toxins or foreign substances
• Storing nutrients for later use
• Making cholesterol for your hormones
• Converting inactive thyroid hormones to active ones
• Aiding the absorption of essential nutrients

A number of all too common illnesses can bring your liver down badly; these include Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, and Liver Cancer.

It is pretty easy to improve the health of your liver.  Many of us have heard of liver cleanses or detoxes.  The body is pretty adept at cleansing and detoxifying itself as long as it is given the rest and support it needs.  With summer arriving and the wide variety of inexpensive fruits and vegetables soon to be available, there is no time like now to help your liver have some relaxation and restorative support.  

Relaxation For Your Liver

You can relax your liver by just giving it less to do.  One of the most powerful ways to do this is to fast.  Since your liver has to be on the job every time you eat, not eating for a day is a good way to give your liver a day off.  If because of blood sugar problems you can't fast a whole day, then take a day's off from protein and fat intake.  Once a week eat only vegetables (preferably from the list below.)  In addition to fasting from food for a day, take a break from some of the more toxic vices in which we might participate like drinking alcohol or smoking (tobacco or marijuana).

Restoring Your Liver

Give your liver what it needs to function.  The following foods are extremely helpful to giving your liver the nutrition it needs to carry out its job.

• Dandelion greens, burdock root, mustard greens, black radish, apples and saffron, watercress, beets, parsley, artichokes, cherries, grapefruit, parsnips, endive, garlic, onion, chicory, carob, horseradish, kumquats, limes, quinces, grapes, lemon juice mixed with water, upon rising in the morning 30 minutes before eating

• Wheat germ, lecithin, yogurt, tofu, soy

• Green tea: two to three cups per day.

fresh juices:

• Radish and pineapple

• Black cherry concentrate mixed with liquid chlorophyll

• Carrot, beet, and cucumber, radish, green pepper

• Papaya

• Cherry

• Carrot

• Carrot and spinach 

In addition, two herbs available in supplement form will supply very strong liver-specific antioxidant protection: 

• Milk Thistle
• Turmeric 

Your liver has to get you through a lot of toxic challenges in the 21st century world.  Give it the rest and help it needs to keep doing a good job for you.

NatureWords for your Health