Your liver plays many important roles to keep you alive and healthy, especially after an infection. The liver helps flush bacterial toxins from your body following an infection. It also removes toxins you pick up from the environment, from foods you eat and from taking antibiotic drugs. The nourishment you get from eating food enters your blood by way of the liver, making it a key link in feeding your body’s immune system.
Toxins are a normal part of everyday life. We can get toxins from air pollution, foods, medications, pesticides and more. In today’s world many people have an over burdened liver. Ideally, a healthy liver can remove those toxins and keep your body nourished. Taking drugs like antibiotics or other prescription and over the counter medications also puts a load on your liver and makes it work harder. That extra effort can overload your liver and cause a backup of toxins in your body, slowing down your recovery and causing symptoms of liver overload.
In the short term, an overtaxed liver can cause symptoms like fatigue, rashes, jaundice, nausea, headaches, hormonal imbalances, drowsiness after eating and digestion problems. Long term, a neglected liver can potentially lead to serious health challenges, such as cirrhosis, type II diabetes, liver disease, liver cancer, chronic infections and other diseases.
Thankfully you can support and strengthen your liver by eating specific foods and reducing foods that overtax your liver. You can also take specific supplements to support you liver and aid your body to detoxify. And if you do take antibiotics, there are steps you can take to reduce the stress on your liver and reduce the other negative side effects of these drugs.
Ways to help support your liver
Below are some of the most common foods that can help support your liver and aid in detoxification that are universally safe and helpful:
- Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale help with detox
- Garlic and onion can aid metabolism and detoxification
- Spices such as turmeric and ginger root help support proper liver function
- Drinking plenty of purified water to support waste and toxin removal
- Eating more raw foods and less processed foods to reduce toxin intake
Beyond the diet changes above, other steps that can help support your liver are regular liver cleanses and detoxification protocols. Supplements to support your liver can also be helpful. However, extra care is needed with liver supplements and detox programs if you have high blood pressure or are taking certain medications. Be sure to discuss any diet changes or cleanse with your nutritionally minded health care professional, especially if you are sick or pregnant.
I consider the liver one of the most important organs that keeps us healthy, yet it is the most often overlooked and hardly ever discussed. Just like changing the oil filter on your car, it’s important to support the health of your body’s filter (liver). Keep an eye out for more details about these important topics in the near future.
To your best health,
Michelle
