How to cleanse the liver

The liver is one of the most important organs of the human body, to the point that today it has been proven that it performs 500 vital functions for the well-being of the body. Among the multiple actions of this viscera we can highlight that it contains 13% of the blood of the whole body, secretes bile, produces proteins and cholesterol that help transport fats and metabolizes drugs and alcohol so that they are not toxic. Given the importance of this organ, it is advisable to know how to take care of it and keep it healthy .

Some factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, the consumption of alcoholic beverages in excess, the intake of certain medications and a diet rich in fat can affect liver health. When the liver begins to function poorly, it is essential to make certain lifestyle changes to avoid possible complications such as gallstones, fatty liver , fluid retention, overweight, high blood cholesterol, among others. For this reason in eHealth we have prepared a complete guide on the importance of cleansing the liver and how to do it .

Functions of the liver in the human body

The liver is an organ that is involved in many processes vital to human health that go beyond purifying the body of toxins and waste. To understand the importance of having a healthy liver, we invite you to know the most essential functions of this organ:

• The liver is responsible for regulating the production, release, synthesis, and storage of proteins, sugars, fats, and cholesterol . It is the organ responsible for transforming glucose into glycogen for energy, metabolizes fats so that digestive enzymes act on them, converts amino acids into triglycerides and cholesterol.
• The liver produces bile , a yellowish substance that is responsible for carrying waste into the small intestine during digestion. The gallbladder and pancreas are also involved in this process, so the proper functioning of the liver interferes with the health of these organs.
• Hemoglobin is processed within the liver to take advantage of its iron content, a vital substance for the production of red blood cells.
• Purifies, processes and balances the body’s blood . It also clears bilirubin.
• Stores nutrients, vitamins, and iron .
• Detoxifies the body of heavy metals, toxic substances, medications, and alcohol. It also regulates amino acids in the blood for proper protein production.

Importance of cleansing the liver for health

Daily exposure to environmental toxins, processed foods and artificial ingredients and substances cause the body to accumulate toxins and make it difficult for the liver system to eliminate them. The accumulation of waste or toxic components compromises the functioning of the liver and the gallbladder, making it difficult to dispose of harmful substances that can affect the entire digestive system and even the immune, endocrine and cardiovascular systems.

The liver secretes substances such as bile that play a very important role in the transport of toxins and in the digestion of food. When this organ does not receive the necessary care, the production of bile is affected since the organ can correctly process the drugs and toxic substances that make it up. This can affect the health of the gallbladder and intestines, but it can also cause a deficit in the absorption of nutrients and vitamins.

A liver in poor condition is the beginning of a long road that can lead to intoxication of the body and lead to dangerous diseases such as non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis , heart attacks, gallstones, pancreatitis, kidney disease, among others. Detoxifying the liver is important , but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the key to maintaining long-term liver health.

How to know that you should do a liver cleanse

One of the great problems of the liver is that when it begins to get sick it does not cause important symptoms, on the contrary, it is a very silent organ. This has the consequence that many people are presenting poor liver function and do not know it.

The right thing to do to preserve the health of the body is to visit our family doctor once a year and carry out the relevant tests to rule out any type of problem. In a complete analysis, for example, blood transaminase values ​​can be obtained . An altered result of this test would be a sign that we must start taking more care of our liver.

In addition to the medical check-up, it is important to be attentive to certain symptoms that, although they are not alarming, are indicative that the liver is working in a forced way. Tiredness or fatigue, poor concentration, frequent headaches, dizziness, nausea after eating, abdominal swelling during digestion, indigestion, mild upper right abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.

How to cleanse the liver

Cleaning the liver is not an easy task , in fact, it is a process that takes time and is achieved little by little, since the ideal is to purify the organ and the body in a healthy way. Therefore, we must clarify that there are no magic remedies or miracle pills that can cleanse your liver in days or a few weeks. So the right thing to do is to put the shortcuts aside and take the following actions as part of a healthier lifestyle.

1. Go to an expert

In eHealth we have a premise: why self-medicate if you can go to the doctor. And it is that health must be left in the hands of the doctors. Therefore the first thing is to find out if you really need to cleanse your liver , and for this we advise you to go to your family doctor. If you have felt bad or have had discomfort during digestion, explain all the symptoms to your doctor so that he can prescribe the necessary tests.

2. Drugs prescribed by a doctor

When liver function is forced, an accumulation of substances occurs in the body that, in excess, are very harmful to health. Proof of this are altered blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol values . The increase in these three substances poses a health risk, which is why it is very likely that the doctor will prescribe a series of medications that help reduce the concentration of sugar and lipids in the bloodstream.

Now, if the task is to cleanse the liver, how are we going to give it more drugs to break down and metabolize? Good question! These remedies help reduce this accumulation of toxin in the blood so that the body works better and, therefore, so that the liver works better and it is not so much the excess sugar and fats that it must metabolize. That said, there is more help from the drug than the damage done to the liver by continuing to give medicine.

3. Physical activity

This is one of those changes that you should adopt as part of a new lifestyle, as exercise is essential to help the body process fat better and eliminate toxins . Many people with liver disease or problems have long had a sedentary life and an unhealthy diet, which has led them to become overweight as a result of their habits.

The physical activity cardio is the best way to help the human body to erase gradually the ravages of being overweight, it helps restore cardiovascular health, increases lung resistance, fights fluid retention, increases metabolism, strengthen bones and muscles and removes excess body fat. Subtracting the amount of fat your liver has to deal with will help you detoxify it efficiently.

4. Hydrate correctamente

Drinking one, two, three and up to four glasses of water a day is not enough! The human body needs water for much more than staying hydrated, water purifies the blood, fights fluid retention, helps transport waste out of the body, detoxifies, purifies and cleanses the kidney system. In conclusion, water is necessary for everything, even for mental agility. It is advisable to drink two liters of water a day , however, people who do physical activity daily should consume between three and four liters a day.

5. Recognize your enemies

If we do a personal analysis task, we can all recognize what are those sins that have led our liver to work in a forced way. Alcoholic beverages, spicy foods, binges, saturated fat, fast food, carbonated drinks, desserts? We all have a weakness to control. Ideally, you should recognize that it is what you have been consuming in excess and that you deserve to take a break in order to regain your liver health. During the cleansing process it is essential to stop alcohol consumption , as it is one of the factors that most alters the functioning of the liver.

6. It’s not what you eat, it’s also how you eat it

It’s not about eating chicken and salad every day, three times a day. A true detox involves determining those faults that you think are not very harmful to your health and are quite the opposite, for example, the way you cook your meals. Fried foods are the most harmful to the body , as the hot oil turns into saturated fat and this type of fat is responsible for clogging the arteries with cholesterol and causing a heart attack.

Instead of frying food, it is advisable to try other cooking methods: baked, grilled, steamed, in the pan or in the pressure cooker, but without vegetable oil!

7. Control your salt intake

Decreasing sodium intake helps combat fluid retention that may be occurring due to the accumulation of toxins in the body. In addition, a low-salt diet is the best ally for cardiovascular health. You don’t have to eat plain, try seasoning your meals with natural dressings such as basil, oregano, onion, cumin, Spanish paprika, leek, leek, chives, coriander, garlic and pepper.

Diet to take care of the liver

When we eat, the liver is responsible for breaking down food to absorb its nutrients, eliminate toxins and metabolize fats and sugars. These substances are stored in the organ, which will release them over time and according to the needs of the body.

However, when we maintain an unhealthy diet, consuming foods rich in fats and sugars, the liver receives more substances to purify and fewer nutrients to release into the bloodstream . This results in the organ being forced to work and it becomes more difficult to detoxify the body of the large amount of toxins that it has accumulated as a result of a poor diet.

We can say, then, that the healthier we eat, the healthier our liver will be, the less cholesterol will be concentrated in the arteries, the better the intestines will function and the healthier the gallbladder will be. Remember, the work of the liver depends on the functioning of many other organs of the digestive and renal systems . That said, we can reveal a secret that has been told openly: the key to cleansing the liver is to maintain a healthy diet.

What to eat to cleanse the liver

The diet to cleanse the liver should be composed of easily absorbed foods and a high intake of water to facilitate digestion. Likewise, the ideal is to avoid preparations fried or cooked in oil and prefer foods prepared in the oven, grilled or steamed. The key is to have a varied menu, be creative, and consider the following foods:

• Eat healthy, lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and white fish. The fat in these proteins is healthy and easy to digest, so they are not a problem for liver health. You can also opt for other sources of protein such as legumes.
• Increasing your fiber intake is excellent for helping the liver absorb accumulated fats and toxins more easily. You can find fiber in whole foods, watercress, spinach, flax seeds, chia, and oats.
• If you are a lover of red meat or pork, stop consuming them for at least a month and then incorporate them into your diet once or twice a week.
• Fruits are excellent allies to cleanse the body of toxins and nourish it with vitamins and minerals, in addition, they are easy to digest. Orange, strawberries, guava, red apple, banana, papaya , watermelon, cantaloupe, and peach are great options.
• He prefers low-fat dairy like skim milk and cottage or ricotta cheese. You can also opt for lactose-free or almond milk.
• Eat healthy, nutrient-rich fats like avocado , olive oil, and nuts.
• Instead of simple carbohydrates , such as potato, sugar, or pastries, prefer complex carbohydrates . These types of carbohydrates provide a lower glycemic load to the body and, although they are digested slowly, they are much healthier because they do not turn into sugar immediately. These carbohydrates are: sweet potato, artichokes, legumes, cassava, corn, banana.

Foods you should NOT eat

For a liver cleanse it is necessary to pause the consumption of those foods that can alter or slow down the functioning of this organ. For them it is vital that you take into account the following considerations:

• Do not consume alcoholic or carbonated beverages .
• Avoid any type of saturated fat such as butter, vegetable oil, dairy, bacon, cold cuts, fried foods, pastries, mayonnaise, cream.
• Reduce the consumption of fatty meats such as red meat and pork.
• Eliminate the consumption of refined sugar and foods or products that contain it.
• Avoid consuming flatulent foods like broccoli, chickpeas, cauliflower, and cabbage.
• Avoid eating on the street and eliminate the consumption of fast food .

Tips to detoxify the liver

• Green leafy vegetables help neutralize heavy metals and absorb toxins. Spinach and watercress are great options.
• The apple is rich in pectin, a substance that helps eliminate toxins in the body.
• Foods rich in fiber, such as brown rice and quinoa , help eliminate fat and decongest the liver.
• Green tea is one of the best natural antioxidants, as it fights the effect of free radicals in the human body and facilitates the elimination of fats.
• Carrots and beets contain beta carotenes that stimulate liver function.

As we mentioned earlier, cleansing the liver is a process that takes time and effort . Ideally, you should carry out this purification supervised by a medical specialist and a nutritionist who, together, evaluate an action plan based on your needs.