Healthy liver function is an integral part of being healthy as the liver carries out hundreds of processes to ensure the body stays well. The American Liver Foundation estimates that at least one in 10 Americans – or 30 million people – are living with some form of liver disease. And if this number is shocking, consider there are more than 100 different forms of liver disease.
It’s commonly believed that liver disease only affects those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, but there are many factors that put you at risk for liver damage.
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The good news is, liver function can be boosted with natural home remedies.
Tips to improve liver function naturally
There are many different ways to improve liver function, involving easy diet adjustments and natural products you most likely have at home.
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet: An anti-inflammatory diet includes items like sour foods, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, fresh herbs, high-antioxidant fruits, local raw honey, coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar, as well as lemon, kefir, spinach, kale, parsley, cilantro, berries, pomegranates, and garlic, just to name a few. These foods help fight off free radical damage harming your liver and promote the secretion of liver enzymes in order for your liver to detoxify the body and properly remove toxins.
Properly prepare your food: Another aspect of improving liver function is preparing your food properly. This includes not burning it causing it to char, and not consuming anti-nutrients, which are natural toxins. Anti-nutrients are hard for the body to digest and come from grains, beans, nuts, and seeds that are not well prepared. You are adding extra stress on the liver when consuming anti-nutrients in unsoaked or unsprouted grains, seeds, and legumes, and in refined carbohydrates.
To avoid charring and carcinogens, cook your meat at low heat. Store your food safely, avoiding plastic containers or cans that contain BPA.
Choose organic food: Organic food is not sprayed with chemicals or is produced without the use of toxins, antibiotics, and synthetic hormones – all the bad stuff that liver would be working hard to break down. The less chemicals you ingest, the less your liver will have to work to remove them. It may not always be easy to eat organic, so at least go organic for the foods that are known to contain the highest levels of chemicals. These foods include apples, celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries, and potatoes. These food items have been found to have the highest contamination, so it’s a good strategy to choose organic whenever possible.
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Reduce stress: Stress affects the whole body because when we are stressed the body releases cortisol, and chronic levels of cortisol in the body over time can damage blood vessels and organs, including liver. Additionally, stress triggers an inflammatory response that can further harm the liver. Finding appropriate techniques to reduce stress in your life can go a long way in boosting liver function.
Exercise: Exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight, which plays a vital role in liver function. When fat begins to permeate the liver, fatty liver disease may develop, which significantly reduces liver function and can progress into fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. It’s important that you exercise regularly as a means of reducing fat so that it does not accumulate in the liver and impair its function.
These are just some natural ways to improve liver function. By incorporating these habits and changes into your lifestyle, you can help support your liver health.
