It can be easy to minimize the importance of the liver in our overall health, but it works hard to process everything you breathe, eat, drink and put on your skin. It has about 500 functions!
The liver is such an important organ to support, and you can do this with food and herbs (and of course, don’t forget water).
Some foods to consider:
- Beets are hepatoprotective (which means protects liver)
- Carrots which contain a lot of betacarotene, which reduces oxidative damage and reduce inflammation
- Fresh fruits also contain antioxidants, fiber and vitamin B. B vitamins can run low in a person with a compromised liver
Herbs
- Silybum marianum / Milk thistle seed: antioxidant, hepatoprotective, helps prevent toxins from entering and damaging liver cells as well as stimulates regeneration.
- Centella asiatica / Gotu Kola: a very popular herb in Ayurvedic medicine (India). It was studied in the 1970s and found to have some use to prevent cirrhosis. It’s also a great tonic for the nerves.
- Taraxacum officinale / Dandelion: a very gentle herb for liver support and easy to access. It’s super simple to forage, dry and use in an infusion.
- Green tea: antioxidant and has been shown to protect the liver against damage from drugs
- Turmeric, rosemary and celery seed
Learn more about the liver in our Fundamentals Program
