12 Steps to Liver Cleansing and Support

Today’s post provides 12 easy steps to liver cleansing and support. This is key because your liver is one of the most important organs in your body. Over 500 chemical and metabolic functions take place in the liver. Your overall health and wellness, as well as how you age and fight disease, will be impacted by the health of your liver.

The more you can improve the health and function of your liver the greater your opportunity to live a healthier life and slow down the aging process.

Now like all lists and suggestions don’t try to incorporate all of them at one time. My suggestion to liver cleansing and support is to read through these 12 suggested steps. Write down the top 4 that stand out to you. Then look at these 4 liver cleansing steps and pick the 2 that you believe you can incorporate into your lifestyle.

Apply them for the next 30 days, and then repeat this process. You might not ever incorporate all 12 steps to liver cleansing and support, but each step you do benefits your liver and over all health.

12 Steps to Liver Cleansing and Support

• Step 1. Reduce your consumption of foods with artificial chemicals, artificial ingredients, artificial colorings, and preservatives. Every artificial substance that you bring into your body will have a direct impact on your liver. Take the time to read labels and find alternatives. At least 80% of the food you currently eat could be replaced by food items that are free of artificial substances.

• Step 2. Increase your water intake to at least ½ gallon of pure water per day. This becomes even more important if you diet, fast, or exercise because the fat-soluble toxins that were stored in your fat cells are going to be released back into your system. Your liver has to process these fat-soluble toxins and convert them into water-soluble products that your body can eliminate through its water pathways: bile and urine. If you are dehydrated then you will slow down this process. It is estimated that 75% of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration.

• Step 3. Increase your fiber intake. The suggested amount of fiber is 25-30 grams of fiber per day. You need fiber to absorb bile properly otherwise the toxins in the bile can be reabsorbed back into your system. Plus, proper amounts of fiber will help keep your colon clean, help to lower cholesterol, and can reduce weight gain by giving you a feeling of fullness.

• Step 4. You need a diet rich in vegetables and certain fruits. No longer can you try and pass your broccoli off to someone else. The cabbage family of vegetables is important for both your liver health and for its cancer protection. And, switch out any grapefruit product for orange juice or tangerines.

• Step 5. You need a good vitamin supply either through your food or through supplementation. Make sure that all the B vitamins are included with at least 500 mg of vitamin C and adequate amounts of vitamin E.

• Step 6. You need a good mineral supply which you can try through your food but will be better achieved through supplementation. I say this because most soil in the United States has been depleted of its mineral content. Most mineral content is in the skin of the food. So, get a good mineral supplement that contains magnesium, copper, zinc and selenium. Also, eat your potato skins ‘cause they are a great source of minerals.

• Step 7. Cut down on spicy foods. Chili peppers and onions don’t help your liver and you might find that by cutting down on these items you can put away the Tums. This will benefit your liver and help your body absorb its calcium better.

• Step 8. Make sure that you are getting enough Glutathione. This is a critical step. It is a major antioxidant to protect you from free radical damage in all areas of your body. People who have a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruit and meat should normally get enough glutathione from their diet. There are some conflicting reports about the effectiveness of getting glutathione from a supplement. Since your glutathione levels decrease with age, many people have chosen supplementation to save on caloric intake. My suggestion would be to ask for documented research and/or clinical studies to show the effectiveness of the glutathione supplement.

You will note in Step 5, I suggested 500 mg of vitamin C. There is research to show that this amount of vitamin C increased the average red blood cell glutathione concentration by nearly 50%. The reason is vitamin C increases the rate of synthesis of glutathione. However, more of vitamin C in this area is not necessary better. When vitamin C intake was increased to 2000 mg there was only an additional 5% increase in glutathione synthesis. So, if you’re going to take extra vitamin C, then do it for other health reasons.

• Step 9. Digestive enzymes are important for both digestion as well as insuring that your body doesn’t steal the metabolic enzymes necessary in the liver. Fresh fruits and vegetables will aid in this area especially if they are ripe. Chewing your food properly also benefits both your digestive system as well as your liver.

• Step 10. Watch your alcohol consumption. Not only does it effect your driving but for some who are particularly sensitive, 1 ounce of alcohol can produce damage to the liver resulting in fat being deposited within the liver.

• Step 11. Stop smoking. Not only does smoking affect your lungs and heart but it puts an additional strain on your liver because it depletes glutathione so significantly.

• Step 12. Supplement with Silymarin. There are many plants that have shown beneficial effects on liver function, but the most impressive research seems to be on silymarin, a flavoniod extract from milk thistle. Silymarin prevents liver damage in three significant ways. First, it acts as a powerful antioxidant. Second, it increases the synthesis of glutathione. Third, it increases the rate of liver tissue regeneration. Silymarin is more potent in antioxidant activity than vitamin E and vitamin C. I don’t want to hype this too much but both human and animal studies have shown very positive results in treating liver diseases. The standard dosage for silymarin is 70-210 mg three times per day.

One Final Thought on Liver Cleansing Because It Has To Do With Your Brain

Don’t take this the wrong way but most of your brain is made up of fatty compounds. As we have already talked about most toxins are fat-soluble.

If not filtered and treated by the liver so that they are converted to water-soluble compounds and eliminated from your body by bile and urine, then they will be stored in fatty tissue. Since your brain and hormonal glands are fatty organs, they are common sites for fat-soluble toxins to accumulate.

This may result in brain dysfunction and hormonal imbalances such as infertility, breast pain, menstrual disturbances, adrenal gland exhaustion and early menopause. The daily care of your liver is the simplest and most effective method to cleanse your blood, remove toxins, take the load off your immune system, and help you live a healthier and potentially longer life.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer