14 Nov Natural Liver Protection for Party Season
The festive season means fun, sun, braais, pool parties, beach days, office celebrations, family dinners and more! And while this time of year tends to bring out the party animal in many of us, it’s important to remember that it can take a lot out of you too. From festive snacks to fizzy cocktails, long days to late nights, your festive season habits tend to take their toll on your liver in particular; and that’s a big health risk we all need to watch out for. Here’s a look at the amazing job your liver does for you, why it’s so important to look after it, and which natural supplements will do the trick.
Amazing Facts about Your Liver
- Your liver is your body’s largest internal organ; as an adult, your liver weighs about 1.4kg.
- About 1.4L of blood is pumped through your liver every minute; your liver contains about 10% of the blood in your body at any given time.
- The liver is the ONLY organ capable of regenerating itself. If someone donates part of their liver, both the donor’s and the recipient’s liver will regenerate back to their appropriate size.
- Your liver is also your body’s most metabolically complex organ; it performs more than 500 different functions!
- Your liver’s functions include neutralising harmful toxins in your blood, converting carbohydrates into glucose, manufacturing hormones and proteins, controlling blood sugar, and producing digestive bile – it’s a complex chemical factory that you couldn’t live without.
Did You Know? Ancient Greeks believed that the liver, not the heart, was the seat of all our emotions – recognising just how important this amazing organ is (although I doubt any of us will be sending our sweethearts liver-shaped Valentines cards anytime soon)!
Why Your Liver Needs Extra Care & Support
So, what makes this amazing organ tick?
Because your liver takes care of so many critical tasks in your body, it’s vital to make sure it stays strong and healthy, with a balanced diet, regular exercise and plenty of hydration. Sounds simple enough, but of course when we’re eating more, drinking more and partying more, our liver starts to take strain. Rich food, alcohol, medication and environmental toxins all increase the load on your liver; while you’re nursing a hangover it’s this amazing organ that’s hard at work trying to process all those extra “nasties”, and becoming particularly vulnerable to damage. So give your liver a litte extra love this time of year and you’ll find it goes a long way!
Eating for Liver Health
By adding a few of these tasty foods to your daily diet, you can easily give your liver a boost:
Avocados: Make your own fresh guacamole or tuck into avo on toast, to help your body produce glutathione; this compound plays an essential role in helping your liver to process toxins.
Citrus fruits: Lemons and limes are rich in vitamin C, which helps your body to convert toxins into water-soluble substances. Start the day with a cup of lemon water, or a summery citrus fruit smoothie, to give your liver a boost.
Green tea: This tasty brew is a great source of catechins; antioxidants which specifically support healthy liver function. If a hot cuppa on a summer day doesn’t appeal to you, make a pitcher of iced green tea instead.
Walnuts: These crunchy nuts are high in arginine, an amino acid that helps the liver to detoxify harmful ammonia. A great on-the-go snack.
Apples: An apple a day… gives you a great source of pectin, a chemical that helps the liver with its detoxing functions.
Oats: With a low GI (glycaemic index) and plenty of fibre, oats give you a great dose of essential nutrients and help to keep your digestive system functioning. A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast will give your liver (and your heart) some healthy fuel for the rest of the day.
Berries: Top those oats with a handful of blueberries or cranberries to really sweeten the deal for your liver. These super-fruits are packed with cleansing antioxidants, and have great anti-inflammatory properties too.
Of course when the going gets tough for your liver, you need to supplement your diet and give your system a little extra help. That brings us to…
Our Top Natural Liver Protection Picks
With healing, cleansing herbs like milk thistle and dandelion, these natural supplements are just what you need to give your liver some much-needed TLC. Silymarin is the active substance in milk thistle, known for its ability to combat liver damage and promote liver cell regeneration. Dandelion has a naturally detoxing effect, and acts as a mild laxative which helps to combat toxin build-up in the digestive tract.
To keep your system healthy and prevent toxins from building up, choose one of our liver support supplements and take it during those times when your liver is under extra strain; along with the detoxing Nat Sulph tissue salts, and a daily cup of our cleansing dandelion tea for daily support.
Wishing you a healthy and happy festive season, with plenty to celebrate!
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