Learn to love your liver

 

Spring is the season to show the liver some love, the best time to cleanse the body of fats and the heavy foods of winter.

This super-organ has lots of functions, many of which are not obvious to us. Unlike other major organs (lung, stomach) we don’t feel the liver working. The liver is the largest storing and filtering system for blood and ridding the body of impurities. When you think liver, think detox.

Many daily habits place a load on the liver. Consuming lots of saturated and trans fats, too much meat and dairy, coffee, sugar, alcohol, foods high in preservatives, exposure to environmental pollutants, and STRESS, all overwork the poor old liver.

Once the liver is under too much stress some nasty symptoms may arise; skin eruptions, indigestion, raised cholesterol, headaches, fatigue to name a few. Emotions relating to liver imbalance are anger, impatience, irritability, mood swings, frustration. When these emotions are repressed they may lead to depression. 

The liver also produces bile which is necessary for digestion and breaking down fats, while the gallbladder stores it; if production of either is sluggish and stagnant bile may form stones in the gallbladder.

The skin is also an organ of elimination related to liver and when unable to process toxins they will find other routes to be excreted, such as through the skin, manifesting as conditions like eczema and acne.

The great news is that when treated with kindness liver cells have been shown to regenerate.

Here are a few ways to support healthy liver and gallbladder function: Start the day with a squeeze of lemon or apple cider vinegar in hot water (alternate). Drink lots of good quality, filtered water. Add bitter greens and herbs to the daily diet; rocket, kale, water cress, radish, daikon, dandelion, fennel, basil, mint, onion/garlic. Dandelion coffee, teas of chamomile, lemon balm and liquorice.  Consider reducing alcohol (2-3 standard drinks over the weekend) and coffee, limit to one cup a day. Milk Thistle is the liver herb of choice and has shown in studies to regenerate and rejuvenate liver cells. 

 Jan van der Lee is a Clinical Nutritionist based at Waipu Natural Health, phone 09 432 1325, or visit waipunaturalhealth.co.nz

<<caption>>
Jan van der Lee