Roles That The Liver Plays

1. Digesting nutrients

2. Lipogenesis

3. Creation of cholesterol

4. Breakdown of insulin

5. Filtering blood

6. Antioxidant production

Things That Negatively Impact the Liver

1. Vegetable Oils

These oils are oxidized on the store shelf because they require very high heat in order to be processed, which damages the oils. This is hard for the liver to process.

2. Carbohydrate overload

Eating too many carbohydrates specificly in the form of fructose can damage your liver. This is becasuse fructose can only be metabolized by the liver, and can add access stress.

3. Alcohol

Alcohol is immediately absorbed because enzymes break it down before it even hits the stomach. It gets converted into acetaldehyde. The enzyme that is responsible for that is called alcohol dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde can travel many places in the body, including the smallest capillaries. The liver has a series of micro capillaries, which acetaldehyde can enter and encompass the entire liver. When you drink alcohol, the liver prioritizes getting that out of the body, and slows down other processes.

4. Pharmaceuticals

The liver is responsible for drug metabolism, so polypharmacy, or access drugs can stress the liver.

5. Pesticides

Pesticides have been shown to bioaccumulate and raise markers of liver disease.

How To Improve Liver Health

1. Eat organic

In the world full of environmental stressors, it would be best to avoid them as much as we can, and stay biologically resilient. Eating organic will help diminish the overall toxic load. Not all companies that are labeled organic do things correctly, but it’s a step in the right direction. Biodynamic certification is the highest standard for organic and regenerative agriculture.

2. Lower your glycemic load

Eating too many carbohydrates can lead to lipogenesis and the creation of VLDL, which is the type of cholesterol that can get caught up in your arteries.

3. Exercise

This is really about getting the toxicity out of your body. Moving the circulatory and lymphatic systems is always going to be beneficial.

Supplements To Enhance Liver Health

1. Milk thistle

Silymarin is a compound in milk thistle that helps regenerate liver cells, fight oxidation, and enhances protein synthesis.

2. Dandelion root

This root helps your body produce more glutathione, which is the bodies master antioxidant. It’s also very rich in phytonutrients that help with bile function.

3. Chanka piedra

This is an a herb well known for it’s interesting ability to break down stones in the body. This helps dilate smooth muscle of vessels, soften stones, and stimulate the release of bile.