Despite the health claims on their labels, there’s no scientific evidence that most supplements for liver health work. Instead, a healthy diet and lifestyle can help keep your liver strong and prevent damage.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) contains a compound called silybin, which helps with liver detoxification and may treat some types of liver disease. Another common supplement for liver health is dandelion root, which can increase bile flow and improve lipid levels.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle seed, which is also known as silymarin, might help protect liver cells. It might also have blood sugar-lowering, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects.
A plant that grows in Europe, milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is used as a supplement to treat liver and gallbladder problems. It is available as a capsule, tablet, liquid extract, and tea. It may reduce symptoms of cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver. If you want to know about Liver Support Supplement, visit this website gundrymd.com
Healthcare providers should ask patients about any medications or supplements they are taking, including over-the-counter substances such as milk thistle. They should also inform patients that silymarin might decrease how quickly the liver breaks down some medications.
Licorice Root
Glycyrrhiza glabra, commonly known as licorice root, is an herb with many benefits. A study published this month in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that glycyrrhizin from licorice root can be used as a natural remedy for functional dyspepsia (heartburn and stomach pain).
Licorice contains compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation and regenerate liver cells. It may also help relieve symptoms of peptic ulcers, including nausea and heartburn.
Licorice roots contain compounds called liquiritins and liquiritigenins, as well as glycyrrhizic acid (GA). However, the primary active component of licorice root, GA, can increase blood pressure and cause hypokalemia. Therefore, it is important to monitor your blood pressure regularly when taking licorice supplements.
Beets
A powerhouse for the liver, beets offer natural detoxification. They are rich in nitrates and antioxidants like betalains that kickstart phase two of the body’s natural detoxification process. The liver’s own antioxidant glutathione works with betalains to change harmful toxins into harmless substances.
A staple store cupboard herb, turmeric offers natural anti-inflammatory and liver protection properties. Studies show that it can help protect the liver from damage caused by acetaminophen and chronic alcohol consumption.
A popular vegetable for its anti-inflammatory benefits, cruciferous vegetables such as Brussel sprouts and broccoli are great for liver health. They contain a wide array of nutrients such as glucosinolates, indole and folate.
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the main precursor to glutathione – an antioxidant that’s considered the body’s “master antioxidant.” Glutathione protects the liver from damage caused by alcohol, environmental toxins and some drugs.
NAC is already widely used as an antidote for acetaminophen overdose and may help prevent drug-induced liver damage in general. It also reduces inflammation and improves survival in severe sepsis.
NAC seems to reduce the severity of flare-ups in a lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. It can also ease breathing in people with a hole in the windpipe due to surgery or trauma.
Green Tea
The liver is the largest organ in your body. It’s located in the upper right abdomen behind the ribs and just below the diaphragm. It has two blood supplies, the hepatic artery and the hepatic portal vein. It stores glucose derived from carbohydrates and turns fats into energy sources for your cells.
Green tea contains polyphenols that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. One particular catechin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), has been shown to protect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rodents.
A study found that EGCG significantly reduced the accumulation of fat in the livers of mice fed a high-fat diet. It also lowered hepatic triglycerides and oxidative stress.
Vitamin A
Unlike the water-soluble vitamins, the fat-soluble vitamin A is stored in the liver and body fat. This means that it takes weeks or months for a deficiency to affect your health. Liver disease, especially fibrosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is associated with low levels of vitamin A.
Fortunately, you can easily meet your daily needs for vitamin A from the diet. Organ meats like liver, along with carrots and other dark-green vegetables, are rich sources of preformed vitamin A or retinoids that the body converts to vitamin A in your digestive tract. Beef liver provides the highest amount of vitamin A outside of supplements, but it’s important to eat it no more than once per week because it contains high levels of cholesterol.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K, which is fat soluble, plays an important role in blood clotting. It’s gotten its name “K” because it was first discovered in 1929 in a German scientific journal under the title Koagulationsvitamin (blood coagulation vitamin). The most common form of vitamin K is phylloquinone, found in leafy green vegetables and animal liver products. But vitamin K2, or menaquinones, is also available from fermented foods and the gut bacteria that make them.
Studies show that vitamin K supplements reduce complications of cirrhosis, including bleeding and arterial calcification. It also improves glucose and lipid metabolism.