The liver is enormously important to the body, but many people do not realize just how essential it is until something goes wrong. Its most important function is act as one of the body’s filters to help remove toxins such as pesticides, heavy metals or even the by-products of medicines from the body to help prevent dangerous build-ups of these substances. Nourishing the liver is simple to do and enormous health benefits can be reaped from it. Below are six ways to love the liver.
Hydrate
To help the liver drive toxins out of the body, drink 8-10 glasses of filtered water a day. Starting the day out with a glass of water with the juice of half a lemon added is also a great way to bolster the liver’s detoxifying functions. This is because the lemon juice stimulate the liver to make bile, which the body uses as a vehicle to get rid of unwanted substances.
Love Your Greens
Make sure to include plenty of liver-nourishing vegetables in the diet. These include leafy green vegetables, beets, cabbage, kale, arugula, collards and other similar veggies. That is why they often appear on the menu of a liver detox regimen. Sulfur-rich veggies like garlic, onions and broccoli will also boost liver function.
Massage
This might sound strange, but a little DIY massage can also improve liver health. Lying flat on the back, get comfortable and then gentle massage the portion of the abdomen below the right lower rib, where the liver and gallbladder are located. This will help improve circulation to the area.
Avoid Overburdening
Even for people leading a healthy lifestyle, the liver has a lot of work to do. Over-consumption of alcohol or use of over-the-counter pain killers can add substantially to its workload and causes problems like cirrhosis in the course of time. As a matter of fact, though, the number one cause of liver failure is not alcoholism but chronic use of pain killers, with acetaminophen being particularly notorious for this.
Take Liver-Nourishing Supplements
Apart from a healthy diet and lots of water, it is also possible to nourish the liver with the use of certain supplements. Try 45 mg of turmeric, 400mg of milk thistle or 400 mg of dandelion extract daily to keep the liver healthy and happy.
Eat a Mineral-Rich Diet
Optimum liver function is dependent upon adequate levels of a variety of minerals in the body. To achieve this, eat a mineral rich diet and/or use a multi-mineral supplement. If using a such a supplement, be sure to look for one which contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper, sodium, zinc, manganese, and iron.
None of these suggestions are complicated or expensive to do. However, the benefits from them to someone’s overall health can be enormous and have big effects on one’s immune system, energy levels and even longevity.
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