How can you support its function naturally?
The liver is a very important organ for the body. The functions it is responsible for are truly numerous, starting from metabolic ones (fats and sugars), through the storage of certain nutrients (e.g. B12, D and iron) and on to that of an anti-toxin filter.
It is a tireless worker, with the one drawback that it does not warn you when it is in trouble. The symptoms of a suffering liver in fact appear when it is already too late and the damage is irreversible. This is why it is very important to look after it, because even if it does not make itself heard, that does not mean it is working at 100%.
- How to tell whether your liver is overworked
- When do we talk about fatty liver and steatosis?
- Plants useful for supporting liver function and its cleansing
How to tell whether your liver is “overworked”
The first thing to point out is that mild to moderate liver strain could quite easily go unnoticed by most people.
To understand whether your liver may be somewhat overworked and in need of cleansing, it can be enough to look at your own habits.
- Have you been through a period with an unbalanced diet, with many pre-packaged meals, often eating out?
- Have you overdone the alcohol for a few weeks?
- Have you been through a period of severe stress?
- Do you often notice digestive difficulties after eating?
- Do you have dull skin and/or skin with blemishes?
- Do you often feel drowsy after meals?
- Are you coming out of a period of taking numerous medicines?
- Do you sometimes feel heaviness and/or pain on the right-hand side of the abdomen?
If the answer is “yes” to at least 2 of these questions, your liver may need support to optimise its functions and cleanse itself.
The situation with “fatty liver” is rather different. Let us see why.
When do we talk about fatty liver and steatosis?
The term “fatty liver” is everyday language used to describe the initial phase of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The latter is a condition of liver suffering in which fat continuously accumulates inside its cells in the form of triglycerides.
When the percentage of fat in the liver exceeds 5% of the weight of the organ, the disease sets in1.
It is recognised as the most common cause of chronic liver disease and its prevalence has risen to over 30% of adults in developed countries2, while its incidence is still rising among very young people too3.
Very often this condition is linked to metabolic syndrome4, which includes excess weight, high triglycerides, insulin resistance (or, worse, diabetes), high blood pressure and the accumulation of visceral fat around the abdomen. Diagnosis is simple: it is carried out by means of an ultrasound scan. With this examination it is possible to assess whether the liver is fatty and whether a condition of tissue fibrosis has already set in, and therefore to understand how severe the damage is.
How to support liver function and liver cleansing naturally
The first fundamental aspects to take care of in order to help an “overworked” or steatotic liver are:
- Diet (the Mediterranean diet seems to be the most suitable one5)
- Physical exercise6
- Limiting/eliminating alcoholic drinks
Then, if the situation is still reversible and the Doctor considers that the use of medicines can be avoided, there are plant extracts with specific supporting properties for the liver.
Milk Thistle: the benefits of Silymarin for the liver
Milk Thistle is a plant that is very well known in the field of liver wellbeing.
The hepatoprotective and anti-hepatotoxic properties attributed to this plant are due to a specific phytocomplex called Silymarin. In particular, scientific studies7 have shown that Silymarin:
- is able to stimulate the synthesis of proteins and phospholipids, thereby supporting the regenerative capacity of liver cells. (A healthy liver regenerates its cells continuously and is even able to return to its original volume after surgical resection);
- offers protection to the membranes of the hepatocytes (liver cells) from the entry of toxic agents
- protects healthy, functional hepatocytes from the damaged ones nearby; damaged cells can in fact produce metabolites capable of affecting neighbouring cells.
- Prevents the formation of highly unstable radicals generated by the oxidation of lipids (lipid peroxides). These compounds are in fact among the main players in the inflammatory process affecting the liver.
It is precisely because of all these characteristics that Milk Thistle is an excellent aid for supporting a struggling liver. It is very important that the extract chosen is a dry extract standardised in Silymarin.
This processing guarantees the certain and constant presence of the main active phytocomplex of this plant.
Artichoke: Caffeoylquinic acids and Cynarin for choleretic action
The leaves of the Artichoke, the ones that are not usually eaten, are rich in phenolic acids, organic acids and cynarin. These particular components perform one main action: a choleretic one. In other words, they stimulate the secretion of bile8-9-10.
Bile plays a very important role in the digestive process and must therefore be secreted in the right amount. If the liver is weighed down and has an accumulation of fat, it struggles to carry out its functions correctly, including the production of bile. This gives rise to digestive problems that translate into bloating, heaviness and bad breath.
That is why, in the natural support of the liver, it is also important to use an element that is able to stimulate the secretion of bile.
Phyllanthus: support against fats
Phyllanthus is a plant that is less well known than the previous ones, but just as useful for the liver.
It contains high percentages of tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids and ellagic acid, which have inhibitory effects on the accumulation of fat in the liver and also protect against oxidative stress11.
Fumitory: cleansing and hepatobiliary function
It is a very hardy wild Mediterranean plant. It was already cited in connection with liver wellbeing by Galen in the 2nd century AD for its property of regulating bile secretion.
Furthermore, the flowering tops of this plant promote the cleansing functions of the body and the wellbeing of the skin, which is often a target for the accumulation of toxins.
Olive leaves: packed with antioxidants
Olive leaves contain a particular molecule with an extremely powerful antioxidant action: oleuropein12.
The supply of antioxidants is very important for liver wellbeing, since they contribute to detoxification processes and protect the lipid components from oxidation.
What is more, olive leaves support the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates!
So, to support liver function naturally and completely, the combination of standardised extracts of Milk Thistle, Artichoke, Phyllanthus, Fumitory and Olive leaves is ideal.
We hope we have given you some additional information that will help you to assess and choose the best product based on natural extracts useful for the wellbeing of the liver.