Natural Healing: Herbs for the Liver

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The liver is the Grand Central Station (so to speak) of the body’s functions, especially for the detoxification process. The largest internal organ, the liver sits in the right upper abdomen and helps keep the energy flow of the body in balance, regulates the blood flow, produces digestive enzymes and amino acids, and ensures the optimal function of the menstrual cycle. Simply put, the liver is the key to life. Every second of the day, the liver is systematically filtering and detoxifying everything that enters the body, from food to medications, protecting you from becoming poisoned. As the body’s central clearinghouse, the liver has the sole responsibility of determining which substances are beneficial to the body and which ones need to be kicked out. And that’s where the critical phases of the detoxification process come into play.

Giving your liver special nurturing during the spring will help you attain better health. This program will help nourish the liver, regenerate cells and tissue, support the purification of the blood, and energize and soothe the nervous system.

Cleanse your liver

Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) is a premier springtime herbal tea because it has a long history of gentle, effective liver cleansing and decongesting. It’s known as a primary liver tonic and offers more nutritional value than most vegetables. Dandelion helps alleviate liver inflammation and congestion by stimulating bile. Other liver-protecting herbs include gentian root (Gentiana lutea), milk thistle (Silybum marianum), yellow dock (Rumex crispus), and Oregon grape root (Mahonia aquifolium). Chlorophyll-rich spices such as dill, mint, tarragon, and thyme are time-honored detoxifiers that nourish and purify the bloodstream while assisting the body with digestion. Fresh lemon and lime juice, natural diuretics, should be included in the spring detox plan because of their antiseptic, germicidal, and mucus-elimination properties. They have been used for centuries as liver toners.

Ten-day detox food diet

Spring is the time to emphasize lots of fresh veggies, especially purifying dark-green leafy vegetables such as kale. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods should be chosen from the categories listed below. The following list is restricted to whole, natural foods without seasonings (except for the cleansing spring spices discussed above). With or between meals, drink 1 cup of dandelion root tea daily. With breakfast or dinner, take a liver-supporting supplement containing one or more of the liver herbs discussed above.

• Oil—2 tablespoons organic flaxseed oil daily.
• Lean protein—at least 8 ounces daily. Choose from eggs, fish, lamb, poultry, pheasant and quail. Vegetarians can substitute whey and moderate soy products for animal proteins.
• Vegetables—Unlimited steamed or raw, low glycemic. Choose from high-fiber selections such as peppers, asparagus, beans, sprouts, cabbage, onions, squash, broccoli and tomatoes.
• Fruits—2 whole portions daily. Choose from oranges, apples, grapefruit, avocados, plums, apricots, nectarines and strawberries.
• Filtered water—8 glasses a day to rid the body of waste, keep tissues moist, and lubricate the system.

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