(29-05-12) Seven foods that will naturally cleanse your liver

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) The primary way in which your body expels toxins is via the
liver, which detoxifies and cleanses your body by continuously filtering the
blood of poisons that enter it through the digestive tract, the skin, and the
respiratory system. But when your liver becomes overworked as a result of
stress or excessive exposure to toxins, your entire system can be thrown off
balance, and your health severely compromised.

Since the liver is also responsible for producing bile, another form of
detoxification that is metabolically necessary for the breakdown and
assimilation of fats and proteins from your food, it is exceedingly important
that your liver be properly maintained. Without a well-functioning liver, your
body will be unable to cleanse itself and absorb nutrients, which is a recipe
for a health disaster.

"The thousands of enzyme systems that are responsible for virtually every body
activity are constructed in the liver," writes Dr. Karl Maret, M.D., about the
importance of vibrant liver function. "The proper functioning of the eyes, the
heart, the brain, the gonads, the joints, and the kidneys, are all dependent on
good liver activity."

"If the liver is impaired from constructing even one of the thousands of
enzyme systems the body requires, there is an impairment in overall body
function and a resultant greater metabolic stress on the individual."

So here are seven important foods you may want to begin incorporating into
your diet in order to maintain a healthy liver.

Garlic, grapefruit, green tea, and green vegetables
Garlic contains numerous sulfur-containing compounds that activate the liver
enzymes responsible for flushing out toxins from the body. This bulbous
relative of the onion also contains allicin and selenium, two powerful
nutrients proven to help protect the liver from toxic damage, and aid it in the
detoxification process.

Grapefruit is rich in natural vitamin C and antioxidants, two powerful liver
cleansers. Like garlic, grapefruit contains compounds that boost the production
of liver detoxification enzymes. It also contains a flavonoid compound known as
naringenin that causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it (http://www.
dailymail.co.uk).

Green tea is loaded with catechins, a type of plant antioxidant that has been
shown in studies to eliminate liver fat accumulation and promote proper liver
function (http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v26/n11/abs/0802141a.html). This
powerful herbal beverage also protects the liver against toxins that would
otherwise accumulate and cause serious damage.

Leafy green vegetables such as bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion greens,
spinach, mustard greens, and chicory also contain numerous cleansing compounds
that neutralize heavy metals, which can bear heavily on the liver. Leafy greens
also eliminate pesticides and herbicides from the body, and spur the creation
and flow of cleansing bile.

Avocados, walnuts, and turmeric
Rich in glutathione-producing compounds, avocados actively promote liver
health by protecting it against toxic overload, and boosting its cleansing
power (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/12/001219074822.htm). Some
research has shown that eating one or two avocados a week for as little as 30
days can repair a damaged liver.

Walnuts, which contain high levels of l-arginine, an amino acid, glutathione,
and omega-3 fatty acids, also help detoxify the liver of disease-causing
ammonia. Walnuts also help oxygenate the blood, and extracts from their hulls
are often used in liver-cleansing formulas.

Turmeric, one of the most powerful foods for maintaining a healthy liver, has
been shown to actively protect the liver against toxic damage, and even
regenerate damaged liver cells. Turmeric also boosts the natural production of
bile, shrinks engorged hepatic ducts, and improves overall function of the
gallbladder, another body-purifying organ.

To learn more, visit: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/liver-
cleanse-foods/

Sources for this article include:

http://www.anthromed.org/Article.aspx?artpk=531

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