It is Important to Love Your Liver

It is Important to Love Your Liver.

This week I wanted to talk about one of most important organs that does not get the Love it deserves most of the time..we tend to take it for granted! I also want to share my favorite way to support your Liver. To me this should be added to your basic daily support along side Minerals, Omega’s, Antioxidants, Vita D, etc

Staying healthy and well is all about balance and it has become more and more challenging.

From cleaning chemicals and hair products to air pollution, toxic foods and heavy metals, we’re dealing with an unprecedented influx of environmental toxins on a daily basis. Not to mention adding emotional stress into to the mix.

As the primary detox organ, the liver has the critical job of filtering these unwanted compounds and preparing them for elimination.  Making sure the liver and other detox organs are functioning optimally is key to holistically supporting the body’s natural detox pathways.  When the Liver is not working well it can lead to all kinds of Metabolic Problems!

When faced with so many chemicals, pollutants, and toxins, the liver can become overloaded and instead of eliminating toxins it recycles them. This is what it might feel like.  You feel toxic, swollen or a little off and not quite yourself. You might struggle with PMS or hormonal symptoms.  Perhaps you might even feel a little irritable, grumpy or angry or triggered easily. Check out this post for more on signs and symptoms your Liver is not happy!

If you have any of these symptoms then it could be a sign that you could review and reduce your toxic load and use some support.  That is where one of my favorite herbs come in. It is Milk Thistle.

Milk Thistle can help to protect, support, and even rejuvenate the liver, so it can filter and remove unwanted toxins.

HOW MILK THISTLE SUPPORTS THE LIVER

Thanks to a bioactive phytonutrients called silymarins, milk thistle delivers antioxidant properties that offer quite an array of health benefits many of which directly support liver health and function.

IT HELPS TO REMOVE WASTE

Milk thistle helps support the body’s natural detoxification pathways by promoting Phase I liver detoxification. This is where compounds are hydroxylated (which means made water soluble)

Phase 1 is the first line of defense against toxins and it uses various enzymes that protect cells from damage by converting toxins into smaller and less harmful substances destined for further detox and by making toxins water-soluble in order to enter Phase 2.

Specifically, the herb neutralizes free radicals that are produced as a natural byproduct when the liver breaks down unwanted compounds.  A very important function that helps support wellbeing.

According to a 2015 Antioxidants scientific review, milk thistle’s potent phytochemical silymarin also bolsters glutathione synthesis. Known as the “master antioxidant” in our body, glutathione is a vitally important antioxidant that has a profound impact on detoxification efforts. Yeah!!!

IT HELP TO BLOCK TOXINS

According to a Phytocology Research review, silymarin also helps support the liver by inhibiting toxins from binding to liver cell membrane receptors.

In addition to its toxin-blocking actions, milk thistle also helps regulate and buffer liver enzymes to support detox pathways. (A win-win for the never-ending fight against modern toxins!)

IT HELPS TO RESTORE LIVER CELLS

Finally, milk thistle not only protects liver cells (e.g., by helping to block toxins and supporting overall detoxification), but also helps restore liver cells that have been affected by ongoing toxin exposure.

Milk Thistle Forte is one of my favorite products to support Liver function. I am pretty particular about the quality of the products I recommend cause not all herbal products have the same quality and therefore not the same action. I choose Mediherb products because of the research they do and  their commitment to high standards so I know that my patients get the benefits they are looking for.

PS If you are taking any medications or hormones then you need to support the Liver Detox pathways.  I also like a product called  Livco. Livco is a combination formula that has Milk Thistle in it along with other herbal nutrients. This is the formula my husband and I both take on the daily to support our Liver.

These suggestions can be found by clicking the link. Use my code for a 10% discount on your purchases. (W8MJSC). You can also order directly from https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/pmartindr/signup

I hope you enjoyed this week’s post and it helped you see how important it is to support your Liver…

Have a healthy week!!
Dr. Pia