Our livers need our attention and care now more than ever. We encounter thousands of natural and man-made chemicals every day through our food, air, water, and personal products that our livers ultimately have to address. Supporting our liver health should be a daily routine, not a seasonal endeavor, or worse, a one-time detox.
In this 3-part series, I share ways to start protecting our liver health. Part 1 is about lowering the toxin burden from both exogenous and endogenous sources.
The liver – an unsung hero
The liver performs over 500 functions for the body, with some sources estimating it’s more around 700. These critical tasks include detoxification, glucose and cholesterol metabolism, blood filtration, bile production, excess hormone clearing, immunity, protein synthesis, and nutrient storage. It is the last filtration stop for the blood before it is pumped out to the rest of the body by the heart.
I think of the liver as that selfless best friend that buffers us from the ups and downs of life. When we are going through a stressful time, or drinking alcoholic beverages for example, the liver looks after us. It breaks down harmful stress hormones, and the poisons in alcohol, so it can be safely removed from the body. As the only visceral organ that can regenerate, it can endure significant damage, and still function at a high level.
However, our liver’s sacrificial nature is part of it’s vulnerability as well. It can’t keep working overtime without one day slowing down, and eventually breaking down. So how can we support our liver health for the long-term, before it becomes overburdened? It all starts with reducing our toxin load.
Below is a graphic illustrating the many vital functions of the liver.
Loving our livers: reducing toxin exposure
Minimizing our exposure to, and our ingestion of, toxic chemicals supports liver health.
In the home:
- Filter indoor air using air purifiers, and air-cleaning indoor plants. Open windows/screen doors for better ventilation
- Use water filtration systems like reverse osmosis to remove pathogens, heavy metals etc. from drinking water
- Use skincare brands that are vetted through the EWG cosmetics database
- Limit plastic use, especially for storing food and water
- Avoid forever chemicals found in things like non-stick cookware, water and stain resistant clothing and furniture, waterproof skincare products, certain cleaning products etc.
Diet and nutrition:
- Eat organic, and use organic products whenever possible
- Lower the amount and frequency of fast food, and ultra-processed foods consumption
- Avoid artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and sweeteners in foods
- Consume high mercury fish sparingly
- Use consumerlab.com to find foods/supplements that are low in heavy metals
Daily lifestyle and habits:
- Quit smoking, and limit or abstain from ingesting alcohol
- Manage, and work on decreasing stress levels
- Be vigilant around certain prescription and over-the-counter meds like acetaminophen (never stop any medications without speaking to your prescribing healthcare provider first)
Gut health
- Optimize digestion through taking digestive bitters, probiotics, eating lots of fiber, etc. Read my blog post all about bitter foods for health here: https://seemashahrd.com/bitter-foods-herbs-spices-the-forgotten-keys-to-better-health/
- Address any infections/dysbiosis in the gut. Blood from the digestive tract travels to the liver through the hepatic portal vein for cleansing and processing. Any inflammatory or negative microbial substances in it can harm the liver as it filters the blood
Look for my blog post on supporting liver health part 2, which will be all about foods and supplements for better liver function, and part 3 which is about lifestyle interventions that support good liver health.
