How to use Nutrition and Supplements to Support your Liver Function and Improve your Health
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Here at Mind Medicine, we are obsessed with holistic health and wellness and something very important to us is looking after your internal health. Every part of your being should be nurtured when it comes to your health and this includes your liver.
Why is it important to look after my liver health?
The liver is one of the most important and largest organs in the body and is also the only organ that can regenerate itself. The liver is responsible for:
- Metabolising fat for storage or releasing it as energy
- Sending bile to the small intestine to digest food
- Detoxifies the body of harmful substances
- Metabolising glucose for energy or stores it as glycogen
- Stores fat-soluble vitamins and minerals
- Aiding immune system functions
- Produces and breaks down proteins
This really is only a snapshot of all the functions the liver has within your body. But this makes it clear that when your liver is not healthy it can have diverse effects on your whole being.
Additionally, when you are not feeling physically well, this can negatively impact your mental health too. With a holistic approach to health, nurturing your body contributes to your mental, emotional and spiritual health. Therefore, helping to maintain and improve your overall health and wellbeing.
Cleansing the liver is often sold as one-time activity you can do to rid yourself of toxins and help the liver function well again. The reality is that the health of your liver is reliant on what you do every single day.
Looking after the health of your liver will help prevent diseases such as fatty liver or alcohol-related or non-alcohol-related liver disease. As well as other diseases related to poor organ and internal health.
Additionally, improving your internal health can positively impact your whole holistic health. Through the mind-body connection, when you are physically feeling healthier, it can improve your mental health too. So, do not underestimate the power of nurturing your liver health in your everyday life.
Steps to Improving your Liver Health
Ultimately, your liver health is hugely important and here are some steps you can take to improve and cleanse your liver.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is a supplement that has many benefits for the liver. Silymarin, the active substance in milk thistle, helps to protect the liver from damage, aids in regeneration of liver tissue and reduces inflammation.
Milk Thistle Supplements do this by strengthening the walls of the cells to reduce the number of toxins entering cells. Therefore, reducing the damage caused to the liver cells and minimising inflammation. It’s antioxidant properties stimulate protein synthesis to regenerate cells and stimulates bile production to break down excess fat.
There have been studies conducted using milk thistle on patients with liver disease, hepatitis and cirrhosis. Although more research is needed to fully understand the effect of milk thistle on liver health, so far it is positive for reducing damage.
NAC
N-Acetyl L-Cysteine is a semi-essential amino acid that is produced naturally in the body. Along with glycine and glutamine, these amino acids produce glutathione.
Glutathione is one of the body’s most important antioxidants. Again, it helps to eliminate free radicals and reduce liver cell damage. Therefore, NAC helps in detoxification of your blood and contributes to better liver health.
Choline
Choline is a nutrient that is also made in the body but is also obtained through your diet. This is due to the body not producing enough for your body’s functions.
This nutrient plays many roles within the body and contributes to to the health of liver. Choline aids the transportation of fat around the body and removes cholesterol from the liver. Therefore, reducing the build up of fat in the liver.
Choline is definitely justified as a supplement to your diet. Although it is found in food such as meat, fish and eggs, if you do not include enough in your diet, your liver can suffer.
Try this high-quality Choline to add to your smoothies or drinks every day
Eating High Quality Food
Avoiding processed food, refined sugars and refined carbs can be hugely beneficial for your liver health. These kinds of foods put pressure on your liver to rid you of the toxins, fats and sugars that processed food contains.
Therefore, eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, quality protein, grains and healthy fats reduces this risk. This food provides the natural fats and sugars that your liver is for.
Choosing a better, healthier diet can help repair you liver and also maintain its healthy functions.
Weight Loss and Lifestyle Choices
Obesity, type 2 diabetes and alcohol consumption can make you more susceptible to liver diseases. This is due to increased toxins that the liver has to filter, increase fat storage in the body and around the organs and therefore, damaging your liver.
This means you should make different and more beneficial lifestyle choices for your body and your liver health. This includes:
- improving your diet
- exercising regularly, especially if your life is more sedentary
- limiting alcohol consumption
- losing weight in a healthy way
All of these factors can also aid in weight loss. Losing weight can limit the strain on your body, your liver and improve your internal health. Especially when combined with supplements for weight loss.
However, extreme diets and crazy workout programs may not be the healthiest way to lose weight. From a holistic point of view, these types of weight loss regimes can lead to diminished mental, physical and emotional health.
Ultimately, your lifestyle choices have a huge impact on your health.
If you need help with your health and losing weight, get in contact today!
Time to Use Supplements and Nutrition to Improve your Liver Health
Thankfully, supplements like milk thistle, choline and NAC are readily available and can be easily integrated into your daily routine. Consider using these supplements to support better lifestyle choices and diet for your liver health.
As a result, you may see huge improvements in your overall health and wellness. This includes your mental health as your body feels better, healthier and functioning optimally.