The month of January is coming to an end, and with it, the gastronomic opulence of the end-of-year celebrations. Since December, we have been abusing our digestive system and our liver; between chocolates, foie gras, Yule logs and other king’s pancakes… Not to mention the upcoming pancake season… Our body tells us STOOOOP !!! And it would be time to listen to it.
On the lunar calendar, February 1 is an important date marking the end of winter and the imminent return of spring. As the days grow longer, the first flowers appear and the snow disappears. Nature tells us that soon the beautiful days will return. So why not take the opportunity to start honoring your new year’s resolutions and start a good detox cure?
Why is it important to do a liver detox?
We cannot live more than a few hours without a liver because the functions of this organ are so vital.
The liver is the most important emunctory in the body because it is the most stressed. In fact, it receives all of the products of digestion in order to filter them through the blood. It also receives the products of putrefaction loaded with toxic ammonia substances. It is also in the liver that all unwanted chemical substances are found: pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers, drugs, etc. Being at the center of the process, the liver is the most important emunctory and also has the ability to remove toxic substances.
- The liver filters and eliminates waste (like other emunctories)
- The liver neutralizes many toxic and carcinogenic substances
Know that this waste filtered by the liver is eliminated in the bile. Therefore, it is necessary to have a good production and a regular flow of bile. This flow allows both digestion and detoxification.
The detoxification function is performed by the liver and only by it.
What exactly is “detox”?
The drainage and detoxification of the liver is called “detox.”
Detoxifying means “neutralizing” molecules that are aggressive or toxic to the body. These molecules will be neutralized by cytochromes P450, then by the two enzymatic phases and finally by a third enzymatic phase which will make them water-soluble in order to be eliminated by the emunctories. Firstly by the intestines via the bile, and secondly by the kidneys which play a very important role in the elimination of urea, toxins, waste, etc … via urine and which have been neutralized in the liver.
It is generally advisable to do at least 2 one-month cures per year.
In summary, the liver is an organ whose role is to receive blood and lymph, to eliminate unwanted substances such as toxins and wastes by rejecting them in the intestines, which will take care of their evacuation.
However, it can sometimes happen that the liver is too strained and therefore starts to tire. In the event of liver failure, toxins and wastes can pass into the body, causing disease.
If the liver is too stressed, we see:
- Bad breath and loaded tongue, especially in the morning
- Difficult digestion, nausea, gas, bloating
- Regular drowsiness after meals
- Headaches
- Chronic fatigue
- Nocturnal awakenings
- Light colored stools
A healthy diet and the limitation or even the elimination of aggressive substances will come in prevention and “treatment” of problems affecting the liver.
Some naturopathic tips for successful liver detox:
- Choose foods rich in fiber:
Favor, for example, cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, etc.) and eat them preferably raw.
- To drink a lot of water :
As part of a liver detox, it is advisable to drink at least 2L of water per day to help the body to drain toxins as well as to eliminate them more easily.
- Apply a hot water bottle to his liver every evening:
The heat has a decongestant effect and will promote the production of bile.
- Go for relaxation:
Why not try the sauna, sophrology, meditation, yoga or even reflexology to relax and avoid any type of stress to help the body eliminate toxins more easily.
- Lighten your diet:
The fact of reducing its diet helps the body not to consume all its energy capital in digestion.
- During the detox cure it is better to avoid:
Dairy products, refined products that are too fatty and too sweet, alcohol, coffee, tobacco, grilled meats, tea, medicines, drugs, etc.
What plants should I use in my liver detox cure?
The artichoke is a cholagogue and a choleretic. It is hepatoprotective and anti-free radicals. It causes liver regeneration thanks to the 1,5-dicaffeyl-quinic acid it contains, which has the role of increasing bile flow and protecting the hepatocyte against carbon tetrachloride.
Burdock is choleretic by stimulating liver and biliary functions. It is a hepatoprotector indicated in toxic and toxin overloads.
Black radish is a hepatic drainer, a cholagogue and a choleretic. It is renowned for its detoxifying properties. It is an inducer of phase I and phase II liver enzymes.
This plant is a membrane stabilizer (it inhibits hepatocyte membrane transport systems, making it more difficult to absorb toxicants, inhibit lipid peroxidation and increase the uptake of free radicals produced by hepatotoxic substances); it contributes to the maintenance of the glutathione pool responsible for liver detoxification (phase II enzymes), reduces the increase in transaminases and alkaline phosphatases and protects against oxidative stress.
Dandelions are known to be choleretic and cholagogue. It is a detoxifier that induces a dramatic increase (244% of control) in the activity of the phase II detoxifying enzyme. It is indicated in the enzymatic stimulation of the liver and kidneys.
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