The liver is the largest internal organ in the body, so it’s safe to say we need to take good care of it. This football-sized organ is located in the upper right part of the abdomen.
What does the liver do?
The liver has many responsibilities and functions in the body. This beautiful organ couldn’t be more of a helping hand for those late nights out drinking or the over-consumption of junk food on a cheat day.
- The liver plays a part in the metabolic process of breaking down proteins and fats for storage1.
- The point of this storage is to eventually convert it into the energy we need to get through our day-to-day tasks.
- Another large role the liver plays in the body is detoxification.
How does the liver get rid of toxins?
From drugs and alcohol to unknown foreign substances, the liver helps filter and detoxify the materials not meant to be in our body. Ensuring toxins are safely removed from your blood is one of the liver’s most critical jobs.
- The first step uses enzymes and oxygen to burn toxins, especially fatty ones2.
- The second detox step combines toxins with amino acids so they can be removed from the liver through bile or urine2.
- Specific external toxins: certain medications, food additives, preservatives, food colorings, sweeteners, flavor enhancers, chemicals used in agriculture, alcohols, volatile organic compounds, fumes, air pollution and many other factors2.
How can enzymes consumption help the detoxification process?
We need enzymes in our bodies in order to carry out key roles, such as digestion and detoxification. Many restrictive diets that people use today are lacking necessary enzymes.
We can boost our intake of enzymes through many types of foods3:
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Papaya
- Kefir
- Pineapple
- Miso
- Tempeh
- Soy sauce
- Sauerkraut
- Purify™ Liver Detox by Enzymedica: The natural ingredients in this vegetarian supplement supports healthy break down and detoxification in the liver4.
- Purify™ Complete Body Cleanse by Enzymedica: There are 20 packets for 10 days. This 10-day cleanse offers a “whole body” approach to natural cleansing and detoxification4. This formula assists the body in the steps needed to get rid of the toxins released into our bodies.
- Purify™ Activated Charcoal+ by Enzymedica: These capsules assist the body’s natural detoxification process by helping to both capture and eliminate unwanted toxins and other material4.
- Green Tea: Catechins (antioxidants) from green tea increase the activity of pepsin (digestive enzyme), the digestive enzyme that breaks down proteins in the stomach5.
- Chai Tea: Cinnamon may help relieve a variety of digestive ailments, such as occasional gas, indigestion, heartburn, stomach cramps and nausea5.
- Kombucha Tea: This fermented beverage contains probiotics and enzymes that assist with digestion and liver detoxification6.
Although the liver is responsible for detoxification, there are many things we can do to help further detoxify our bodies. Health and what we put in our bodies goes hand-in-hand. It isn’t uncommon today for people to take drastic fasting measures to detox their bodies and lose weight. An extremely informative article produced by Enzymedica suggested, “Instead of a water fast, I recommend a modified juice fast or detox diet along with additional nutritional support. This strategy allows for the proper detoxification and elimination of toxic compounds7.”
Why is it important to cleanse and detoxify our liver?
The liver isn’t your average internal organ. More than any other organ, the liver enables us to benefit from the food we eat. As the Crystal Star health blog puts it, “without the liver… the conversion of food into living energy is nonexistent8.” Consuming toxins from our food and drinks will cause a long-term effect on our liver that can be reduced. There are also aspects of our day-to-day living that we can change or avoid doing to keep our liver healthy.
- Avoiding alcohol is very beneficial for your liver, but we all know it’s not the easiest when you go out or just need a little wine with dinner. Moderate consumption is okay!
- Some drugs and medications may not be the easiest for the liver to breakdown. It will always benefit you to be cautious of what you may be taking and be sure to read the label.
- Flush it out! Water is something people today often do not drink enough of, and adding lemon makes it even better. “Lemon and all citrus fruits contain vitamin C and minerals that boost bodily functions and enhance the cleansing process, sweeping out wastes. Flushing your liver is like giving your body a good pre-wash so your blood stays at optimal pH levels9.”
- Eating healthy carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. As I said earlier, the liver is responsible for the breaking down proteins and fats, so why not make the job easier? The foods listed above are great for the liver as well as almonds, coconut, walnuts, chia, sunflower seeds, olives, and avocado9.
Benefits of Cleansing
Focusing on your health, body and mind should be a number one priority. Detoxifying can lead to many positive enhancements, such as an increase in energy levels. We all have those days where we just feel groggy and unmotivated. Drinking plenty of water and consuming the right foods can help increase your daily energy. Another way to go about this is to be aware of deficiencies we may have and provide our bodies with the right vitamins and minerals. Enzyme Nutrition™ Multi-vitamin is an amazing matrix of vitamins that enhance daily energy and provide antioxidants. These antioxidants also assist in boosting the immune system. Detoxifying the body of invaders may decrease the amount of colds you get a year. It is never too late to begin detoxifying your body. The bioaccumulation of toxins increases as we get older10. Even though we all wish detoxing would keep us from aging, we still need to take care of our liver and other organs by maintaining healthy habits.
