A10 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020
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How to Support a Healthy Liver
O
ur liver, aptly named, is responsible for at least 500 metabolic processes that support our body’s ability to “live”. It shouldn’t be surprising that an unhealthy liver can give rise to countless illnesses if we don’t consciously nourish and protect it from unnecessary stress. To better understand this, let’s take a look at a few of the major functions of the liver.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE LIVER DO? • Filters our bloodstream: works to remove and neutralize environmental and dietary toxins as well as invasive pathogenic organisms such as bacteria and viruses. • Plays a major role in digestion: produces the bile necessary for our bodies to break down and digests fats, and stores the fat-soluble vitamins for use as needed. • Keeps us energized: stores metabolized sugars and starches in the form of glycogen to maintain sufficient blood sugar levels to keep us energized. • Maintains our ability to use oxygen: breaks down old blood cells and produces new ones, central to our ability to use oxygen and produce energy. • Hormone regulation: regulates hormones responsible for mood, sex drive, appetite and more.
WHAT FACTORS PUT STRESS ON OUR LIVER? It’s become common knowledge that regular alcohol and smoking habits will contribute to liver-related illnesses, but let’s take a deeper look into environmental and dietary toxins we can try to avoid to help support our liver health: • AIR QUALITY: What we breathe in ends up in our bloodstream, and hence, our liver. Though the liver is a miraculous blood cleansing agent, it did not evolve over the millennia to filter out the petroleum fumes of our cities nor off-gassing formaldehyde and PVC laden building materials inside our homes, as well as phthalates of synthetic air fresheners and laundry scents. We can all benefit from prioritizing a walk in the freshest air available. • HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS: Think about how many potentially toxic chemicals may be in your cleaning products and detergents. Dry cleaning chemicals are notoriously toxic. Many skin lotions and cosmetics are not made with concern about the toxicity of their ingredients. What gets on our skin gets into our liver. Be mindful of the ingredients of all the products you use. Old fashioned soap and vinegar clean and disinfect well.
• PHARMACEUTICALS: In North America, over half of all people take a prescription drug every day. Most of these drugs put a burden on our livers. Among the most harmful to the liver are common over-the-counter painkillers. If you want to feel good long term, avoid overdependence on these. A quick fix often comes at a price, and you and your liver pay. There are natural alternatives for pain relief such as curcumin, acupuncture and conscious breathing. It’s a good idea to explore alternative options to your prescription and over the counter medications with a Naturopathic doctor.
WHAT ABOUT OUR FOOD? The main concern for liver health is the food and drink we consciously put inside our bodies to nourish ourselves. The best advice I can give? Eat organic, whole foods wherever possible. Sadly, modern industrial agriculture offers us pesticide and herbicide laden produce. This and convenience-oriented overprocessed packaged food has become the main source of our toxic load even as we try to eat healthily. All those hard to pronounce additives that are not nutrients in processed food will need to be filtered by our already burdened livers. This is why it’s so beneficial to spare our liver by choosing whole, non-processed, organic food whenever possible. Realizing that in the current marketplace organic food comes at a premium, it may not always be affordable. To help us prioritize, the Environmental Working Group publishes an annual report on which fruits and veggies contain the highest amounts of pesticides. These are the Dirty Dozen: strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes. It is well worth the extra spend at the store to buy organic options for these foods at least.
WHAT ARE THE BEST SUPPLEMENTS TO SUPPORT LIVER HEALTH? However complete and nutritious your diet, there are a number of liver supporting supplements which can be effective for improving liver function. You may consider making them a regular part of your self-care. • MILK THISTLE: Contains silymarin, and is known to protect cells and promote regeneration in the liver. • REISHI: This mushroom has been used for centuries in Asia as a liver tonic and anti-viral. It is an adaptogen which stimulates and invigorates liver activity. • CHAGA: Another wonderful mushroom that is a powerful tissue protecting antioxidant with anti-viral properties. • DANDELION AND BURDOCK: These bitter roots improve bile production. • SELENIUM, ZINC AND MAGNESIUM: We are commonly deficient in these minerals which are essential to proper liver function. • B COMPLEX VITAMINS: B vitamins work best synergistically, and are often involved in many of the detoxification pathways that help eliminate harmful toxins from the body. • VITAMIN C: Essential for many liver processes. The more stressed the liver, such as times of illness, the more C it requires.
TO CLEANSE OR NOT TO CLEANSE? The benefit of adopting these recommendations all at once for days or weeks and considering it as a “liver cleanse” period is that you are apt to give your liver a chance to recover and heal. It will then be better equipped to perform optimally and you will start to feel more robust and healthy and be more encouraged to adopt liver supportive and protective habits long term. It is of course of limited value to take a break from unhealthy habits only to return to them when your “cleanse” period is over. If you prefer to adopt liver loving habits gradually over the long term, confident of a slower re-invigoration, it can potentially help cement these habits into your routine. Either way, improving one’s compassion and consciousness towards liver function is a sure way to better living! – Happy Healthy Liver Month!
DR. MARITA SCHAUCH, BSC. ND, IS A NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN WITH A FAMILY PRACTICE AT TALL TREE INTEGRATED HEALTH CENTRE, 5325 CORDOVA BAY RD., MATTICK’S FARM PH: 250-658-9222 DOCTORMARITA.COM
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