Liver Cleanse: Is Detox Possible?
Toxins are an unavoidable part of human life and are present everywhere in the environment. Even when you’re in the safety of your home or basking in the greenery of your garden, toxins are present in the air and will definitely affect you. Some are affected lesser than those who have slower or weakened immune systems.
Fortunately, for most mammalians on this planet, there is an organic detox machine. This detox mechanism is located in our guts and is called the liver. The liver is the biggest organ, at least for humans, and filters the toxins in the body. Liver juices or enzymes also aid detox through excretions. So, on days that you’re having yellow urination, it means your liver found some extensive toxicity in your gut.
The liver supports a number of biosystems in the body. It regulates metabolic functions, fights off a number of infections, breaks down medication, regulates hormonal balance, stores energy from glucose and ensures proteins are digested and utilized properly. Moreover, liver cleansing is an autopilot process of the body. Detoxifying the liver is just about taking care of it by consuming the right nutrients to relieve the liver of additional stress.
What to Know About Liver Detox?
The term ‘detox’ means to get rid of or minimize the effects of toxins, which for the liver is a non-stop job. The liver itself is a detoxifying organ that pulls the toxins out of your blood and gut and throws it out through your excretory systems like urine, stool and sweat.
Some people assume that over time the liver accumulates a number of toxins that aren’t flushed out of the body, which is actually a false assumption. The only things that get accumulated in the liver are fat and excess Vitamin A. So, liver detox is basically regulating the amount of fat that gets stored in the body and making the liver strong by eliminating toxins to avoid an overworked liver.
There are a lot of myths and lesser-known factual information that surround liver cleansing. Let’s get to know them.
- There are different forms of liver cleanses
Liver detox has become a trend on social media and online home-remedy platforms. There are a number of liver cleanse techniques circulating in the media that promise a stronger liver with the use of homemade juices or herbal supplements and extracts. Then there are advanced methods that include the use of enemas and removing a list of foods from your diet for a while along with fasting routines that can be quite unsafe for the gut. Such cleansing routines claim to induce weight loss. However, all the fat that is lost is because of the fasting regimen that burns extra glucose in the body. Such a fat loss routine is not permanent and the weight tends to return quickly once you slip into your regular lifestyle. A better way to lose fat and keep the liver healthy would be to remove any amount of junk food or synthetic products like alcohol, away from your body.
- Liver cleanses are not medical treatment
Many websites and supplement companies may blind you with words like- ‘medically proven solution’ or ‘herbal detox’. While there are a few tried and tested supplements, drinks and spices that help in liver detox, they can be counted on your fingers. The others that are coming up with unbelievable results and high claims of a herbal life are all false messiahs. No herbal supplement and home remedy are backed by the medical regulations of the government. Many of the herbs used in the formulation of liver detox supplements are not supposed to be had regularly, as an excess of them can harm the liver instead of protecting it. So, always consult your doctor before you try one of them.
- Liver cleanse will not compensate for sloshed Sundays
If you want to reverse the effects of role-playing James Bond with too many vodka martinis, a liver cleanse is not going to be the spy gadget for you. So when you go out on a weekend of fender benders, it will scar your liver for a long while and no supplements and juices can reverse the damage. Most of the people that go for untested liver cleanse formulas are people that have an alcohol problem. Alcoholism is the highest risk factor for a swollen and scarred liver. So, guzzling juices every morning when you’re sleeping with the bottle every night, is not going to do you any good. The best way to be out of danger is to have alcohol in tight moderation or switch to alcohol-free drinks like juices, mocktails and smoothies. If you still miss the taste of beer, go for the non-alcoholic ones.
- Some natural substances are good for the liver
Having a lot of enemas and juice boxes might seem like a good idea but both of them come with their own risks. Enemas can generally be uncomfortable and carry the risk of perforated colons and disruption of gut bacteria. While they are used for gut detox, they don’t really interact with problems of the liver. Juice boxes on the other hand, since most of us don’t have time to operate the juicer, can cause health issues because of the preservatives and colours added to them. Having juice on the regular is good, given you are having them right from fresh produce. Meanwhile, some spices and herbs are known to reduce the effects of toxins and fats on the liver. Herbs like- babool (thorny acacia), giloy (Heart-leaved moonseed), kalmegh (green chiretta) and triphala (a combination of amla, haritaki and bibhitaki)- are known in the Ayurveda and natural detox agents that relieve pressure on the liver. They also help in burning down excess fat and relieving constipation. Liver strong capsules by Qraa are composed of these herbs and are made without chemical synthesis and parabens.
Don’t choose your liver detox products and home remedies blindly. The liver is a complex organ and most of the time, in medical references, the most complex organs can be mended with the simplest formulas. Getting a healthy lifestyle and eating wisely can give a healthy liver without having to make concoctions at home. For more gut health formulations and info, visit Qraa Men.