The liver is an incredible organ. With the capacity to regenerate, it has many functions including filtering waste and toxins from the blood, producing bile for digestion, storing essential vitamins and minerals, and helping to regulate blood clotting and blood sugar levels. The liver works hard for us in its many capacities, and there are many things that we can do to support our liver to encourage healthy function. The spring and summer seasons are a great time to support your liver naturally with the help of some seasonal fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Let Thy Food be Thy Medicine
Heading to the farmer’s market or local health food store? These foods and spices help nourish the liver and promote healthy functioning, ranging from detoxification pathway support to lowering liver inflammation to bile production and flow.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Leafy greens, including Swiss chard and kale
- Beets
- Stinging nettles
- Arugula
- Artichoke
- Turmeric
- Ginger
You can enjoy your foods fresh or cooked. One simple way to enjoy these vegetables is to roast broccoli, cauliflower, and beets and combine with extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste. Want some additional cooking inspiration for your fresh market finds? Here’s a gorgeous salad recipe from Love and Lemons that combines liver-loving ingredients including arugula, beets, and walnuts.
Teas and Herbal Infusions for Liver Support
An easy way to support your liver is with teas and herbal infusions. For example, green tea contains antioxidants, most importantly EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which have anti-liver cancer properties and have been seen to decrease elevated liver enzymes, seen in liver conditions such as non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD). Liver protective herbs can be made into include ginger, nettle leaf, and turmeric. Take your tea on a walk, bike ride, or with you while you work in your garden. Check out this yummy tea recipe from Holy Cow Vegan that combines green tea, ginger, and turmeric to drink in the sun this summer.
Your Liver Wants You to Move Your Body
Lastly, a non-nutrition but very important tip for overall liver support and health is to incorporate movement into your daily practice. Exercise is especially helpful in individuals with NAFLD. Recommendations for movement are 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, which comes out to 30 minutes 5 days per week. Find an activity that matches your fitness level, always being careful to not overdo it. Finding something safe, fun, and sustainable is the goal. Walking with a friend, playing doubles tennis, cycling, hula-hooping, rollerblading, swimming or doing yard work are all great examples of outdoor activities you can do. Make sure to talk with your doctor before starting an exercise regimen and to discuss any health regimen for liver support and health specifically.
About the Author
Rachel Paran is a Naturopathic Physician at Heart Spring Health in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Her training in visceral manipulation and craniosacral therapy have been through the Barral Institute and Upledger Institute, respectively. She is a graduate of Sonoran University of Health Sciences in Tempe, Arizona where she developed a passion for using hands-on therapeutic techniques to address functional imbalances. Gentle manipulation of the liver is one of her favorite things to do with her patients. You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Paran through the patient portal or by calling Heart Spring Health at (503) 956-9396. To learn more about Dr. Paran’s health philosophy, you can read her biography by clicking here.
