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The liver is the detoxification plant of the human body. It gets rid of toxins. These toxins are stored in fat cells, so if you have a fatty liver, there's a good chance you have toxins stored in your liver. That calls for a liver detox. The liver detoxifies the body in three phases. Phase 1 is where toxins are broken down. Phase two is about turning toxins into water-soluble, harmless particles by adding things like folate and vitamin B12. The liver is actually pretty impressive at what it does: break down plastics, pesticides, alcohol, caffeine, drugs, the chemicals that come from pollution, etc. The third phase is the removal of these broken-down, neutralized toxins from the body through urine and stools. This is why constipation must not be left untreated. Toxins stored in fat cells make a fatty liver inefficient in these functions. Hence, the need for a liver detox. The other amazing thing about the liver is that it can regenerate as long as the damage is not too extensive.
The liver produces bile, which is needed for extracting nutrients like vitamins, phytonutrients, and cholesterol from food. The liver also makes Insulin Growth Factor-1, or IGF-1, a type of growth hormone that helps burn off fat and make proteins. The liver also regulates the levels of hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol.
1. Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage contain enzymes that aid the different phases of detoxification. They can also induce the production of these enzymes in the body to improve the detoxification process. They also have phytonutrients that reduce inflammation, fight cancer, and stabilize blood sugar levels.
2. Eggs
Eggs are rich in choline. This essential nutrient is one of the most powerful aids for stripping fat from the liver. Eggs also help regulate cholesterol. The detox process itself requires a high-quality protein (and the amino acids contained in proteins), and what better food than eggs for good protein? When compared to other sources of high-quality protein, eggs are the easiest for the liver to digest.
3. Sprouts
Broccoli is rich in sulforaphane, which helps both phases of the detox process in the body. It also helps protect against cancer. Broccoli sprouts have 100 times the sulforaphane that broccoli has! Make a smoothie with broccoli sprouts, some berries, and water. You will have a drink that is super cleansing for your liver.
4. Beetroot
Beetroot, that colorful vegetable, has special properties that decrease inflammation in the liver. The phytonutrient betaine in beetroot helps detox the liver. Beets also improve bile release from the liver and reduce the fat stored on and around the liver. Beets are a bit sweet to taste but are actually good at stabilizing blood sugar levels. They are obviously not tasty when raw, so you can steam them and make curries or add them to salads. Pro tip: if you get beetroot with the leaves, don’t throw away the leaves. Those leaves contain more potassium than any other food source. So, you can add them to a salad if you don’t mind the taste.
5. Garlic
Garlic is rich in sulfur. Your liver needs sulfur to make the compounds required in the first and second phases of detoxification. Garlic also fights inflammation and has antimicrobial properties that protect the liver and the body. It also contains selenium and allicin, two vital nutrients that help detoxify the liver.
6. Lemon
Anything sour or bitter is good for the liver. And, well, lemons are definitely sour. Lemons are loaded with vitamin C and can help reduce the fat stored on the liver. They help fight inflammation,
7. Cilantro/Coriander/Parsley
These herbs can chelate heavy metals, meaning they can bind to heavy metal particles like mercury or lead or chemicals like phthalates and other toxins found in plastics, insecticides, etc. thus cleaning up the liver and the body.
8. Spinach (and iron-rich foods)
The other superfood everyone loves Iron is a major part of phase 1 of the detoxification process; the enzymes used in that process require iron to work effectively. And what better food for iron than spinach? (Or other greens.)
9. Turmeric
The main thing here is a compound called curcumin, which fights inflammation and assists in the second phase of detoxification, where the toxins are turned into harmless particles. Turmeric is packed with antioxidants that help protect against heavy metals.
10. Green Tea
Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). That elegantly named natural antioxidant helps in the second phase of the liver’s detox process. Green tea is packed with antioxidants, so 2-3 cups of this beverage will set your body on the road to good health.
