Do Liver Cleanses Protect You From Liver Disease
Your overall health and your genes affect your liver. So do your diet, lifestyle, and environment. Liver detox programs donât treat damage or prevent disease.
Ways to prevent liver disease
Lifestyle changes can help keep your liver healthy without detox programs. These steps can be especially important if youâre at higher risk of liver disease because of something like heavy alcohol use or a family history of liver disease.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Eat a well-balanced diet every day. Thatâs five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables, along with fiber from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Be sure to include protein for the enzymes that help your body detox naturally.
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Exercise every day if you can. Check with your doctor first if you havenât been active.
- Cut down on risky behavior that can lead to viral hepatitis:
- Avoid recreational drugs. If you do use them, donât share needles or straws to inject or snort them.
- Donât share razors, toothbrushes, or other household items.
- Get tattoos only from a sterile shop.
- Donât have unprotected sex with people you donât know.
Signs You Might Need A Liver Cleanse Or Detox
Think back to the time in your life when you felt the healthiest. How does your current state compare? If you feel significantly less vital, then it could be a sign that your liver needs some support or that your diet and lifestyle need a general overhaul. Here are some signs your liver needs a little support:
- You crave sugar often.
- You experience frequent gas and bloating.
What Is A Liver Detox
A liver detox, cleanse, or flush is a program that claims to take out toxins in your body, help you lose weight, or improve your health.
You want to do everything you can to take an active role in your health. But if you think you need a liver detox, you should know that there isnât much it can do for you.
Your liver is one of the largest organs in your body. It helps remove waste and handles various nutrients and medicines.
Most people think a cleanse will help their liver remove toxins after they drink too much alcohol or eat unhealthy foods. Some hope it will help their liver work better on a daily basis. Many believe itâll help treat liver disease.
Like most detoxes, a liver cleanse has specific steps. It may tell you to fast or to drink only juices or other liquids for several days. You might need to eat a restricted diet or take herbal or dietary supplements. Some detoxes also urge you to buy a variety of products.
Recommended Reading: Clarins Cleansing Milk Normal To Dry Skin
Myth #: You Cannot Protect Yourself Against Liver Disease
Contrary to this myth, there are many preventive steps you can take toprotect yourself against liver disease, says Woreta. The followingmeasures are recommended:
- Do not drink alcohol in excess. On a routine basis, men should not consume more than three drinks per day, and women should not consume more than two drinks per day to prevent the development of alcoholic liver disease.
- Avoid weight gain. Maintain your body mass index in the normal range by eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis to decrease your risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Beware engaging in risky behaviors. To avoid the risk of acquiring viral hepatitis, do not engage in behaviors such as illicit drug use or having unprotected sex with multiple partners.
- Know your risk factors. If you have the following risk factors for liver disease, its important to go for screening, as chronic liver disease can be silent for years and go unrecognized:
- Excessive alcohol use
- Family history of liver disease
If you have the following risk factors for hepatitis C, it is important to speak with your physician about screening, as nearly 50 percent of patients do not know they’re infected:
- Anyone who received a blood transfusion prior to 1992
- Current or former illicit drug use
- Patients on hemodialysis
- Health care workers who have been stuck by needles with hepatitis C-infected blood
- Anyone with a history of tattoos inked in an unregulated setting
5 Ways to Be Kind to Your Liver
Your Liver Detox Menus

Our nutrition team used guidelines from Dr. Oz and his liver detox experts to create this menu. It skips snacks since Dutch research found they led to a 110-percent increase in liver fat. Hungry between meals? Try adding more fat-rich foods to main meals. While using this plan, drink plenty of water with lemon and other liver-friendly beverages like black coffee and milk thistle tea. Season meals to your liking with unprocessed and low-carb options like herbs, spices, vinegar, and mustard. A tip to speed results: Gentle exercise has been shown to reduce liver fat. As always, get a doctors okay to try any new plan.
Also Check: 5 Day Smoothie Cleanse Weight Loss
Blood Sugar Stability And Kidney Health
Blood sugar is the main sugar located in your blood that comes from food. Unless you are leading a fat-adapted ketogenic lifestyle, this is your bodys main source of energy. Your bloods job is to take this sugar to your cells throughout your body for energy.
Diabetes is a disease characterized by too high blood sugar levels. Prediabetes is a precursor and risk factor for diabetes in which your blood sugar levels are high but not quite high to meet a diabetes diagnosis. Even if you are not dealing with diabetes or prediabetes, you may be experiencing symptoms of insulin resistance or blood sugar imbalances, which can affect your overall health and increase your risk of diabetes.
Paying attention to your blood sugar is critical for kidney health. Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and prediabetes and blood sugar imbalances can increase your risk of kidney issues. However, managing your blood sugar levels and keeping them stable and healthy can lower your risk of kidney disease or help to slow or stop the progression of kidney disease .
Helps Curb Liver Stones
The kidneys and gallbladder arent the only organs to produce stones your liver can achieve this as well. These stones are similar to gallstones with the exception of location, and form due to high cholesterol levels. When too much cholesterol is present in the body, excess amounts may crystallize into lumps resembling tiny pebbles. These stones, stored in the liver, can considerably affect liver function. Performing a cleanse may help flush these unwanted stones out of your system, supporting a more productive liver.
Read Also: Best Cleanser For Menopausal Skin
Ways To Love Your Liver Daily + Weekend Cleanse Meal Plan
·Post may contain affiliate links.
Got any plans this weekend? Bet a liver cleanse isnt on your agendabut maybe it should be! Cleanses have a reputation for being difficult, life-interrupting processes. But doing a short, food-based cleanse is actually pretty painless and a lot easier than you think.
Your liver is the second-largest organ in the body , so giving it a break from toxins, preservatives, and hard-to-process foods helps it function better every day. Liver health is crucial, as this is your detox organ. It supports your skin and hormones, as well as your immune, reproductive, and digestive systems.
Your liver does so much amazing work that it could really benefit from nutritional support. So think of this cleanse as a way to supercharge the natural detox capabilities of the liver.
There are lots of awesome juice cleanses out there that can help flush out toxins, but more and more, naturopaths and other practitioners are recommending a food-based approach to cleansing to use as a more frequent practice, with juice cleanses less often.
A food-based cleanse helps ensure you get all the right nutrients), and its gentler on your system, making it great for beginners or those who dont want to commit to doing a full juice cleanse. Food-based cleanses also minimize the deprivation, withdrawal, and metabolism crash one can sometimes experience when consuming only liquids.
Follow this menu for a liver-friendly cleanse you can do in a weekend!
Myth #: Liver Cleanses Can Correct Existing Liver Damage
Liver cleanses have not been proven to treat existing liver damage, saysWoreta, but there are many other forms of treatment available for thosewho are affected. Here are a few types of liver disease and theiravailable treatment options:
- Hepatitis A and B. You should be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B if you are not immune or have any other underlying liver disease. Highly effective oral medications for patients with chronic hepatitis B infection are available as well.
- Alcoholic liver disease. All alcohol consumption should cease in order to allow the liver the best chance for recovery. The liver has an amazing ability to regenerate and heal once active injury has been stopped.
- Hepatitis C. Highly effective, well-tolerated oral medications now exist to treat hepatitis C.
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The most effective treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is weight loss, which has been shown to decrease the amount of fat in the liver and the inflammation caused by the fat.
Read Also: I Want To Do A Cleanse To Lose Weight
Spring Cleaning For Your Body How To Do A 10
Spring has finally arrived, and with it comes the urge to do a little spring cleaning. During the winter months, we find ourselves almost hibernating. Days are spent indoors, cozy with our favorite comfort foods, and before we know it, weve packed on a few extra pounds. Spring is the perfect time to do away with those habits and welcome some new, energizing ones. A whole body cleanse is the perfect way to welcome the warmer weather and reveal a healthier, happier you.
What Is The Best Way To Detox Your Liver Naturally
A liver cleanse doesn’t have to be difficult and grueling Using a whole foods approach, some common sense and a commitment to good habits will get the job done.
And, of course, a liver cleanse doesn’t have to be expensive. You can get cost-effective benefits by spending a little more on organic groceries and cooking meals from scratch.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Facial Cleanser For Eczema
Diy Liver Detox Menus
At each sitting, enjoy four to six ounces tofu, eggs, fish, beef, or poultry with unlimited non-starchy vegetables, herbs, and spices, plus one to two servings of good fat . Buy organic when possible. Enjoy one cup low-sugar fruit plus an optional 1/2 cup serving of sweet potato or beets daily. After two weeks, test other unprocessed foods you like if they dont cause fatigue, bloat, or weight gain, include them in moderation going forward.
We write about products we think our readers will like. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the supplier.
This article originally appeared in our print magazine.
S To Cleanse The Liver

A week before the cleanse you should rid your home of toxins, and eliminate products that contain chemicals like nail polish, hairspray, or other chemically produced beauty products. Stay away from alcohol before and after a cleanse, and consider eliminating alcohol from your life altogether.
You’ll have the best results if you eat clean, healthy meals and avoid meat, fatty foods, and foods high in sodium such as processed foods leading up to the cleanse.
The liver cleanse lasts six days and involves preparing you liver a flush , a pre-flush day, and the purge itself on day six.
Following a healthy liver cleanse diet is important in the first days of your cleanse. Eat fresh foods and keep your meals light. Also, drink plenty of purified or distilled water. You can enhance your water with a liver-supporting herbal blend, such as Liver Health. Global Healing includes Liver Health, Oxy-Powder, Turmeric, Olive Oil, and Epsom Salt in the Liver Cleanse Program, which is designed to stimulates the liver and purge toxins. The program contains supplies for a six-day liver cleanse. Below are more detailed instructions:
Don’t Miss: Best Men’s Facial Cleanser For Sensitive Skin
How Do You Flush Out Your Liver
Detox or flush is a fancy term that implies making dietary changes that help the liver function better. Many claims are made, wherein certain powders, pills, and enemas can be taken by individuals to clean their system however, your liver can cleanse itself. It does not require any extra aid in fact, many times, such detox can cause more harm than any good. Rather than using a pill or juice to flush out from the body, you can try these methods to help your liver clean your system:
- Flush out with plenty of water intake: Water is the best flushing agent. It flushes your liver and kidney when taken optimally. Make sure you have 8-10 glasses of water daily.
- Get regular exercise: Exercise helps to burn extra calories that reduce your risk of diabetes, excess weight, high blood pressure, and high blood fat. These conditions also have a relationship with fatty liver disease, which may cause liver cirrhosis .
- Limit alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol seriously hampers liver function. Stay away from alcohol as much as possible. The maximal allowed dose is one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men .
- Eat nutritious food: A balanced diet that includes organic pesticide-free fruits, vegetables, and whole grains keeps your liver healthy. The following foods could potentially help the body cells to heal and replenish:
- Apples
- Avocado
The First Five Days Shopping List
Fruits |
||||||
Avocados Lemons Grapefruits Limes Oranges Dates Prunes Pineapples Mixed dried fruit Pearsapples Banana Berries Dried cranberries |
Asparagus Broccoli BeetsKale Spinach Cucumbers Cabbage Cauliflower Zucchini Collard leaves Sprouts Sweet potatoes Chickpeas Cherry tomatoes Celery Parsnip Carrot Onion Garlic Radishes Y ellow zucchini Canned pumpkin |
Almonds Walnuts Pecans Cashew nutsChia seeds Sesame seeds Pumpkin seeds Sunflower seeds Hemp seeds Linseeds Flaxseeds Flax meal Pistachios |
BuckwheatAlmond flour Rolled oats Quinoa |
Shrimp Salmon filets Chicken Free range eggs |
Parsley Black pepper Chili Ground coriander Ground cumin Smoked paprika Turmeric Ginger Cayenne Nutmeg Onion powder Garlic powder pepper Sea salt Gluten- free Mustard Vanilla extract Cinnamon Pumpkin pie spice |
Extra virgin olive oil Coconut oil Coconut milk Rapeseed oil Grape seed oil Coconut flakes Chili oil Olive oil cooking spray Non-dairy milk Cacao nibs Baking powder Tomato paste Apple cider vinegar |
Don’t Miss: Gel Cleanser For Sensitive Skin
How The Liver Functions
In simple terms, the liver is like the equivalent of an oil filter in your car It filters your blood, breaking down and removing toxic substances that could otherwise harm your cells. Everything you ingest gets filtered through your liver.
Liver function has an important role in digestion, metabolism, and other bodily functions. It’s also responsible for removing toxins from the body.
The function of the liver is to turn these toxins into harmless water-soluble compounds so they can be easily excreted from the body in urine or bile.
Healthy liver function utilizes the nutrients to optimize your health and get rid of toxins that cause health symptoms.
When you live a not-so-healthy lifestyle, toxic compounds start building up, and they begin to find their way into your organs, skin, fatty tissues, and blood and that’s when you may begin to notice symptoms due to poor liver function. Toxic build-up is what triggers inflammation which is at the root of most diseases.
Did you know the average woman applies over 500 chemicals to her skin daily?
Are Liver Detoxes Safe
There are medical treatments for liver diseases. But nothing shows that detox programs or supplements can fix liver damage.
In fact, detoxes may harm your liver. Studies have found that liver injuries from herbal and dietary supplements are on the rise. Green tea extract, for example, can cause damage like that from hepatitis. And the coffee enemas involved in some regimens can lead to infections and electrolyte problems that might be deadly.
Other things to know about these programs and products:
- Some companies use ingredients that could be harmful. Others have made false claims about how well they treat serious diseases.
- Unpasteurized juices can make you sick, especially if youâre older or have a weakened immune system.
- If you have kidney disease, a cleanse that includes large amounts of juice can make your illness worse.
- If you have diabetes, be sure to check with your doctor before you start a diet that changes how you usually eat.
- If you fast as part of a detox program, you may feel weak or faint, have headaches, or get dehydrated. If you have hepatitis B that has caused liver damage, fasting can make the damage worse.
Don’t Miss: How Long Should You Fast To Cleanse Your Body
Signs Of A Poorly Performing Liver
You are exposed to toxins every day. These toxins can come in the form of water, food preservatives, chemicals, pesticides, and electromagnetic radiation which can greatly affect the liver. There are several signs to look for regarding a troubled liver.
- Tendency for the body to overheat resulting in excessive perspiration
- Difficulty digesting fatty foods
- Sleep apnea
Foods For The 7 Day Liver Cleanse Program
Once again, we recommend seeking the guidance of a naturopathy doctor or family physician before starting any diet. If you are a person who is suffering from low blood pressure you are bound to experience fatigue if you do not feed your body the essential nutrients. This might amount to symptoms of dizziness, nausea, and changes in mood swings.
A person of high blood pressure might be prone to feelings of anger or irritation while during the process of liver cleanse. If you are losing muscle mass due to the process and feel symptoms of fatigue, then seek the guidance of a doctor after stopping the process.
You can also be prone to symptoms of dysentery or diarrhea as you would not be taking your regular schedule diet. If you have included herbs in the diet such as dandelion, senna, thyme or basil leaves, then you can have a laxative effect or face an acid reflux symptom.
Normally, the symptoms will disappear after one or two days, but if the symptoms persist, then stop the process and seek the services of a physician as soon as possible.
Recommended Reading: 3 Day Cleanse Renew Life What To Eat