love your liver: why it’s important & my top tips to keep it healthy
As the second largest organ (after the skin), the liver is responsible for 500 bodily functions. From metabolizing the nutrients we eat to producing cholesterol and controlling blood glucose, it’s easy to see why a healthy liver is needed for good health! Keep reading to learn more.
A HEALTHY LIVER IS ESSENTIAL TO WOMEN’S HEALTH
the liver & our hormones
The liver is often overlooked but plays a huge role in women’s health, especially for healthy hormones. A key function of the liver is detoxifying harmful substances, including excess hormones like estrogen. When the liver isn’t working optimally, this can prevent estrogen from being eliminated from the body, leading to estrogen dominance (think irregular/heavy periods, PMS, sore breasts, fibroids, bloating and more).
the gut - liver axis
A part of being a Holistic Nutritionist is understanding the connection between the gut and all aspects of our health, including the liver.
The gut and liver have a bi-directional relationship and are connected through the portal vein, which carries nutrients from the intestines to the liver and waste products from the liver to the large intestine for elimination.
Gut issues, like dysbiosis (an imbalance of good gut bacteria) and leaky gut allow more toxins to pass through the intestinal lining, putting an additional strain on the liver. And constipation slows down the elimination process, causing processed toxins to be reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
On the other hand, a sluggish liver can also affect the health of our gut and interfere with the absorption of nutrients needed to support a healthy intestinal lining.
So, gut health really is the first thing I look at when working with a new client!
YOUR LIVER IS CONSTANTLY DETOXING
Yes, that’s right; you don’t need expensive juice cleanses to “detox”; your liver does that on its own, constantly working to filter out harmful substances like air pollution, pesticides, personal care/beauty products, alcohol, medication, excess hormones, and so much more.
how detoxification works
I won’t get too much into the science, but it's important to understand that there are two phases of detoxification:
Phase 1: The liver metabolizes toxins into temporarily more reactive substances. This creates many free radicals, which can lead to inflammation and several other issues when left in the body for too long; this is why phase 2 is so important!
Phase 2: The substances created by phase 1 are turned into less reactive water-soluble forms to be eliminated by the body.
From there, these waste products leave the body through our elimination pathways (urine, sweat, and feces).
when the liver becomes overburdened
A healthy liver can complete these two phases seamlessly while carrying out its many other tasks. However, the liver can become overburdened when:
We’re taking in more toxins than our liver can handle
Phase 2 detoxification is too slow, causing the metabolized reactive substances from phase 1 to be reabsorbed into the bloodstream
Our elimination pathways are compromised, also causing toxins to be reabsorbed into the bloodstream
Think of the liver like a bucket catching water from a leaky roof. If the water is pouring into your bucket too quickly or not emptied fast enough, it will overflow (aka become overburdened).
signs & symptoms to look out for
When our liver is struggling with detoxification, it can’t properly perform its many tasks, resulting in a whole slew of issues throughout the body.
Some signs and symptoms of an overburdened liver include:
Food allergies/sensitivities
Digestive issues
Hormonal imbalances
Low blood sugar
Skin issues
Bad breath/body odour
Essential fatty acid deficiencies
Moodiness
Puffy eyelids
Difficulty sleeping
A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO LIVER HEALTH
Luckily, there are so many nutrition and lifestyle strategies that we can implement to support the health of our liver. Here are my top tips:
1. Drink enough water: We don’t need to overdo it! But drinking ~8 glasses of water per day will help keep our elimination pathways moving.
2. Limit alcohol: This one might be obvious, but it is so important, especially if you're becoming increasingly sensitive to alcohol. If you’re sober curious or just reflecting our your relationship with alcohol, two books I highly recommend reading are Quit Like A Woman and Drink.
3. Eat a balanced diet of at least ~2,000 calories a day: Our liver relies on several nutrients to carry out both phases of detoxification, so it’s so important to make sure you’re eating enough and getting a variety of vitamins and minerals, especially zinc, magnesium, vitamin C and B vitamins.
4. Prioritize protein: Several amino acids (the building blocks found in protein) are required for both phases of detoxification, so eating enough complete protein is important. I find this so interesting because when we think of detoxing we usually think of restrictive juice cleanses when sometimes we really need to focus on building and nourishing.
5. Load up on antioxidant-rich foods: Antioxidants are needed to neutralize those free radicals created in phase 1 detoxification. Grapefruits are especially helpful, as they contain two types of liver-friendly antioxidants. Berries, dark leafy greens, green tea/matcha, and dark chocolate are great sources too.
6. Consider glutathione: Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant (consisting of the amino acids cysteine, glutamic acid, and glutamine) that plays an important role in the detoxification process. Glutathione levels are higher when we're younger, but factors like toxins, diet, stress, and age can inhibit glutathione production, taking a toll on the health of our liver. Consider taking a liposomal glutathione or N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) supplement, which will help to boost glutathione levels.
7. Sip on milk thistle tea: Some research shows that milk thistle might help to boost glutathione production and protect the liver against free radical damage.
8. Up your fibre: Eat plenty of soluble and insoluble fibre (think whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and veg) to keep your bowels moving and to support a healthy gut microbiome.
9. Add in probiotics: Yogurt, kefir, or a supplement. Adding in good gut bugs will also help to support the gut-liver axis.
10. Cook with cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage; these veg contain plant compounds thought to alter the detoxification process and to protect against harmful compounds.
11. Be mindful of your caffeine consumption: This one really depends! Weirdly, coffee increases the antioxidant glutathione, which is so crutial for detoxification. That said, some people have a hard time metabolizing caffeine (you’re likely a slow metabolizer if caffeine keeps you up at night), which could further burden your liver.
12. Limit foods you’re sensitive to: Food sensitivities can slow down our bowel transit time and contribute to inflammation, so be mindful of any foods you don’t tolerate well.
13. Opt for natural cleaning, personal care, and beauty products (when possible): You don’t need to throw out all of your products at once, but slowly finding natural swaps to the products you use daily can help to limit the number of toxins you’re exposed to.
14. Move your body: And make it something you enjoy! Exercise helps to promote elimination from the skin, lungs, and gut.
Suspect your liver could use some love? Book an intake call to work with me 1:1 or contact me here if you have questions.
