An often underappreciated organ in the body, our livers do an extraordinary amount of heavy lifting for us, carrying out over 500 functions.

From fighting infections, breaking down food to turn into energy, and detoxification, having a healthy liver is crucial if we want to maintain great energy levels.

Despite its inherent resilience, a sluggish liver is becoming an increasingly more common phenomenon in the modern age largely due to various factors such as subpar nutrition, a toxic environment, sedentary lifestyle and alcohol consumption.

Fortunately there are steps we can take to increase our liver’s ability to function optimally and perform all its key tasks.

1. Consume sulfur rich foods

Broccoli, cauliflower, garlic and onions are valuable for the liver to carry out metabolic and detoxification processes. Including these are not only supportive of liver health but overall health.

2. Stay hydrated and exercise as tolerated

Remaining sufficiently hydrated is essential in promoting efficient detoxification by assisting the kidneys in removing toxins through the urine.

Exercise stimulates the lymphatic system to help cleanse cells in your body by removing toxins and metabolic waste.

Other ways of promoting a healthy lymphatic system is through rebounding, dry skin brushing and lymphatic massage.

3. Limit use of alcohol and sugar

Consumption of these substances puts unnecessary excess strain on the liver while not providing what it needs to functional well and repair.

Alcohol directly damages the liver while excess sugar contributes to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

They each harm the gut microbiome which is another reason to stay clear of them as much as possible.

4. Swap out toxic cleaners and personal care products

Staying clear of ubiquitous toxins commonly found on supermarket shelves is becoming increasingly easier as awareness of the damage they cause becomes more prevalent.

Stick to natural oriented shampoos, toothpastes, cosmetics and deodorants free from chemicals and heavy metals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, aluminum and polyethylene glycol.

5. Consider liver supporting supplements such as milk thistle, glutathione and dandelion

Herbs and spices are regular supporters of health and it is no different in this context.

Milk thistle contains silybin and silymarin, both of which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, thereby protecting the liver from damage. Glutathione meanwhile reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, augmenting overall function. Dandelion has been shown to reduce oxidation and liver injury markers.

6. Decrease the body’s overall toxic load

An overloaded and strained liver impairs its capacity to effectively remove toxins from the body.

Maintaining open drainage pathways and detoxifying on a cellular level on a daily basis is crucial to lightening the load on our liver.

We only have one so please take care of it!

You can find other ME/CFS related blogs here.