19 Foods To Naturally Cleanse Your Liver

Why does the liver need a detox?

The necessity for detoxification or detox, comes from the concern that toxins are constantly bombarding and accumulating in our bodies. Toxins are chemicals with potentially harmful effects. While some toxins are more obvious, such as pesticides or environmental impurities, others are by-products of processed foods and some that the body produces but fails to effectively expel.

Problems with a Detox Diet:

Detox diets force you to temporarily give up certain kinds of foods and then to gradually reintroduce the them back slowly, while staying away from the unhealthy ones.  Symptoms may improve with a detox diet, but there is no evidence that this is due to clearing toxins from the body. Instead, improvements may result from what is and is not eaten and drunk on these diets.

Most natural liver detox diets lack science to support them. Any weight loss is usually from fluid and muscle loss and lasts while you are on it. Most people quickly regain weight once they go off the diet. Worse, especially if used long term, detox diets can cause harm.

Natural Foods better than any detox diet:

As it turns out, a balanced, proper diet may be more helpful than a detox diet. Our livers act as our body’s own personal vacuum as it sucks toxins present in the bloodstream, trigger and support healthy digestive functions through the bile and converts and distributes nutrients from the foods we eat.

Here’s our recommendation of natural foods that you can adopt in your current diet without the need to starve and will support healthy liver functions much longer than any diet:

DETOX YOUR LIVER WITH 19 SUPER FOODS:

1. Beets and Carrots:  Carrots are rich in Glutathione, a protein that helps detoxify the liver. Both are extremely high in plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene; eating beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve overall liver function.
2. Tomatoes: They have abundant amounts of Glutathione that is a great detoxifier of the liver. As a side effect Lycopene in tomatoes will protect against breast, skin and lung cancer.
3. Grapefruit: Another source of liver cleansing glutathione is grapefruit. Also high vitamin C and antioxidants, boosts production of the liver detoxification enzymes and increases the natural cleansing processes that help flush out carcinogens and other toxins of the liver.
4. Spinach:  Raw Spinach is a major source of glutathione that triggers toxin cleansing enzymes of the liver.
5. Citrus Fruits: Lemons and Lime contain very high amounts of vitamin C, helps stimulate the liver and aids the synthesizing of toxic materials into substances that can be absorbed by water.
6. Cabbage: The isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from cabbage’s glucosinolates provides liver detoxifying enzymes that help flush out toxins.
7. Turmeric: Turmeric is the liver’s favorite spice and helps boost liver detox, by assisting enzymes that actively flush out dietary carcinogens.
8. Walnuts: Walnutsare a good source of glutathione, omega-3 fatty acids, and amino acid arginine, which support the normal liver cleansing actions, especially in detoxifying ammonia.
9. Avocados: The nutrient-dense super-food, avocado helps the body produce glutathione- compound that is necessary for the liver to cleanse harmful toxins.
10. Apples: They are high in pectin and other chemicals essential to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract. Apples make it easier for the liver to handle the toxic load during the cleansing process.
11. Brussels sprouts: Brussels sprouts are high in sulfur and antioxidant glucosinolate, which forces the liver to release enzymes that block damage from environmental or dietary toxins.
12. Garlic: Garlic is loaded with sulfur that activates liver enzymes that help your body flush out toxins. Garlic also holds high amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that aid in liver cleansing.
13. Dandelion: Dandelion root tea assists the liver in breaking down fats, producing amino acids and generally ridding it off toxins.
14. Leafy Green Vegetables: Green Veggies are extremely high in plant chlorophylls that absorb environmental toxins, increase bile production, neutralize heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides, lowering the burden on the liver.
15. Cruciferous Vegetables: Eating broccoli and cauliflower will increase production of enzymes glucosinolate in your system that help flush out carcinogens, and other toxins.
16. Asparagus: Asparagus is a great diuretic helping in the cleansing process and sharing the detox load of the liver and kidneys.
17. Green Tea: Green tea is full of plant antioxidants known as catechins, a compound known to assist liver function.
18. Olive Oil: Cold-pressed organic oils such as olive, hemp and flax-seed are great support for the liver, providing the body with a lipid base that can suck up harmful toxins in the body.
19. Alternative Grains: Gluten rich grains wheat, flour, or other whole grains increase the load on the liver’s detox function and enzyme production. Switch to alternative grains like quinoa, millet, and buckwheat in your diet.