Alcohol Awareness Week took place at the start of this month, a campaign that occurred between July 1st and 7th to highlight the dangers of alcohol. Though it’s now the end of the month, alcohol awareness is a topic that shouldn’t be limited to just one week. It’s important to be highlighted throughout the year.
Why?
In the past 20 years there’s been a 74.2% increase of premature deaths in the UK from alcohol-related liver disease.
Let’s face it—your liver is a powerhouse. It’s one major organ that helps regulate your metabolism, filters toxins and substances, produces bile to aid digestion and helps with immunity, protein synthesis, and nutrient storage.
Which is why you should be conscious about consuming alcohol in moderation. One great tea to substitute alcohol for is liver cleanse tea. It’s not the complete cure for a fatty liver, but it can certainly help.
Learn about the best liver cleanse tea to drink and its benefits below.
How does alcohol affect the liver?
If you drink more than 14 units a week, your liver could be at risk due to excessive alcohol consumption. This can cause fats to build up and cause your liver to become inflamed. Over time, it may contribute to the destruction of cells and scarring of your liver. Some of the common conditions associated with alcohol are:
- Fatty liver: Earliest stage of alcohol liver disease, causing a large liver.
- Alcoholic hepatitis: Inflamed and swollen liver, can cause jaundice, fever, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting.
- Cirrhosis: A serious drinking condition that can cause scar tissue that can occur after ten years of drinking. This can often lead to liver cancer or liver failure in the worst case.
Why should you drink liver cleanse tea
A healthier alternative drink that’s great to consume instead of alcohol is tea. It’s high in antioxidants and isn’t linked to significant health risks that alcohol has. If you’re someone who wants to make that switch or take a break from alcohol, then it’s best to look for a detox tea to support your liver.
You won’t find them branded as detox tea or liver cleanse tea, as there’s no such thing as one completely cleansing your liver. However, specific ingredients in tea can help support the process of detoxification and help your liver.
6 recommended ingredients to look for in liver cleanse tea
Here are 6 ingredients we recommend trying when looking for the best liver-cleansing tea:
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is thought to help the liver, as its compound Silymarin prevents toxins from attaching to the liver’s cells. Sylmarin is high in antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, which help support liver health. In Ayurvedic medicine, this ingredient is regularly prescribed as a holistic treatment for liver conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis, and more.
Some research even suggests that milk thistle can help improve liver function and inflammation and prevent damage. However, more scientific research is needed to support this.
Try: NutraLiver, a liver and detox tea that supports liver health maintenance. Thirty percent of this blend contains Milk Thistle, which helps protect liver cells and tissues from oxidative damage. It also contains liquorice root, fennel, peppermint, and turmeric, which can support digestion and liver health and protect your liver from oxidative damage.
Peppermint
Peppermint is high in antioxidants, which work to fight against oxidative stress on your liver. These antioxidants fight free radicals, preventing harmful molecules from causing inflammation and damage to your liver. Peppermint is also known to help with digestion, relaxing the gastrointestinal muscles and encouraging the flow of bile, allowing for more efficient detoxification by your liver.
Try: NutraReflux, a herbal tea that supports your stomach and digestion. The main ingredients in this tea are peppermint, chamomile, liquorice root, and more, which support the health of your intestinal tract and digestive system.
Liquorice
Liquorice root contains several compounds that are antimicrobial, anti inflammatory and are high in antioxidants. There’s even research which shows liquorice root can help with the process of hepatoprotection, preventing damage to the liver from alcohol. There’s even been research done on mice showing liquorice root can help prevent alcoholic fatty liver, however, more is needed to support this.
Try: NutraCleanse a healthy herbal blend containing liquorice helping with the detoxification process. It’s caffeine free and vegan friendly.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a super herb associated with a range of health benefits. Regarding the liver, it can help fight inflammation, support maintenance, and reduce the risk of damage. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which is anti-inflammatory and thought to also help reduce cholesterol levels, which, when high, can contribute to fatty liver disease.
Try: Turmeric & Cinnamon is a flagship tea which helps maintain liver health. High in antioxidants, this caffeine-free tea is great in the winter but also in summer, iced.
Dandelion Root
Dandelion root can help stimulate the production of bile, which supports digestion and helps remove toxins from the liver. Increased bile production can help clear out waste and improve overall liver health.
Try: NutraRelease, a tea with dandelion root that supports your metabolism, digestion and urinary function.
Ginger
Ginger holds a compound called gingerol and shogaol which has strong anti-inflammatory effects which helps reduce the risk of non alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Try: Lemongrass and ginger, a tea high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that support liver and intestinal health.
The wrap-up on the best liver cleanse tea
Overall, there’s no best tea for detoxification of the liver; it’s the ingredients you should look out for. Some liver-supporting ingredients are dandelion root, liquorice, milk thistle, peppermint, ginger and turmeric.
However, instead of looking for single ingredients in a herbal cleansing detox tea, try opting for blends that contain several of these. To maximise the use of these ingredients, we suggest trying NutraLiver, NutraReflux, and NutraCleanse.
These teas support your liver and offer a range of other health benefits. Looking to optimise your health even further? Check out our article on hydrating herbal teas to drink in 2024.