Feeling bloated and sluggish after the holiday season? If you are considering a liver cleanse, here are 6 of the best herbs to naturally protect and support your liver.
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The holiday season is usually full of celebrations. But when the festivities are accompanied by plenty of food and drink, it is no wonder many of us start the New Year feeling sluggish, bloated, and tired.
If you feel like you’ve overdone it a bit this year, you’re not alone. Almost two-thirds of Brits drink more than usual during the festive period. Most of us are more sedentary too, with a third doing no exercise at all in December.
With all that celebrating, it is no wonder that cleanses and detox diets become so popular in January. Many of us want to prioritise our health at the start of the New Year and look for ways to help our bodies recover from weeks of excess.
The good news is that you don’t need extreme diets or expensive juice cleanses to detox in January. Your body comes equipped with its own sophisticated detoxifying system – your liver.
The largest solid organ in your body, your liver is constantly working to remove toxins and harmful substances from your bloodstream.
When your liver is healthy, it does a brilliant job of keeping you toxin-free. Despite what many diet brands will tell you, there’s no need to do an intensive liver-cleansing programme in the New Year. There’s little evidence that juice cleanses or strict elimination diets have that much effect on your liver’s performance.
However, there are things you can do to support your liver’s health so that it can continue to do its vital work.
Eating healthily, drinking less alcohol, and getting regular exercise are some basic lifestyle changes you can make to keep your liver healthy.
There are also several herbs that support your liver’s health and keep it performing effectively. Here, we look at 6 of these herbal allies and how they can help your liver stay healthy after a period of indulgence.
1. Milk Thistle
This spiky plant is one of the best-known herbs for liver support. It contains silymarin, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that is often used to treat liver disease.
Milk thistle helps to protect our livers against damage and improves liver function. Many people use milk thistle as a natural hangover cure because of this protective effect.
Milk thistle is a vital ingredient in our NutraLiver and NutraCleanse teas. We chose it because it is a natural way to support our livers as they work to detoxify our bodies and keep us healthy.
2. Turmeric
Turmeric gets plenty of attention as an ally against inflammation and an effective antioxidant. It can even protect against liver disease. This is mainly down to curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, which reduces oxidative stress and prevents our livers from damage.
We use turmeric in our NutraLiver tea to support the healthy function of your liver.
3. Artichoke
Artichoke is one of the main ingredients in our NutraCleanse tea because it helps to support the liver and digestive system. Like milk thistle, it contains silymarin, which protects against liver damage.
Artichoke extract increases bile production – bile is a liquid produced by the liver that helps with detoxifying our bodies. Artichoke, therefore, also improves our liver function, cleansing our bodies of harmful toxins after a month of indulgence.
4. Dandelion Root
Like artichoke, dandelion root is great for increasing bile production, keeping our livers working effectively. Dandelion extract can also protect against liver diseases, possibly even including cancer.
Dandelion root contains certain polysaccharides that seem to prevent liver damage. These polysaccharides protect against oxidative stress and keep the liver healthy. We use dandelion root in our NutraCleanse tea to support the liver, kidneys, and digestive system.
For those struggling with bloating and water retention after the festive period, dandelion root is also an essential ingredient in our NutraRelease tea, which helps to restore the balance of fluids in your system.
5. Liquorice
We love liquorice for the hint of natural sweetness it gives our teas, but did you know that it is also great for your health? It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, supporting the function of many of our key organs, including the liver and kidneys.
Liquorice helps protect the liver against damage and stress from drinking alcohol, making it a beneficial herb to reach for if you’ve over-indulged. You’ll find liquorice in many of our teas – for liver support, look out for it in our NutraLiver and NutraCleanse teas.
6. Ginger
Ginger has many benefits for our health, including supporting the liver. Ginger helps to reduce the markers of fatty liver disease. It can also protect against the effect of toxins like alcohol, helping your body to recover after a season of parties.
Another benefit of ginger is that it makes a comforting and warming tea. Along with cinnamon, star anise, liquorice, and fennel, ginger gives our NutraCleanse tea its delicious flavour.
Here at NutraTea, we’re fans of liver cleanse teas that taste good at the same time as supporting your health! Discover our range here.
