To do or not to do a ‘detox treatment’ ?
The term ‘DETOX‘ is an abbreviation of ‘detoxification’ meaning the elimination of toxins from the body (blood, kidney and intestine) beginning with a cleansing of the liver.
The purpose of a food detox is to cleanse the body, help it function better, boost immunity and prevent certain health problems such as chronic fatigue, headaches, certain allergies and skin problems.
Discover 10 foods that are known to act on the liver or other organs to eliminate toxins from the body. But before mentioning their virtues, let us explain why it is beneficial to cleanse the liver.
Why Cleanse the Liver ?
With the increasing amount of toxins we ingest through food, air or water, it is important to cleanse the liver of toxins to maintain good health.
The liver performs many vital functions in our body. It filters the toxins and bacteria in the bloodstream, metabolizes fats and carbohydrates, regulates the level of amino acids in the blood, and converts glucose to glycogen. The liver also produces bile, cholesterol, and blood plasma.
Keeping the liver in a state of optimal functioning promotes immune function, fights free radical damage in the cells, prevents diseases, and helps fight against obesity.
10 Best Foods to Detoxify the Liver
1. Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that contains a bright yellow phytochemical (diferuloylmethane) commonly called curcumin. Curcumin has remarkable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and is a source of many health benefits.
According to the University of Maryland’s Medical Center, curcumin stimulates the production of bile by the gallbladder. The liver uses bile to eliminate toxins and metabolize fat. Consumption of turmeric may make a genuine detox treatment for cleaning the liver.
It is for this reason that turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to treat indigestion and liver disorders.
To make a detox treatment with turmeric, you can choose between eating a tablespoon of turmeric per day added to your diet or taking them as supplements in capsule or tablet form.
2. Coriander leaves
If you eat fish originating from contaminated waters, you are likely to have high levels of mercury in your body. But mercury is highly toxic in nature and is a neurotoxin that can damage the brain.
While coriander seed is a natural remedy to treat digestive problems and to maintain normal cholesterol levels in the blood, coriander leaves have the virtue of detoxifying the body by helping to remove heavy metals such lead, mercury and aluminum, which could accumulate over time.
To use coriander leaves in a detox treatment, just add them to a salad and consume daily for a period of 2 weeks.
3. Beetroot
Beetroot is beneficial to health for many reasons. It is a vegetable with antioxidant that contains a number of important substances such as betaine, betalain, betanin (or betacyanin), fiber, iron, folate, etc.
Betaine is a compound that stimulates the liver function and can be consumed as part of a beetroot treatment to clean the liver. Pectin contained in a beet fibers plays a role in the elimination of toxins metabolized by the liver into the intestinal tract.
4. Garlic
5. Broccoli
6. Egg yolk
The high sulfur content in garlic, cabbage and egg yolk helps to detoxify the liver. How? Organic sulfur from food plays a fundamental role in the enzymatic process involving cytochrome P450 in order to neutralize and eliminate toxic substances (drugs, alcohol, caffeine, toxic metals, etc.).
Two types of sulfur contained in food are needed to detoxify the body:
1) The non-proteinic sulfur in the alliums (garlic, shallot, onion, chives, leek), crucifers (cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli) and the nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts).
2) The protein-rich sulfur, i.e. one that is related to sulfur amino acids (methionine and cysteine) which is found in abundance in egg yolk or some seafoods.
To benefit from the virtues of egg yolk, you should know that it should not be overcooked (Cooking type ‘ boiled egg ‘ is ideal).
7. Dandelion roots
Dandelion root is the part of an edible herb that has the property of detoxifying the liver. Dandelion root stimulates the secretion of bile by the liver, and is often used by herbalists to help fight liver steatosis (liver fat of non-alcoholic origin), cirrhosis, and even acne.
A detox treatment including the use of dandelion root helps to get rid of accumulated toxic wastes in the body, and promotes urination (the act of urinating).
8. Artichoke
Cynarin is a compound contained in the artichoke has choleretic (stimulating the production of bile by the liver), cholagogic (facilitating the removal of bile), hepato-protective (regenerating liver cells and protecting the liver against the harmful effects of toxins), depurative and diuretic properties.
For more information about this, please click on the following link: ‘Home Remedies for Indigestion – Artichoke against Bloating Stomach‘.
9. Lemon
Lemon is a great food for detoxifying the liver. Why ? Glutathione is a protein that plays a major role in the detoxification of toxins such as heavy metals, solvents and pesticides. It turns them into water-soluble compounds easy to remove in the bile or urine.
The high levels of vitamin C in the lemon contributes to the synthesis of glutathione and thus the detoxification of the body.
10. Avocado
The avocado provides over 20 minerals, vitamins and plant nutrients. Some of the most important vitamins in an avocado include folate, vitamin B6, vitamin E and vitamin C.
B vitamins such as vitamin B6 and folate support overall liver health and help break down fats. Vitamin E in turn, helps reduce the inflammation of the liver.
Author : Alexis ROGER
Natural Remedies For Fatty Liver
What You’ll Discover Inside “The Fatty Liver Solution”:
-> The 8 most common causes of Fatty Liver Disease, plus a few more you should know about.
-> The exclusive Fatty Liver Diet
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-> Easy, fun, and gentle ways to integrate exercise into your life.