Liver health 101

Many people assume that the liver’s only job is to mitigate toxins – alcohol being the most well-known. But the liver does so much more! It regulates cholesterol and glucose, protects against infection, balances hormones, stores Vitamin A, and more. It’s not simply the “filter” of your body (and toxins are not stored in the liver!) A better way to view it would be that of a battery pack or metabolic hub. Safe to say, it’s incredibly important!

It is true that toxins do impact how well the liver performs in all of its responsibilities, and the simple fact is that we’re surrounded by toxins, which can be stress-inducing. What toxins does the liver actually address? Pesticides (i.e. glyphosate), car exhaust, smoke, heavy metals, BPA, flame retardants, fragrances, phthalates, preservatives, artificial coloring, etc. Not only does your liver mitigate environmental toxins, but also compounds and biotoxins that are created in your body such as hormones, mycotoxins (a product of mold), endotoxins (bacterial), and ammonia.

Because of the important role the liver plays in your health, it’s important to recognize the tremendous ability we all hold to strengthen our body and enable our organs to do their jobs to their fullest capacity! There are very practical ways you can optimize your detox pathways through food and being mindful of what is in your surroundings.

The first step to optimal liver function: keep your liver well-fueled. Swipe to see some of the ways you can nourish your liver. Here are some of the basic needs: minerals, Vitamins B, C, E and K, carotenoids, and bioavailable protein (especially the amino acids glycine, taurine, glutamine, cysteine).

Next up, you’ll learn about the other stages of liver detox: Phase 1 (Oxidation) and Phase 2 (Conjugation) + Phase 3 (Transportation)