Dry January - Support Your Liver!

It's January, which for a lot of people means a fresh start - Gym memberships, healthy eating, new hobbies and more and more commonly, Dry January (abstaining from Alcohol). The festive season puts a lot of strain on our bodies, whether we're aware of it or not! So whether you're abstaining or still partial to the odd 'Vino', we've put together a quick fix guide to supporting and cleansing that organ of steel - the Liver.

First of all, what does the liver do?

The liver is the second largest organ in the body, bettered only by the skin.
Essentially your liver does three main things: produces bile to aid digestion, synthesise  proteins and remove toxins .

Major functions of the liver:
Production of Bile
Metabolise Fat, Protein And Carbohydrate
Immunological function
Production Of Albumin
Store Vitamins & Minerals (A, B12 D, E, K and Copper) 

How Can We Support The Liver

1. Move Your Body More
Because the liver stores and processes your blood, circulation is important for allowing its cleansing effects to unfold. Even a daily 20 minute walk can help improve circulation. 

2. Reduce Stress
What does stress have to do with your liver? Traditionally herbalists tied emotional troubles to liver damage and therefore overall poor health. This can be seen in a study conducted by the university of Edinburgh,  in a sample of 165,000 people over 10 years the individuals that scored the highest in tests to determine stress levels, were significantly more likely to suffer liver disease.

3. Eat An Anti-inflammatory based Diet, Free Of Additives
A low-sugar, low-toxin diet that’s filled with high-fiber foods is crucial for supporting your liver. Your liver after all, has to filter all the toxins that it is presented with, so the liver is dealing with physical, mental and environmental stressors as well as the toxins you ingest.

Herbs To Support The Liver

1. Milk Thistle Silybum Marianum
The most common liver tonic. Bitter tonic, promotes the flow of bile up to 60% in liver disorders. Stimulates synthesis of protein. Liver protector, producing new cells in place of old. Detoxifier and anti-viral. Research has shown positive effects using milk thistle in the treatment of alcoholism, hepatitis B, cirrhosis and fatty liver. See more here. 

2. Dandelion Taraxacum Officinallis
Diuretic (eliminates water retention) & Bitter Tonic
Given for liver disorders, inflammation of the gall bladder or tendency for gallstones. Used to stimulate the flow of bile from the liver. See more here.

3. Malus Complex
Our take on the drink below! Ultimately 'Malus Complex' is a liver cleanse in a box. We strongly advise starting with Rhubarb Complex® first as this not only gentle stimulates the liver before a cleanse it also detoxifies the bowel. The reason we did this was down to the fact that the drink below while amazing, takes a while to make, makes a mess and doesn't taste amazing!

Our Liver Cleansing Detox!

Often referred to as a liver flush or liver and gall bladder cleanse - this drink gives your liver a real boost, and take's no time to make. We often batch some up, keep it in the fridge and drink upon waking on an empty stomach.

Twenty First Century Herbs Liver Cleanse Drink

1 Large Grapefruit
2 Lemons
150ml of filtered water
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves of fresh garlic 

Place all the solid ingredients in a blender, and blend for around 2 minutes. Then add the oil and water blending for another 30 seconds.

Want a liver boost? Add a Malus Complex to your basket and get 30% off your entire order. use the code LIVER, and don't forget your Rhubarb Complex®