Many people are convinced that effective liver cleansing is achieved with the support of pills, juices or herbal teas. What is it like in practice? Do you have to cleanse your liver? What about its regeneration? After all, the liver is known for its remarkable restorative abilities. How does this organ regenerate after alcohol? When are liver tablets advisable? For cleansing, for regeneration or maybe for digestion? There are many questions about liver treatment and regeneration. We will clear your doubts.
Cleansing the liver - facts and myths
The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body. Moreover, it is an extremely important part of the organism, involved in around 500 processes that work constantly. These processes include the neutralisation of toxins in the body and their excretion. It is commonly believed that liver cleansing is an essential process supporting its work. Is it true? Will liver detox remedies actually help after a party weekend? Does detoxifying the liver boost metabolism in any way?
Cleansing the liver is necessary - A MYTH
The liver is created to neutralise toxins and excrete them. It is not a sponge that accumulates toxins until they are removed with a special pill or a cocktail. Therefore, the body has mechanisms ready to detoxify the liver on a regular basis without any external help.
Herbs support liver detoxification - A FACT
Liver function can be supported by herbal preparations that activate detoxification pathways, promote liver cell regeneration or stop inflammation. Herbs that are especially beneficial for the liver include milk thistle, rich in silymarin - the most popular ingredient in liver pills as well as artichoke, a source of cynarin, a substance that protects liver cells and enhances bile secretion.
Recommended products to support liver function
Cleansing the liver causes weight loss - A MYTH
Losing weight as a result of liver cleansing treatments is a popular and harmful myth. There is no scientific evidence that even slightly proves that liver cleansing helps you lose weight. Herbs and juices used for the liver often have a diuretic effect. If there is a weight loss after taking them, it is the result of water excretion. However, overuse of diuretics is dangerous as it can lead to dehydration.
The liver recovers by cleansing itself - A MYTH/FACT
The liver recovers effectively when the factors causing damage are eliminated. Drinking herbal teas to detoxify the liver will not help if every few days you use alcohol, abuse drugs, overeat sweets or struggle with obesity. Instead of wondering how to cleanse the liver, it is better to focus on eliminating the causes of its poisoning. Detoxification of the liver may be faster if, together with herbal teas or liver preparations, we provide substances that support the functioning of this organ and restoration of its cells.
Liver pills
We reach for liver tablets for two basic reasons. Firstly, we need them for cleansing and regeneration, and secondly, we believe that the liver needs support with digestion. Depending on the cause of use, liver pills will have a different composition, although many preparations contain both regenerative and digestive ingredients.
If we want to protect, regenerate and cleanse the liver, tablets should contain at least one of the following ingredients. It is best if the composition of the pills is varied and at the same time the concentrations of the active substances are standardised, i.e. we know exactly how many of them are in a single dose.
What should be included in liver protection tablets?
- Silymarin or thistle extract standardised to silymarin. Silymarin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, enhances detoxification mechanisms, promotes regeneration and slows down liver damage.
- Phospholipids - antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances that are part of cell membranes. Phospholipids facilitate liver function and regeneration as well as slow down the processes of fibrosis, i.e. irreversible damage to hepatocytes.
- L-Aspartate of L-Ornithine, which can support the detoxification of the liver.
- Artichoke extract, long thistle extract and curcumin are ingredients that support digestion through bile secretion and at the same time have anti-inflammatory effects.
When reaching for liver tablets to improve digestion, it is worth considering what we eat and how we eat in the first place. Problems with digestion are caused primarily by an unhealthy diet and excessive meals. Liver pills may be a temporary solution, but they should not become a permanent part of your daily medicines. If you need them frequently, it may be best to modify your diet.
Liver recovery after alcohol consumption
The liver is the only organ with such an advanced ability to rebuild and regenerate. Even if 2/3 of the liver is damaged, it can return to its original size. However, you cannot count on its rapid regeneration. It takes time for new hepatocytes (liver cells) to form and the more severe the damage to the organ, the longer it lasts. Liver diseases mainly affect alcoholics. In developed countries, up to 70% of people with liver disease abuse alcohol. Liver regeneration can be supported by using liver tablets with silymarin and phospholipids. These two ingredients have the best scientifically proven action to facilitate the recovery of liver cells and liver function.
How long does it take the liver to regenerate after drinking alcohol? If getting drunk with alcohol is an occasional event, once every few months or once a year, liver regeneration takes a few days. There is no significant damage to the hepatocytes and the main task of the liver is to get rid of the toxic metabolites of alcohol. How long does the liver regenerate with regular drinking once a week? Experts say that it is about a month, provided you are abstinent during this time. In the case of people who drink regularly for years, you should be prepared for the liver to regenerate in about a year. This is the amount of time it takes to see an improvement in its functions, the reversal of changes caused by inflammation and alcoholic steatosis of the liver.
Liver regeneration after alcohol is not always possible. The extent to which the organ recovers depends on the seriousness of the damage. If cirrhosis begins to develop, liver regeneration is no longer possible.
Home methods for cleansing the liver
Many people look for traditional methods of cleansing the liver, home remedies and recipes. Their recipes are based on natural ingredients, often on ordinary products eaten every day in the diet, so you don't have to worry about their harmfulness. However, there is no guarantee that home cures for the liver will prove to be effective to any degree.
Home remedies for liver detoxification include:
- Vegetable juice detoxification - drink a juicer made from 3 carrots, 2 small beets and 2 ground cucumbers on an empty stomach every day for 2 weeks.
- Lemon detoxification - drink the juice of 1 lemon mixed with an equal volume of olive oil before bedtime every day for 10 days.
- Needle purification - decoction of 5 tablespoons of pine or spruce needles, finely chopped, pour 500 ml of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Strain and pour the decoction into a thermos. Drink throughout the day in small sips at any time. The decoction should be prepared fresh every day. A folk recipe says that during the treatment, urine is cloudy and takes on different colours. When it returns to its normal, light, yellow colour, the treatment should be terminated. The use is recommended in February, March and April.
