Are you someone who wants to take an active role in their health? Are you also wondering whether a liver cleanse is necessary and whether it really works?
That's an important question to ask when talking about healthy liver function.
The liver is the chemical processing plant of the body.
Because it works all the time and we have vastly different lifestyles and diets than we did 50, 100, to 150 years ago, the liver is now facing more taxing work than ever. If you’re experiencing some unexplained fatigue, have had a few random breakouts, or have been experiencing some abdominal bloating, you may have a hard-working liver asking for help!
An overworked liver may start to under-perform. Just like any hard-working employee would if the workload increases and gets more complicated, but the hours, resources, and pay are the same.
Liver cleanse research can lead to opposing views, so in this post we’ll clarify your doubts and also go over the following in detail:
- Liver Function and Liver Detox
- What is a Liver Cleanse?
- Liver Cleanse Myth vs. Fact
- Symptoms of an Unhealthy Liver
- How to Support Your Natural Liver Cleanse
Liver Function and Liver Detox - What Gives?
The liver is the second largest organ in the body (with the skin being the first!) and it is a critical organ that filters blood, processes and stores nutrients, removes waste and toxins, and metabolizes medication, drugs, and pretty much everything you either ingest or absorb through the skin. It’s pinkish-brown in hue (when healthy), weighs approximately three pounds, and without it, we cannot survive!
Filtering blood and removing toxins is the natural liver cleanse process; it’s our body detox organ!
Liver Function:
The primary liver function is to process food, nutrients, and ingested substances and either send them back to the blood -to perform other tasks in the body- or to break them down into less harmful substances that can be eliminated through stool or urine. The liver performs some 500 functions in the body, these are the top eight liver functions you need to know about:
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Nutrient Processing: everything we consume is assimilated by the digestive tract. The liver processes nutrients from food synthesizing them, saving what it needs, and releasing others based on the body's needs.
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Mineral and Vitamin Storage: the liver stores iron, copper, and other minerals as well as storing fat-soluble Vitamins such as A, D, E, B12, and K (critical for blood clotting).
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Protein Synthesis: a significant metabolic liver function, the liver synthesizes amino-acids, plasma proteins, and proteins necessary for blood clotting (with the help of vitamin K.) When amino-acid proteins are broken down, ammonia is produced -this is later connected to the liver detox function.
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Glucose Metabolism (Glycogen Production): the liver plays a significant role in maintaining blood sugar levels; after sugars and carbohydrates are turned into glucose the liver stores it as glycogen, removing excess and releasing energy when needed. In a way, the liver cleanse process includes sugar cleansing.
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Fat Metabolism (Cholesterol Production): the liver produces cholesterol on a daily basis, this is used to produce and manage hormones, process Vitamin D, and generate bile, which further aids in fat processing. The liver takes fat ingested and distributes it to other cells in the body. It’s important to note that there are healthy fats and that our bodies need them.
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Immune System Support: processing Vitamin K, aiding in blood clotting, filtering blood, removing toxins, and carrying active immune system T and B lymphocyte cells (the “natural killer cells”,) the liver functions as an active member of the immune response system.
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Bile Production: part of the liver function is to produce bile that is stored in the gallbladder, this yellowish substance aids in the elimination of toxins and fat digestion. Bile salts are made from cholesterol -so you can see everything is connected- and bile emulsifies fat to break it down and make it easy to digest and remove if necessary.
- Detoxification: The liver works in phases, the main ones are Oxygenation followed by Conjugation. Highly toxic ammonia produced from metabolizing proteins is turned by the liver in the conjugation phase into less harmful substances to be excreted. In general, the liver takes every single substance available (including toxins, poisons, medication, alcohol, and drugs) and transforms them into other chemicals that can be naturally eliminated by the body.
The liver is constantly detoxifying your system, filtering blood, and removing waster. This is a 24X7, non-stop, process that is either aided or hindered by what we eat.
When we talk about “liver detox”, “liver cleanse”, and “body detox”, we’re talking about the existing natural processes (liver detoxification pathways) that already happen naturally in your body. If you want to learn more about the natural liver cleanse process, we recommend this handy piece by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Detoxification or “liver detox” is critical for human survival; in simple terms, without the liver detox process, our bodies would have no way to eliminate waste and remove substances that negatively impact our organism.
A life where garbage is produced but can’t be eliminated would lead to infections, disease and little to no quality of life, the same is true for human life with a diseased liver. That's why we created our Liver Detox Superfood Blend, helping you stay healthy from the inside out.