Turmeric has been mentioned earlier on this thread, although briefly. According to
http://www.ghchealth.com/organic-turmeric.html, tumeric is:
"Traditionally used to help purify the blood and provide relief for an upset stomach, Turmeric offers many health benefits that either directly or indirectly promote a healthier liver and gallbladder. Offering strong antioxidant effects, Organic Turmeric (Curcuma longa) helps remove toxins from the body. As a result of this antioxidant effect, your liver does not have to work as hard to filter blood and keep your body healthy. This helps create a healthier liver by allowing it to focus on removing toxins from the body.
Health Benefits of Turmeric:
Helps flush out toxins to reduce strain on the liver
Aids in reducing occasional inflammation
Supports bile production to break down fats for optimal cholesterol levels
Promotes natural cleansing and protection of the liver
Works to improve overall blood circulation
Encourages the growth of digestive flora and discourages the growth of harmful bacteria
Research has shown that people can help eliminate toxins from the liver and thus reduce their potential for damage to the organ if they consumed regular doses of Turmeric. In fact, research suggests Organic Turmeric works by encouraging the production of several key liver-detoxification enzymes."I've been chugging turmeric powder 1/2 tsp. at a time in water. It doesn't exactly grow on you, but it gets more manageable as you get used to it.
Here's some side effect and cautions as listed at
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/turmeric/:
Side Effects and Cautions
Turmeric is considered safe for most adults.
High doses or long-term use of turmeric may cause indigestion.
In animals, high doses of turmeric have caused liver problems. No cases of liver problems have been reported in people.
People with gallbladder disease should avoid using turmeric as a dietary supplement, as it may worsen the condition. Peppermint essential oil - A naturopath told me to take several drops in water two or three times a day to gently detox my liver. This is easy, and not gross (although rather intense until you get used to peppermint EO). I don't know if it cleansed my liver or not, but it DID clear up a nagging case of dandruff that had been hanging 'round for way too long. I would definitely choose an organic essential oil if I were to do this (although, of course, I didn't even THINK of it back when I did it...
). I also took it while breastfeeding, but not while my baby was still really little. I can't remember how old he was... maybe... 9, 10 months? Not sure. Anyway, he had absolutely no bad reactions AND a little rash that he had had behind his knee for a long time cleared up quite nicely.
Milk thistle seeds - How 'bout eating the actual seeds as a snack? I'm not sure how effective this is versus silymarin capsules or milk thistle tea, but it might be easier and tastier.
http://www.nutsonline.com/seedsspices/milke-thistle-seeds.htmlGerson Therapy - In Jaquie Davison's book,
Cancer Winner, she states that Dr. Gerson says it takes 18 months to completely regenerate a new liver. She explains her journey to do so in her book, which was based upon the plan in
The Gerson Cancer Therapy. I don't think the average person would want to take on this plan - very, very involved. She ended up with a squeaky clean liver, though!
Wheatgrass - wheatgrass juice is supposed to be very powerful at detoxifying the liver. I don't think I'd use it while nursing, and I know I wouldn't use it while pregnant.
Dr. Foster's Liver Cleanse - my husband and I did this once. The liver/gallbladder formula tasted nasty, and one of the other formulas that went along with the program was even worse - really, truly horrible. I notice they offer the same formula in capsules now.
No matter what you choose to do, everything I've ever read indicates that it is SO IMPORTANT to make sure that your colon is clean and functioning properly first, before attempting any liver cleansing. If your liver is trying to dump toxins, and they're going into a colon that isn't moving along like it should, it can really create some unpleasant side effects.
