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The 17 Best Natural Ways to Heal your Liver
Our liver is one of the most important organs in our body with literally hundreds of functions, but it often doesn’t get much love. Having a poorly functioning or sluggish liver will affect your overall health and well-being in multiple ways, but you can repair your liver. By taking the right supplements and eating the right foods for a healthy liver, you can improve liver function naturally for a happier and healthier life.
11 minute read time
There is a LOT of information out there about liver health. Many practitioners recommend harsh liver cleanses, fasts, and detox protocols as a way to cleanse the liver. However, this is not something I personally recommend.
Our livers need LOVE. They are stressed, overworked, and bombarded. Instead of doing a cleanse that can wipe your body of nutrients or following harsh detox advice that could be hard on the body, I highly recommend that you love your liver everyday in some way.
Luckily there are many natural supplements and foods for a healthy liver that can help with gentle, safe, and effective liver support.
“But I Don’t Have Liver Pain. Is My Liver Healthy?”
The liver is a truly unique organ that can actually regenerate itself, even after 80% of it is removed!
Which is amazing, but since we can function with as little as 1/6th of our livers, it can take years, even decades, before we even notice any apparent liver dysfunction. By then, it could be too late.
Many people say to me, “Well, I don’t have liver pain, so I must not have liver issues.” I don’t believe that is true at all, and we will get into symptoms of a sluggish liver soon.
By recognizing the early signs of liver dysfunction, we can help our livers function their best while preventing disease down the road.
Hair tissue mineral analysis is also a great way to detect liver dysfunction. About 80% of people are slow oxidizers, which means that everything in the body is sluggish- adrenals, thyroid, metabolism, detox, gut function, and so much more. Test with us here today to determine your liver function!
Why Liver Health Is So Important!
Natural liver support is CRUCIAL for overall health and wellness.
Our livers are a very overlooked organ when it comes to daily life. We tend to think about our hearts, our lungs, and our brains long before we think about our livers.
These days, we are bombarded with environmental toxins in our food, air, household products, and even our furniture. Part of the liver’s job is to filter out toxins and convert them into less toxic substances so they can be excreted. However, when the liver gets bombarded by toxins, and when that’s coupled with a poor diet, it cannot do its job correctly.
This seems to be the reason for this obesity epidemic, as well as a SAD lifestyle.
Toxins get stored in fat when the liver cannot handle the constant influx of toxins. All of these things factor into illness! When your body is unable to get rid of the junk, disease will start.
Anyone that has experienced any kind of illness will definitely have some form of liver dysfunction (plus leaky gut and mineral imbalances – all 3 are related).
You can learn all about the importance of liver support in my course Holistic Detox Support as well.
What Are the Main Functions of the Liver?
It actually serves about 500 different functions to the body. Yes, you read that correctly- 500 different functions! From HealthFree, here are just a few of the most important jobs the liver has:
- Making three-quarters of your total cholesterol, which is used to produce hormones and bile salts
- Storing as much as 1 liter of blood in times of excess blood volume to be able to supply it in times of blood loss or heavy exercise
- Making 1 quart of bile per day for fat metabolism and neutralizing the acidity of toxins
- Detoxifying incompletely digested proteins, excess hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc.), drugs, food additives, poisons, etc.
- Converting beta-carotene to Vitamin A
- Breaking down and absorbing vitamins A, D, E, and K. (If your liver is dysfunctional, you will not be able to metabolize these vitamins, no matter how much you take!)
- Storing excess vitamin A, B-12, D, K, and iron
- Converting ammonia, a byproduct of protein metabolism, into urea for kidney excretion
- Filtering out bacteria in the blood from the intestines before it enters general circulation
- Synthesizing up to 4 ounces of glucose daily, if needed (for example, during fasting or diabetes)
- Reducing blood sugar swings up to 65%.
There are a LOT of important processes that the liver handles.
Since an unhealthy liver can’t handle all of those processes well, it’s no wonder why so many people are suffering from illnesses and poor health.
What Are the Top Sluggish Liver Symptoms?
“Sluggish Liver” means when your liver and gallbladder are not working as well as they should be. Again from HealthFree, here are some of the signs of a sluggish liver (the most common symptoms are in bold):
- Poor digestion
- Excessive amounts of hormones (The liver deactivates them and is, in fact, the most important organ for hormone regulation.)
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Abdominal bloating or tenderness in the liver area
- Acne, skin rashes, itching, or jaundice (yellow tinge to skin)
- Constipation
- Fatigue (low energy)
- Loss of appetite
- Bitter or metallic taste in the mouth
- Split ends (hair)
- Brittle nails
- Mood swings (due to large swings in blood sugar)
- Hemorrhoids or varicose veins (due to liver congestion producing pressure on the veins)
- Pain in the back between the shoulder blades
- Inability to digest fats
- Water retention in the legs
- Muscle pain when inflating a blood pressure cuff around the calf
- Gallbladder problems
- Sleep disorders
- Heart palpitations or even heart attacks (All the blood to the heart goes through the liver. So, if it is congested the heart may not get as much blood as it needs.)
- Poor memory
- Allergies
- Arthritis
- Thyroid problems
- Frequent numbness in the extremities
- Frequent infection
- Fainting
- Night blindness or blurry sight (The Chinese say that the liver is the river into the eyes. Clean and nutrient-rich blood flows into and nourishes the eyes.)
Have any of those symptoms?? I’ll guarantee that you have one, if not several.
Now, there are 2 different phases to liver detox, and you can read about that here – there is a GREAT chart to explain which phases need what as well. There are many nutrients that are needed for these phases, and there are a few foods and herbs that truly help certain phases.
Before you get started, though, it’s important to know…
Can Liver Detox and Healing Create a Detox Reaction?
Detox reactions are incredibly common when we are just starting to heal.
Since chronic illnesses are a culmination of many, many years of absorbing toxins and dealing with nutritional deficiencies, we can quite literally be full of toxins. Toxins get stored in fat when our bodies become overloaded, so you may have quite a bit more in your body than you realize.
This is why it’s important to go slowly when you are starting anything new. Have patience with your body! We did not get sick overnight, so we need time to heal.
Read my entire post here on how to tell if you are having a detox reaction and how to get out of it.
How to Improve Liver Function Naturally
If you are dealing with any type of chronic illness, you will definitely need some form of liver healing.
The best thing about using NATURAL ways to heal is that many items have multiple benefits. So picking a few items from the following lists can help with overall healing- not just liver health!
My course Holistic Detox Support goes over many options for liver health as well, and includes even more information about all of our most crucial detox pathways.
In addition to the foods and supplements I’ve listed below, it’s important to note that you can also help your liver by:
- Cleaning toxins from your home! Toxins in everyday beauty and cleaning products are among the biggest threats to our health, and using them will continually stress your liver out as well. This post on reducing environmental toxins goes over the most important things to work on switching out.
- Using castor oil packs (read about castor oil packs here!)
- Working on healing emotional trauma – stored emotions can influence our physical health and this is often a huge missing link for many people.
- Working with an HTMA plan. HTMA can help determine your ability to detox and can give insight on many issues that can cause liver dysfunction.
On to the foods!
What Herbs, Drinks, and Foods Are Good for Liver Repair?
Fortunately, there are plenty of delicious natural foods and herbs to choose from when you’re looking for foods for a healthy liver.
Also, remember to eat as clean as you can. Look for organic and non-gmo foods (local is even better!) and reduce the amount of processed foods you consume.
Here are some of my favorite healthy, natural drinks and foods for liver repair:
Herbs and Spices for Liver Repair
1. Garlic, Turmeric, Ginger, Cayenne
All of these are great herbs for overall health and wellness, but they can also help with liver healing and detoxification support.
2. Herbal Infusions
Herbal infusions are when you steep or soak herbs like nettles, oatstraw and red raspberry leaf in water then drink the liquid. It’s very similar to how you make a cup of tea. Infusions are extremely nourishing to the body, and most of them help with your liver, lymph, kidneys, and adrenals.
Foods for Liver Repair
1. Liver
One of the BEST liver helpers is actually the liver itself.
Beef liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet – but if you are like most people and cannot stand the thought of eating it, you can also get beef liver in capsules or powder form! I like Perfect Supplements’ Perfect Desiccated Liver Capsules or Perfect Desiccated Liver Powder.
We usually recommend doing an HTMA first though to check your metabolic rate as well as copper status before introducing beef liver.
2. Fiber
Fiber is also essential for liver health! I know – that sounds odd. But fiber is essential for cleaning up our bile which is what takes our toxins out. Read my post on bile and fiber here for more information.
3. Fruits
Not only are fruits nutrient dense, fiber rich, and delicious, many of them are great for our livers, too! Dark berries like blueberries and cranberries are high in helpful antioxidants, and citrus fruits like lemons and limes provide enzymes that help in detoxification.
4. Vegetables
Everyone knows veggies are good for us, but some are extra great for helping our livers. Artichokes, beets, onions, and tomatoes are high on that list.
5. Seeds
Sunflower seeds have anti-inflammatory properties and support your immune system. Pumpkin seeds are nutrient rich, full of antioxidants, and linked to lower rates of multiple types of cancer.
6. Fermented Foods
Fermented foods like kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-diabetic properties and are all amazing for liver health as well.
What Are the Best Liver Health Supplements?
- Sunflower Lecithin
Sunflower Lecithin is not something well known yet, but it is gaining popularity. This form of lecithin is rich in phosphatidylcholine, which is a B complex vitamin that has extremely important roles in fat metabolism and liver health. It helps with stimulating bile flow and can help flush fat out of the liver, and it is also extremely important for brain health.
- Liver Love
Liver Love from Earthley is an amazing and gentle liver support tincture.It is made from organic ingredients, including turmeric root, milk thistle seed, dandelion root, and peppermint leaf. It has anti-inflammatory properties while supporting natural detox, promoting regularity, and easing bloating and gas.
All of Earthley’s products are vegan, gluten and dairy free, 100% organic, non-GMO, and made in the USA.
- Whey Protein
Whey protein is also an amazing helper for the liver since it helps the body create more glutathione, which is crucial for detox. Protein in general is food for the liver!
However, I am not a big fan of supplementing with glutathione directly. Like taking melatonin, using glutathione can confuse the body over time and it could stop the natural production of it.
Plus, bypassing the body’s natural ability to make certain things isn’t always best. In this case, it can create way too much detox on a stressed-out system.
- Bitter Herbs
Bitter herbs like Herb Pharm’s Better Bitter spray are amazing for overall gut and liver health. Bitters are especially helpful for bile flow, improving stomach acid, and helps assimilate nutrients. Or Earthley has an awesome bitter tincture as well that is safe for ages 1+, and also OK to use while pregnant or breastfeeding.
My Absolute FAVORITE Liver Health Supplement
Hands down, it’s BioRay Liver Life.
I’ve been using Bioray Liver Life (in addition to many of the other Bioray tinctures) in HTMA plans for clients for over 5 years now. This has been hands-down the absolute BEST liver support I’ve ever found. It is very potent and often brings quick shifts for my clients that use it.
The company has found that it can heal the liver by 50% in 15 days at the full dose which shows how strong it truly is. With my own clients, I have seen huge changes.
Women have found relief with their menstrual cycle after starting it (less cramps, less acne breakouts, better sleep). Many have seen their liver enzymes reduced after only a month or 2 of use. Also, many have had their cholesterol rebalanced, sleep improved,and their physical and mental energy increased, as well as a very positive change in digestion.
If I could only recommend one item for healing, it would likely be Bioray Liver Life, as it truly can help with so many of the chronic health issues that people are dealing with.
According to their website, BioRay Liver Life has these benefits:
- Improves detox, nutrient absorption and food tolerance
- Increases metabolism and energy levels
- Balances healthy body weight
- Restores healthy pH balance
- Promotes restful sleep and balanced hormones
- Reduces skin irritations, head pain and sensory issues
- Can reduce histamine response by about 48%
- Can improve liver function by 50% in only 15 days!
- Provides support for kidneys, liver, adrenals and lymph system
Liver Life is made from these organic ingredients:
- Agaricus Blazei mushroom – heals the liver and boosts immune health
- Red Root – one of the best herbs for lymph health
- Milk thistle seeds – amazing for liver detox and regeneration
- Olive Leaf – Has strong anti-viral properties
- Turkey Tail mushroom – Immune system supporter
- Reishi mushroom – a well-known adrenal adaptogen and immune system supporter
- Maitake mushroom – another amazing adaptogen; anti-viral; immune support
- Deionized water and gluten-free grain alcohol (20% by volume)
It is also gluten free, soy free, non-dairy, non-GMO, and vegetarian.
BioRay Liver Life comes in 2 or 4 ounce bottles. They also have a similar product called Liver Lover that is close to Liver Life, but it is alcohol free. (tinctures are traditionally made with alcohol because that is the best way to draw out the properties of the plants used.)
My readers also get a special discount – use SASSY at checkout for 10% off your entire order at Bioray or at Perfect Supplements (they carry Bioray as well!).
The BioRay Kids CALM is also amazing for liver support for kids!
About the company: BioRay has been around for about 25 years. They use a mixture of ancient Chinese medicine and modern science to formulate their products. They make their products in small batches and use only organic ingredients. Read my post on the entire BioRay line here for more information.
The Not-So Bitter End
There are SO many ways to help the liver out. The key is to use supplements, herbs, drinks, and foods that assist and aid the liver, hopefully as gently as possible.
We don’t want to do harsh liver cleanses (the liver doesn’t actually get dirty, just sluggish) unless you are already familiar with them, or unless you are under the care of a knowledgeable practitioner.
Interested in learning more about detox your entire body safely and naturally? Then scroll down to read more about my Holistic Detox Support Course!
Get started on your healing journey today:
The body is a whole and we must treat it as such! I have my Bachelor of Science in Natural Health Sciences, certificates in Herbal Studies from Herbal Academy, and I am constantly learning more about health to help my clients and followers.
My goal is to help you unleash your own inner healer! You already hold the power to heal inside you. My role is as a guide to help you realize this potential.
hi, i didn’t think you like supplements. i think if one eats a very healthy plant diet, one does not need supplements, vitamins, minerals, etc.. i am one i cannot eat a high potassium diet. it is hard to keep it down, as a lot of things i eat are high in it. i cannot eat any gluten or grains and want to and need to gain weight, but the only thing that ever caused me to gain, was grain products, and my doctor drives me nuts to gain, i tell him i cannot, i have tired, i get muscle cramps and noes bleeds, but he does not want to hear it. so frustrating when they want you to do something that makes your health worse.
Hi Ramonia! If you read through the suggestions all of the “supplements” are food based. I do not like synthetic, isolated supplements. “Supplements” is just an easy word to use for things like tinctures, collagen, etc as it still fits the description. Plant based diets unfortunately are not great for everyone and not something I recommend. Working on gut and liver health is so crucial to be able to digest and utilize foods that might be causing issues like grains. We often have to undo the damage that was done from our poor diets before our new diets can be helpful.
I have learned in other places what you say here and I believe it. I have used some of these things, but my challenge is wondering if there are ways in which to use the number of things you list to detox and support the liver. In other words, is it important when, like after or before a meal with the many things listed. I don’t know, I’m just wondering if there are better times for your body to fully benefit from these natural remedies. Before or after a meal, etc.
Hey Mary! The only thing that really needs to be at a specific time would be ACV or bitters (before meals for both). Otherwise you can just fit things in when you can.
Hi,my hormone deficiencies are from a tubal ligation 46 yrs ago. I immediately quite sleeping after this surgery. I am 73 suffering, trying to get the correct dose, but over dose easily with trokies I cut up.Glad I found you!!
I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve been struggling so long! I hope that this helps you to get some better sleep finally.
Hi,
Recently I did a blood test to check my liver health and as a result my total protein is high. Do you know what this means? I must say I also had iron panel test done and my Transferrin and TIBC are higher than normal but my ferritin, total iron and Fe Saturation seems to be in range. I am suspecting that the iron issue and liver issue is connected but I do not know how to proceed. In the past I did A HTMA test was in 2019 when I suspected myself to have iron deficiency anemia. Results indicated that I had iron in tissues but that they were still in the normal range on the HTMA Test and I also had some problems with Mercury, Aluminium, Lead and some other mineral imbalances. The practitioner I worked with back then didn’t give me like a helpful guide so it was left at that.
I want to know what your view is on iron metabolism and if you know about the relationship between ceruloplasmin, copper, and vitamin A (Retinol) thus the iron recycling system (RES). And what you believe is regarding the indicator Ferritin on blood test. Do you view it as a safe storage of excess iron or as a marker of inflammation and cell degrading?
Thanks in advance for taking time to reply.
Greetings
Carina
Hi Carina! Unfortunately we can’t really make notes on personal lab results just through commenting here. But the liver itself is truly such a huge piece of the puzzle for many people to truly get minerals regulated.
I do have posts on this site about iron, vitamin A, and ceruloplasmin as well if you want to search for specific info. But no, I do not subscribe to the thought that iron is always toxic and we need to release the “stored” iron.
Hope that helps a bit.
What whey protein do you recommend?
Hi Kay! I had my favorite one linked in the post- Tera’s whey has always been my favorite due to quality and taste. As long as it’s grass-fed, hormone free, and NonGMO it should be fine. Whole Foods has a good store brand as well.
Hello
You mention that bitter drops help with liver and detox ..but don’t you need binders to gently remove out body?
Bile and fiber are our natural binders of toxins. Most don’t need harsh binders for detox.
Hello! I am curious about the capability of the liver to heal when we’re speaking about a long term alcoholic who is experiencing kidney and liver failure. I understand you may not be able to generalize, give medical advice, or comment much on this, but I was reading the segment about the BioRay liver life and healing the liver 50% in 15 days. It made me wonder if a person who is on the list for a liver transplant would have the capability to reverse damages at all (obviously pending that they also quit drowning their body with toxins) and at what point the damages are irreversible.
hey Alison- I don’t have enough experience with something so serious unfortunately. I personally believe that anyone can heal, however in truly intense cases it’s going to take a lot longer than someone that is just mildly sick.
hi there — I have very high cholesterol solely due to genetics (like 400 plus). I am very thin – plant based diet but still have to be on a statin. Will healing my liver reduce my cholesterol naturally?
Hi Carla- it’s possible that it could still help as so many of what we inherit genetically is due to issues like liver dysfunction.
Hi Carla,
I have Igg sensitivities to sunflower and dairy, amongst a whole host of other things. Do you know how the sunflower lecithin and whey interact with sensitivities? I have avoided them like the plague because they cause me so much inflammation.
Hi Kristen, I am wondering what you would recommend is the best way to cleanse your liver if you are on a vegan diet
Hi Sonni- most of the items in this post are vegan safe 🙂 Bioray Liver Life, castor packs, dandelion root tea. The main goal should be to support liver function, not cleanse it.