Liver Tonic

About Liver Tonic

Given the modern lifestyles and artificial surrounding environments of those living in developed nations, it's not surprising that the liver can often need some additional support. For instance, plastic drink bottles, food chemical additives and industrial chemical exposure all lead to the introduction of man-made chemicals into the body. The liver then has to package these chemicals up and make them ready for excretion. 

Apart from detoxification, the liver has a lot of other important work to do, such as manufacturing hormones, stabilising blood sugar and even creating bile. In fact, the liver is said to have over 500 separate tasks, which is probably why it is the largest solid organ in the human body. Given the liver’s high level of importance, it’s no wonder that it is the only organ that has the ability to regenerate. The liver even has the important role of synthesizing cholesterol, which is then used for the synthesis of hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone. 

There are many tonifying herbal medicines that aim to protect the liver from chemicals, as well as support its many biological functions. Some of these herbs are St Mary's Milk Thistle, Globe Artichoke and Dandelion Root. Many of these liver herbs offer benefits to other areas of the body. For instance, St Mary’s Thistle is not only a liver protectant, but also supports liver regeneration, inhibits collagen deposits in the liver, and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and kidney protective effects. This was reported in The Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine in 2015.

Unless we plan to live in the Himalayas, in a serene environment unaffected by the meddlings of humans, then we could probably do with a liver tonic every now and then. Even the most “friendly” alcoholic drink, organic pinot noir (high resveratrol) still contains alcohol, which does impact liver health.