We deal with a ton of unhealthy chemicals, toxins, preservatives, metals, antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, and other harmful stuff every day from the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. It seems like the amount of these toxins just keeps going up. One of the liver’s many jobs is to get rid of these toxins. It does this by making bile, which binds to the toxins and removes them from our bodies. However, if the liver gets overloaded with too many toxins, it can get clogged up and cause a bunch of symptoms.
I’ve noticed that I used to feel great doing a liver cleanse twice a year, but now I need to do one every 4-6 weeks to feel my best. Every time I do a cleanse, I see a reduction in water retention, my metabolism gets a boost, my sugar cravings go down, my bloating disappears, my energy levels increase, and my skin clears up!
Reasons to Eat for Your Liver
- Toxins: They come from everywhere and can really mess with our health. Here are some specific types and their effects:
- Heavy Metals: Lead, mercury, and aluminum can sneak into our bodies through water, air, and food. These metals can cause a bunch of health issues like neurological problems, digestive issues, heart and kidney damage, respiratory problems, bone health issues, infertility, immune system problems, cancer, and chronic illnesses.
- Radiation: Both non-ionizing and ionizing radiation can harm our health by increasing insulin resistance and affecting our nervous, endocrine, and hormonal systems. Plus, radiation increases oxidative stress and free radical damage. With the rise in radiation from sources like 5G technology, smart meters, computers, smartphones, and nuclear incidents (like the Fukushima water release in August 2023), these concerns are growing.
- Dietary Toxins: Our food and water are loaded with toxins. GMOs and glyphosate from crops, and industrial farming processes produce highly toxic compounds called dioxins, which build up in the food chain and in the fat tissues of conventionally raised animals. Halogens like fluoride, bromide, and chlorine in our water and food also mess with liver function and iodine receptors in our body’s cells, including the thyroid.
- Xenoestrogens: These synthetic compounds from plastics, pesticides, and industrial chemicals mimic natural estrogen in the body and disrupt hormonal balance. When these xenoestrogens enter the liver, they can overwhelm its detox processes, leading to a buildup of toxins and potential liver dysfunction. This highlights the importance of minimizing exposure to these harmful compounds for overall health.
- Processed Foods: Big food corporations make processed foods that are packed with excess fructose, inflammatory seed oils, GMO grains, and artificial sweeteners, but lack the natural fiber we need. Eating these foods can lead to insulin resistance and block the body’s detox pathways, posing serious health risks. With a whopping 62 percent of the average adult’s diet made up of processed foods, it’s no wonder we’re seeing a dramatic rise in insulin resistance, fatty liver, heart disease, and Type 2 Diabetes.
- Spike Protein: The spike protein has been shown to disrupt liver function by interfering with the ACE2 receptor. This can cause symptoms like unexpected weight gain, fluid retention, irregular insulin levels, cognitive fog, fertility issues, and increased inflammation.
By understanding these reasons and the impact of various toxins on our liver, it’s clear eating for liver health is imperative.
How to Tell If Your Liver Isn't Functioning Optimally
Here are some signs that your liver might not be in great shape:
- Unexplained weight gain
- Sluggishness
- Nausea
- Poor fat and protein metabolism
- Hormonal imbalances
- Fat accumulation
- Low energy
- Man boobs in men
- Low metabolism and thyroid function
- Fatty liver
- Insulin resistance
- High uric acid
- Skin breakouts and acne
- Waking up around 3-4 am
When your liver gets overloaded with too many toxins, its function can get impaired. The liver is the largest and one of the most vital organs in the body, so when it’s not working well, it can lead to serious disease and even death.
Over 45 percent of adults and 25 percent of children have fatty liver.
The Wrong “Healthy” Foods to Eat For Your Liver
Taking care of your liver is super important, and fortunately, there are plenty of delicious foods that can help keep it in top shape. However, let’s first address the foods thought to believe to help the liver that actually may backfire.
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, and other leafy greens are thought to be fantastic for your liver. They’re loaded with antioxidants and chlorophyll, which help cleanse the liver and keep it functioning well. However, spinach and kale are full of oxalates that can actually lead to brain fog, hypothyroidism, kidney stones, and block the liver detox pathways.
- Beets: These vibrant root vegetables are thought to be great for liver health. They contain betaine, which helps support the liver’s detoxification process. However, beets are one of the highest oxalate-containing foods that will lead to symptoms of oxalate poisoning in addition to slowly detoxifying processes in the liver.
- Garlic: This potent bulb is packed with sulfur compounds that activate liver enzymes, helping to flush out toxins. However, due to glyphosate affecting the sulfur detox pathways, more sulfur from foods like garlic can actually backfire and clog the liver.
- Turmeric: Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is thought to be a liver-loving spice. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, helps protect the liver from damage and promotes the production of bile, aiding in digestion. However, turmeric is full of oxalates like beets and some leafy greens.
- Avocado: Although this fruit is rich in healthy fats and glutathione, a compound that helps the liver detoxify harmful substances, avocados are a high histamine food that may cause inflammation and inhibit bodily functions including liver function.
- Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are packed with antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and protect liver cells from damage. But, berries are loaded with oxalates like the other foods mentioned.
- Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, and other nuts are rich in healthy fats and vitamin E, which can help protect the liver from damage. However, most nuts, notably almonds, are loaded with oxalates.
- Too Much Fat: When your liver is clogged or sluggish and can’t break down the fat you’ve ingested, it creates a backup that just keeps getting worse. Without the necessary enzymes or bile to process fats, you might start feeling sluggish and bloated, and you could even experience insomnia, acne, PMS, and hair loss. Other signs to watch for include bumps on the back of your arms, edema, pain on the right side under your ribs, right scapula pain, and gallstones.
- All Sulfur Foods and Medications: Certain sulfur-rich foods, often hailed as “healthy” like kale and broccoli, not only clog the liver’s detox pathways, but also may actually trigger conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, and mental health issues. Cruciferous vegetables, onions, garlic, and egg yolks are typical sources of dietary sulfur, even sneaking into those seemingly beneficial green juices.
Environmental changes have disrupted how our bodies handle sulfur, turning these once healthy foods into potential contributors to disease.
- Oxalates: Foods high in oxalic acid include beans, grains, bran, seeds, peanuts, almonds, Swiss chard, spinach, beets, potatoes, chocolate, rhubarb, figs, kiwi, blackberries, black pepper, cumin, and turmeric. Oxalates can deplete your body of essential minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Issues like Leaky Gut, Crohn’s disease, detoxification issues, and autoimmune disorders can increase oxalate deposits. Additionally, urinary problems can decrease oxalate excretion, potentially leading to oxalate poisoning when consumption exceeds elimination.
Foods that Help the Liver
There are many foods that do help support the liver.
- Organic Produce. It is imperative to eat foods that do not have toxins, GMO’s or glyphosate on them which are all substances that burden the liver, lead to insulin resistance, fatty liver and heart disease. Furthermore, the toxins from inorganic foods will compromise the liver’s ability to metabolize the organic “healthy” proteins, fats and produce.
- Whole Foods. Eating ultra processed foods are ladened with excess sugar, artificial ingredients, inflammatory seed oils, and other toxins. All of these ingredients back up the liver, increase insulin resistance which leads to fatty liver, and clog the detox pathways. On the other hand, whole foods help cleanse the liver and keep it functionally properly.
- Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and support liver health.
- Citrus Fruits: Oranges, lemons, and limes are high in vitamin C, which aids in detoxification and helps the liver produce glutathione. A glass of warm lemon water in the morning is a great way to kickstart your day.
- Green Tea: Sip on some green tea for a liver boost. It’s full of catechins, antioxidants that improve liver function and protect against liver disease. I love starting my day with a cup of green tea—it’s so refreshing.
- Artichoke: Artichoke leaf extract increases bile production and supports liver health. It also helps protect the liver from damage and promotes regeneration.
- Wild Animal Protein: Wild animal protein like bison, lamb, deer, elk and wild fish provide the nutrients to support all tissues, muscles and organs without containing the amyloid proteins that can be detrimental to liver, gut and brain health.
- Vegetables without Oxalates, Sulfur, and Mold: Not all vegetables are “healthy”; some vegetables have plant poisons that can clog the liver’s detox pathways in addition to leading to hypothyroidism, inflammation, brain fog, joint pain, and more. For a list of these vegetables, visit the Accelerated food Guide.
- Organic Coffee: Coffee is surprisingly good for liver health when consumed in moderation. Studies have shown that regular coffee consumption can lower the risk of liver diseases, including fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. It’s particularly effective in reducing the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Drinking coffee has been associated with lowering the risk of developing liver cancer, lowering levels of liver enzymes, detoxifying the liver, and providing antioxidants.
Supplements To Add to Your Liver Diet
Due to the modern day lifestyle and toxins, our livers need more than just food to help support optimal function; supplements and lifestyle changes are not only encouraged, but are essential.
Sara Banta’s Accelerated Liver Flush Cleanse
The Liver Cleanse supplements work together to provide a comprehensive detox for your liver and gallbladder. Here’s how they can transform your health:
- Flush Out Gallstones: Say goodbye to pain, cramps, and inflammation as gallstones are naturally flushed from your body.
- Lower Liver Enzymes: Helps bring down AST and ALT liver enzyme counts, indicating better liver health.
- Repair Liver Cells: Replaces damaged liver cells with healthy ones, reversing fatty liver disease and restoring liver function.
- Detoxify: Eliminates thousands of toxins and pollutants, reversing damage caused by drugs and alcohol.
- Reduce Cholesterol: Flushes out unhealthy cholesterol deposits, improving overall cardiovascular health.
- Clear Obstructions: Opens up blockages in the liver and gallbladder, ensuring smooth bile flow.
- Boost Immunity: Strengthens your immune system, helping your body fight off illnesses more effectively.
- Regenerate Liver and Gallbladder: Supports the regeneration of these vital organs, promoting long-term health and vitality.
By incorporating Liver Cleanse supplements into your routine, you can give your liver and gallbladder the support they need to function at their best.
Accelerated Fast™
When your body switches to running on ketones, with the help of Accelerated Fast™ and a low-carb diet, it significantly boosts liver health. Here’s how:
- Increased ATP Production: Ketones enhance ATP production in the mitochondria, optimizing mitochondrial biogenesis, which enhances all cellular energy including in the liver.
- Efficient Fat Breakdown: The ingredients in Accelerated Fast™ convert saturated fats into easier-to-use unsaturated fats in the liver, making body fat more available for energy. This increases ketone levels, enhances autophagy, and helps de-fat the liver.
- Enhanced Liver Function: A defatted, unclogged liver efficiently converts stored fat into ketones and breaks down fat molecules for energy. Improved liver function also enhances the conversion of T4 to T3 thyroid hormone, boosting metabolism, mitochondrial function, and overall energy levels.
Powerful Ingredients for Liver Health:
- Organic Mukul Cammiphora: Known for breaking down fats and providing an energy spark to burn those fats, it supports joint and muscle health, acts as a whole-body rejuvenator, and detoxifies the body and liver. In Ayurvedic Medicine, Mukul Cammiphora is seen as the “fire” that ignites the Keto process.
- Organic Trikatu: Heats up the digestive “fire,” ensuring high absorption of ketones and other cofactors, and increases your metabolic rate.
By integrating Accelerated Fast™ into your routine, you’re not just boosting your energy and metabolism but also giving your liver the support it needs to function at its best.
NOW Choline & Inositol
Choline and inositol, part of the B-vitamin family, are essential for liver health and more.
- Choline: Helps reduce triglyceride accumulation in the liver, supports normal synaptic transmission, brain health, and fatty acid metabolism in the liver.
- Inositol: Crucial for brain and nervous system health. Both are vital components of cell membranes, ensuring cell integrity and function.
Quintessential 0.9
This supplement promotes proper cellular hydration, mirroring the exact balance of minerals and electrolytes found in our blood plasma. Proper hydration and nutrition are crucial for detoxifying cells and the liver from heavy metals and radiation while boosting healthy ATP and mitochondrial production.
Accelerated Ancient Salt®
Essential for digestion, unrefined salt acts as an emulsifying agent and detoxifier. It “plumps” up the blood volume so the liver can expel toxins more easily.
Why Accelerated Ancient Salt®?
- Detoxification: Its strong negative charge helps pull out positively charged toxins, parasites, and undigested fats.
- Source and Purity: Made from pure, raw, unbleached, unheated, unrefined ancient seabed and sea salt from pristine locations in the Andes Mountains, the Himalayas, and Utah. Free from harmful synthetic excipients.
- Scalar Charged: Enhanced with Scalar energy, this salt reorganizes DNA, aids in detoxification from radiation and heavy metals, stimulates digestion, and rehydrates cells at a deep level. Plus, it tastes amazing!
HeaWea MicroGen Frequency Healing Device
The HeaWea MicroGen Device uses microcurrent and bioresonance technology to deliver precise electrical frequencies to your body. These frequencies are designed to stimulate cellular function and promote a variety of health benefits.
By accurately applying electric currents of specific frequencies, the HeaWea can help naturally improve liver and gallbladder health, detox the body, reduce inflammation, and so much more. It has over 60,000 programs targeting almost every health issue or condition you can think of including organ treatments, intestinal inflammation, parasites, colitis, IBS, constipation, fatty liver, insulin resistance, hormonal imbalances, pain management, energy, and more.
This device is a versatile tool for enhancing your overall well-being naturally.
Sara Banta
Sara Banta is a Stanford University Graduate with a Degree in Economics and Psychology, and a certified Natural Supplement Expert & Graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Sara is the Founder of Accelerated Health Products and host of the health & wellness podcast, Accelerated Health Radio.
