What Are the Benefits of Liver Detox Diets and Who Should Not Do It?

by Roy Forchet



There is a wide variety of detox diet plans publicized in magazines, on the Internet, and on television. Some take up to four weeks, and are ruled out as too extreme by many nutritionists. There are also milder, 24- to 72-hour detox diets combining fasting and drinking nothing but purified water for the first 24 hours.

The detoxification diet that targets the liver is the most effective of all the detox plans out there. Among the body's most important instruments, your liver is an intricate and complicated organ with more than nine hundred functions. The liver filters toxins from your bloodstream. In our everyday lives, exposure to pollutants, combined with our own less-than-healthy diets, cause the liver to clog, something like a vacuum cleaner filter.

Once it becomes clogged, the liver can't function properly, leaving toxins to accumulate in body tissue. This can cause an array of health problems including allergies, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, elevated cholesterol levels, constipation, and irregular levels of blood glucose. To avoid such health issues, many nutritionists recommend partaking in a liver detoxification periodically.

What Should You Eat?

The liver detox diet is not difficult to follow when contrasted with most detox diet plans. The crux of this detox diet is to hydrate with lots of water in addition to eating only whole organic foods like whole grains, lean meats, fish, fruit, and vegetables. During your liver detox diet beets, artichokes, seaweed, radishes, turmeric, cabbage and broccoli are all particularly liver-healthy foods.

What to Avoid

Avoid processed foods during your liver detox, as well as all drinks that are seeped in fat or sugar. Toxins like caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and illegal drugs must be shunned during a liver detox diet. Remember, you're trying to filter and cleanse your liver, help it to free itself from the toxic substances that overwhelm it so that it can perform at its maximum effectiveness. If you prefer to stay with your habits don't do it - it might harm you.

Flushing and Supplements

Certain people cleanse their liver for 24-hour periods during their liver detox diet. Flushing your liver is accomplished by consuming nothing but purified water, plus a drink that is a blend of lemon and orange juice, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, ginger and a pinch of cayenne pepper. It may not taste great, but this combination is excellent for detoxing the liver.

If you decide that you want to give the liver detoxification a try, be sure to have a good multivitamin on hand, to make sure your body is receiving all its vitamins and minerals. A bit of milk thistle and dandelion, both liver-friendly supplements are good to have on hand during your liver detox as well.

One of the best liver detox regimen which can be done over the weekend can be found in the works of Dr. Hulda Clark. Although controversial this woman has written down a well functioning and cheap method to cleanse the liver and get rid of toxins preventing the liver to work in the best possible way.

Roy Forchet has been writing articles for almost 3 years. Come and visit his latest website at http://www.superjuicer.org/ where he writes about several things to keep in mind when buying an orange juicer or other food processors.