Liver Cleanse Weight Loss - How to Avoid Chronic Liver Disease and Damage

The liver and its functions often go unnoticed, but it is an important organ that carries out about 500 functions on a day-to-day basis.

As the second-largest organ, it holds some huge responsibilities.

While most people remain aware that drinking alcohol and consuming supplements without drug administration can cause severe damage to the liver. When the liver is succumbed to damage or is compromised, the liver detoxification process in the body gets hindered. When liver detoxification occurs, the liver needs help.

Liver cleanse weight loss programs have been said to help neutralize toxins for the liver to function better. However, this claim does not hold strict sourcing guidelines.

One must always abide to follow a balanced diet and cultivate healthy lifestyle changes this may also lead to liver cleanse weight loss that may benefit individuals getting their weight under control. 

This article briefs you about the practices and precautions to keep your liver healthy.

1. What Is A Liver Cleanse?

We know that the liver is our body’s natural detoxifier. This organ cleanses the body of all the toxins and produces bile to support healthy digestion.

It is located on the right bottom side of the body, just under our rib cage and a healthy liver is capable of detoxicating almost everything that we consume or intake.

A  liver cleanse, detox or flush is a health program that claims to take out the impurities and toxins in your body, help you lose weight, or improve your overall health and immune system. Liver cleanse weight loss has benefited individuals carrying out an unhealthy lifestyle and got them on the path of a healthy one. 

Most people remain under the impression that a cleanse will help their liver remove toxins after the consumption of too much alcohol or unhealthy foods. Some assume that detoxes help the organ function better every day. However, several believe it will help treat liver disease and disorders.

Like most detoxes, a liver cleanses or detox holds specific steps The most common step is either to fast or consume only juices or other liquids for a stretch of days.

A few steps may restrict you to a limited diet, eating a  liver-friendly diet, taking herbal or dietary supplements,  liver detox smoothies,  avoiding certain foods, cleansing the colon and gut through the use of enemas to achieve the result. Some detoxes also urge you to purchase a variety of products.

Mainstream healthcare professionals argue that the organ does not need detoxing and liver cleanses or detoxes might even be dangerous.

2. Do liver cleanses work? Evidence and Risks

Liver cleanses promise to free your body of impurities and toxins, but these liver detoxes are controversial because there is little science to support their benefits and use.

The reality is that toxins lurk at every corner of our environment, and our bodies have the built-in capacity to defend against these toxins naturally.

Of course, there are multiple things you can undertake to improve your health and support a functional liver.

A healthy liver cleanses itself naturally while an unhealthy liver will not get better with a liver detox or cleanse. Make sure to check out for the  signs of liver detox working for your liver or not.

A person diagnosed with the liver disease requires proper medical treatment and may be subjected to lifestyle or dietary changes.

A few pieces of evidence exist suggesting that supplements, such as milk thistle, may improve the overall health of the liver. However, there is no evidence that these health supplements detox the organ, or are viable to cure any liver condition.

However, liver cleanses also pose certain health risks:

• It may not offer balanced nutrition: A liver detoxifying diet may not comprise all the necessary nutrients that you require. Over time, a cleansing diet can lead to malnutrition or deficiencies, particularly in pregnant women, children, diabetic individuals, liver problems, and other medical conditions.
• Enemas can be potentially dangerous: Enemas, like coffee enemas, can cause critical damage to the small and large intestines when not administered correctly.
• Cannot replace medical treatment: A person substituting a liver cleanse with a medical treatment undergo serious underlying medical issues if left untreated.

3. Are Liver cleanses important for daily health maintenance?

Doctors say liver detoxes aren't important as they do not determine your health or how well your liver functions.

There are no credible reports or scientific proof that detox or cleanses help get rid of the toxins from the body. However, there's a limit on alcohol consumption. Your liver works harder when you consume too much alcohol.

Your general health and your genes affect your liver. Even though there is no proof to validate that liver cleanses are important for daily health maintenance, you can achieve this by changes in your diet, lifestyle, and environment.

4. Can a liver cleanse protect against liver disease?

Currently, no evidence exists to prove that liver cleanses and detoxes can protect the liver against disease and conditions.

A few common liver disorders include:

• Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C
• Alcohol-related liver disorders and conditions
• Non-alcohol-related liver disorders and conditions

However, the two biggest risk factors for liver damage are excessive alcohol consumption and a family history of liver disease and conditions.

However, there are a few ways you can focus on to protect yourself from liver conditions:

Limit Alcohol Intake:

Alcohol is a toxicant that can damage your liver to a great deal when consumed in excessive amounts.

The recommended intake of alcohol is a standard drink per day for adult women and two standard drinks for men up to the age of 65. Men above 65 years of age must revert to one standard drink per day.

Many people resort to  detoxing their liver after alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption in moderation is the most important factor to protect liver damage. Never consume medications, or even attempt to take acetaminophen in the same 24-hour period when you drink alcohol.

Vaccination Against Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a common liver disease caused by a virus. If you are at increased risk of infecting yourself, talk to your doctor about having Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccinations.

However, there is a treatment for Hepatitis C now, but all three types of hepatitis are very hard on your liver.

The best approach to protect yourself from exposure to these viruses that can cause liver damage is vaccination.

Choose Your Medications Wisely

Your liver is the cleansing organ that processes various nutrients and medications. Whether it’s a prescription or nonprescription drug, choose your medications wisely. Consult medical expertise from your doctor about alternative options. Most importantly, never mix alcohol with any medications.

Be Wary of Needles

Did you know that blood carries hepatitis viruses? Therefore, avoid sharing needles to inject medications or drugs.

If you’re getting a tattoo, ensure that the shop practices safety and cleanliness protocol and is inspected and approved by the state health department. Ensure that needles are sterilized and disposed off after use.

Use Condoms

Hepatitis C is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact. Certain sexual behaviours may increase your risk of infecting with Hepatitis C, even though the virus is not typically sexually transmitted.

If you or your partner has been diagnosed with hepatitis C, you don’t have to swear off sex but practice safe sex as bodily fluids also carry viruses.

Handle Chemicals Safely

Chemicals, toxic substances, and contaminants can enter your body through your skin. To protect yourself from these products, always wear a mask, long-sleeved pants and shirts, and gloves when handling paints, chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, and fungicides.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is often associated with metabolic issues, such as type- 2 diabetes and obesity. You can reduce your risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by making healthy lifestyle choices.

5. Liver-Friendly Foods

Avoiding processed foods that have high-fat content, such as fish, meat, or dairy, may help you with fatty liver disease.

Although there are some of the  best foods to cleanse liver naturally, doctors may recommend healthy eating and healthy habits depending on individual's capacity to avoid liver diseases.

Clinical trials and doctors offer dietary recommendations to people with specific liver diseases:

• Bile duct disease: Making use of fat substitutes when cooking as your body requires less bile to break the substances down.
• Cirrhosis: To avoid this, limit your salt intake. It may also be necessary to reduce protein intake, but ensure you are under the supervision of a doctor.
• Fatty liver disease: Make sure to consume high-fiber foods and avoid foods and that are rich in calories.
• Hemochromatosis: Avoid consuming iron-rich foods and stop taking iron supplements. Never consume raw shellfish.
• Hepatitis C: To avoid Hepatitis C, avoid iron-rich foods, iron supplements, and reduce your salt intake.
• Wilson disease: To prevent Wilson's disease, limit copper-rich foods, such as mushrooms, chocolate, and nuts.

People with healthy livers do not require to adopt ant specific diet or nutrition supplements. Eating a well-balanced, whole-food, varied diet and limiting alcohol consumption will help preserve your liver health.

6. Does Liver Cleanses Help You Lose Weight Safely?

A few studies have connected liver cleanses with weight gain or weight loss, but they’ve been low-quality or looked at only a limited section of people.

Other peer-reviewed studies have found that a liver detox program contains a low-calorie diet which may help to achieve weight loss. However, people tend to regain the weight lost as soon as they shift back to their regular diet.

7. Ways to lose weight and help fatty liver

Some of the lifestyle changes may help to keep the liver healthy and also protect against serious diseases. It can even help you lose weight and get rid of inflammatory fat in your liver.

Always make a note of your caloric intake to avoid further complications.

A few ways to lose weight and help fatty liver are-

• Practicing a healthy diet with plenty of water, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• Exercise regularly and keep yourself physically active
• Follow guidelines when consuming alcohol.
• The intake of greens such as broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, and kale can help with weight management.
• Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna, and trout are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats to help improve liver fat levels and bring down inflammation.
• Substituting olive oil with other oils to lower liver enzyme levels and control weight.

8. Do Herbal and Dietary Supplements Help Your Liver?

Milk thistle is a herb that contains a compound known as silybin. Certain academic research institutions claim that the herb helps your liver function better and can help treat liver disease.

However, there isn't enough evidence that liver detoxes work. No enough evidence to prove that milk thistle or its extracts make your liver healthier.

The  dosage of milk thistle for cleansing your liver will depend upon your doctor's prescription.

Turmeric is also known to give your body a boost. Studies state that it may help protect against liver injury. However, there’s not enough research to support the fact that turmeric may regularly for prevention.

Dandelion has also been considered a natural remedy and included in various herbal supplements for various conditions. Several studies suggest that the inclusion of dandelion needs to prove that it works.

Remember that FDA rules about supplements aren’t the same as for foods or medicines as it holds no guarantee of it working.

If you think you have a liver injury or liver complications, consult your doctor.

9. Can Obesity increase your risk of liver disease? Fact versus Fiction

The fiction that Obesity can increase your risk of developing a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a fact. Obesity can cause inflammation leading to the development of fibrosis and cirrhosis in the organ.

WORETA reported that the rising epidemic of obesity in the United States, the prevalence of the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is rapidly increasing. This could lead to the rise in Hepatitis C among youngsters.

Ultimately, the best thing you can do to keep your liver healthy is to treat it well with enough physical exercise and balanced food.

Avoid frequent overconsumption of food and alcohol, maintain a healthy diet, undertake an exercise regimen consistently, and get screened if you have liver disease risk factors.

If you do incur liver damage, work with your doctor and come up with the healthiest and safest plan for your personal needs and health.

10. Conclusion

A fit liver is crucial for balancing a person’s health overall, but expensive liver cleanses or diets are just not necessary. There are a few cases that may even be dangerous.

A healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet,  liver detox tea and regular consultations with a doctor are far beneficial to liver health than any fad diet or cleanse claiming to heal nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.