Detoxing Your Liver: A Complete Guide

You clean your house. You wash your car. You scrub your body…but have you ever given much thought about cleansing and detoxifying your liver?

Your liver is your body's second largest organ and carries out more than 500 functions, including purifying and detoxifying blood, metabolizing protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats as well as being your body's natural filter when it comes to alcohol consumption. A healthy liver impacts processes in your body that you might not even be aware of; it's key to immune system function, for example, and it even plays a role in how successful maintaining a healthy weight is.

Every day, you unintentionally come into contact with toxins from food, water or environmental factors that impact liver health.

So, is there anything you can do to "detox" your liver? Well…the answer is no, if you're referring to products on the market that claim to do exactly that. We hate to sound negative, but there is no way to have a "successful liver cleanse" using a supplement, powder…or a bunch of overpriced juices!

That doesn't mean there's nothing you can do to support your liver's detoxing, however. With the right lifestyle changes, science-based liver supplements, foods and beverages, you can help your liver do the very best job it can of filtering out toxins.

How to detox your liver?

When it comes to detoxifying your liver, luckily, you don't have to follow any fad diets, fasting juice cleanses or sit in a sweat lodge. Taking care of your liver health is as simple as eating healthy foods, consuming the right beverages and incorporating liver health supplements into your wellness routine.

Follow these simple do's and don'ts to show your liver love, every single day!

DON'T fall for trendy "liver detox diets."

When the words "diet" or "detox" come to mind, you may automatically start to think about the latest fad diet you saw your favorite celebrity tout on social media. Beware of these, or any product that says it has liver "cleansing" benefits!

Eating nutrient-rich foods to support your liver health is a lot simpler and more sustainable once you know the right foods to eat (and those to avoid as well). Instead of trying to follow some difficult and questionably healthy liver detox diet, stick with a well-balanced approach to eating such as the Mediterranean Diet, which not only supports whole-body health, but also helps with liver support and detoxification. You'll be packing your plate with fresh vegetables and leafy greens, a variety of fresh fruits (fruit salad, anyone?), whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats.

DO fill your plate with liver detox foods.

No, there are no foods that cleanse the liver; that being said, some foods may help detoxify your liver more than others:

• Cabbage

  : Make every day feel like St. Paddy's Day with a heaping helping of cabbage. Eating cabbage helps stimulate liver detoxifying enzymes that help flush out toxins. Kimchi, coleslaw, cabbage soup and sauerkraut are great ways to incorporate cabbage into your daily diet.

• Olive oil

  : Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on your veggies—this healthy fat provides so many health benefits! A little olive oil goes a long way by helping to support against levels of fat in the liver, maintain healthy blood flow and promote liver enzyme levels. EVOO? More like E-V-O-WHOA!

• Apples

  : Does an apple a day keep the liver toxins away? Not quite, but apples are high in pectin, which help the body cleanse and release toxins from your digestive tract.

• Leafy greens

  : Leafy green veggies are powerful produce that can be eaten raw, cooked or juiced. These leafy greens are high in chlorophyll and help the liver properly remove environmental toxins from the blood. Make sure you pack your plate with these powerful protectors, since you need a well-nourished liver to neutralize heavy metals, chemicals and even pesticides.

• Garlic

  : Garlic not only keeps vampires away, but also toxins and helps detoxify your liver. Even a small amount helps activate liver enzymes that help flush out toxins from your body.

DON'T waste money on "liver detox drinks."

Detoxing your liver doesn't stop with a healthy diet; you will also need to be mindful about the beverages you consume as well. But you don't need to drink anything with "detox" on the label! Water's liver cleansing benefits are all you really need; being properly hydrated helps support against liver toxins, aids in digestion and may support healthy weight management.

But plain agua isn't the only option! These healthy beverage options are also liver-friendly:

• Green tea

  : Is there a liver detox tea? Maybe not, but green tea sure is a good friend to your liver because it helps your system flush what it doesn't need, which will aid your liver's natural detoxification process. Additional benefits from green tea include: supporting your immune system, protecting your liver from toxins and alcohol consumption as well as maintaining healthy liver enzymes.

• Lemon water

  : Water is a wonderful way to naturally flush and detoxify your body, but sometimes plain ole water can get a little boring, especially if you are drinking at least 64 oz. (as recommended by the dietary guidelines for Americans) throughout the day. A squeeze of lemon (or any other citrus) will not only add some pizzazz, but also some extra protection from