(NaturalHealth365)  Along with the skin, kidneys, and intestinal tract, the liver is one of the body’s main organs for removing poisons from your body.  The liver does a lot to keep toxins from building up inside your body and causing you harm, but you still need to take care of it so it can keep looking after you.

You can help with detoxification or by taking natural remedies to help improve liver health.  Many natural health experts recommend three powerful herbs: burdock, dandelion greens, and milk thistle.  In fact, convincing research supports the role these herbs have in promoting liver health, and you can easily add them into your daily routine.

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The liver helps remove toxins from your body, allows metabolism to occur, and helps regulate hormone production.  Common liver diseases include cirrhosis, hepatitis A, B, and C, plus fatty liver disease.

You can help protect your liver by eating organic food, proper hygiene, and cleaning up your immediate living space by avoiding personal care products loaded with toxic chemicals, plus purifying your air and water supply daily.  But, in some cases, herbal remedies may be helpful.

Which herbs are best to help detoxify the body and improve liver health?

Burdock, or Arctium lappa, is an herb whose roots can be eaten as a vegetable like it is commonly done in Asia.  It has a diuretic effect, and the excess urination it produces can help lower your blood pressure.  It is also known as a diaphoretic – which means it increases sweating.  Remember, one of the best ways to detoxify the body is through sweat.

Another important benefit of burdock root is its high antioxidant content.  The antioxidants in burdock root can help protect the liver against poisonous substances.  In addition, burdock can cleanse the liver, allowing it to do a better job of detoxifying the blood.

Dr. de Souza Predes from the Department of Biological Sciences at the Universidade Estadual do Paraná in Brazil and colleagues recently published research investigating the ability of burdock to improve liver health.  The authors found that “the liver function indicators showed that A. lappa [burdock] protected the liver against cadmium toxicity damage.”

You can eat burdock root like a vegetable by cooking it.  You can steam or roast it or make a stir fry dish, as Asian cultures might do, with toasted sesame oil, non-GMO soy sauce, and organic chili flakes.

Dandelion roots and leaves can help improve liver health, especially in the case of hepatitis C.  Taraxin, the active compound in dandelion, is a choleretic, which means that it stimulates bile production by the liver.  This aids in fat absorption and digestion, and another benefit is to fight constipation.

You can cook dandelion greens with other greens or on their own with onions and garlic.  You can also use dandelion root to make tea.  Just keep in mind, these greens are bitter to taste.

Milk thistle is another herb known for its liver health benefits.  It has been used to help treat chronic liver disease and hepatitis B and C.  Its active component is a compound called silymarin, and like, dandelion, it is a choleretic.

Milk thistle seeds are most potent, but you can also eat the rest of the plant.  For example, you can stew the stems and seeds after removing the prickles and roast or boil the roots.

It’s always best to remove any known toxic agents, from your life, before starting any supplemental routine.  Of course, when dealing with a severe health condition, it’s best to work with an experienced healthcare provider to develop a plan of action.  By taking better care of yourself, you can put your liver in a better position to take care of yourself.

Depending on your situation, plant remedies usually will provide a powerful yet safe way to improve overall health without harmful side effects.

Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
NIH.gov