Did you know that not only does the liver carry out more than 500 essential tasks in the body, it’s also the only organ in the body with the ability to regenerate itself? How amazing is the liver!

While the liver has many roles, one of its most important is the role it plays in healthy digestion, helping with the process of breaking down food and assisting in the conversion of food into energy.

When the liver isn’t as happy as it should be, that’s when symptoms such as indigestion, flatulence, bloating, constipation and abdominal discomfort can begin to appear, signs that can appear around this time of year when we might be putting extra demands on our digestion.

While food can commonly be a causative factor for some of these symptoms, there are also foods that are great for liver health which you might just consider adding to your festive season arsenal. The gallbladder is also an important part of the digestive process and shouldn’t be ignored if you’re thinking about liver health.

Let’s take a look at the liver/gallbladder connection as well as some of those great foods for liver health and why they’re so good.

Appreciating the liver/gallbladder connection

While the liver and gallbladder are separate organs, they live close together in the body and play supporting roles in digestion. The digestive function of the liver is to produce bile, breaking down fat to small droplets to allow the fat-digesting enzyme, lipase, to work effectively.

The gallbladder, which sits next to the liver, acts like a warehouse for bile, storing excess when it’s not needed while also assisting the body in absorbing fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients.

So, often while consideration is given just to the liver, it’s important not to ignore the role the gallbladder plays in the complete digestive process.

The liver also doesn’t just work on digestion. It is a key detoxification organ within the body, filtering blood and altering fat-soluble toxic materials into water-soluble compounds for them to be effortlessly excreted from the body via urine or bile. It certainly is a busy and important organ.

Food for the liver

While there are several foods that can be beneficial for liver health, here’s our top three dietary “Bs” for liver health:
 

• Berries - Several dark berries, including raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries, have antioxidants known as polyphenols. These antioxidants support liver health by protecting against oxidative stress and reducing the number of free radicals formed in the body, while also improving blood flow in addition to having an anti-inflammatory effect [1].
  
  
• Broccoli - Broccoli, as well as other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and brussels sprouts, contain specific sulphur-rich compounds called glucosinolates [2]. These sulphur-rich compounds break down into metabolites that activate certain enzymatic reactions in the body, removing some not so favourable circulating compounds that may be in the bloodstream [3]. Among these cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is also a rich source of vitamins A, C and riboflavin (vitamin B2), all important nutrients for supporting liver health [4].
  
  
• Beetroot - In recent years, beetroot, especially the betalains and nitrates it contains, has received increasing attention for their very effective biological activities. Betalains have been shown to have strong antioxidant activity while also addressing nitrative stress in the body. Betalains appear to have a protective effect on hepatocytes, cells specific to the liver [5].
  
  If you’re looking for a little something extra for liver support, Herbs of Gold Liver Care is a comprehensive formula including St Mary’s thistle to support liver health while also acting as an hepatoprotectant, protecting the liver. This great formula also contains Dandelion, traditionally used in Western herbal medicine (WHM) to support healthy liver function and healthy digestion. Dandelion also has a long history of traditional use in WHM to promote bile flow from the liver and the gallbladder and as a bitter tonic to stimulate gastric secretions.

WARNINGS:  Always read the label and follow the directions for use

References:

[1] Silva, S., Costa, E. M., Veiga, M., Morais, R. M., Calhau, C., & Pintado, M. (2020). Health promoting properties of blueberries: a review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 60(2), 181–200.

[2] Vallejo, F., Tomás-Barberán, F., & García-Viguera, C. (2002). Glucosinolates and vitamin C content in edible parts of broccoli florets after domestic cooking. European Food Research and Technology, 215(4), 310-316.

[3] Eve, A. A., Liu, X., Wang, Y., Miller, M. J., Jeffery, E. H., & Madak-Erdogan, Z. (2020). Biomarkers of broccoli consumption: implications for glutathione metabolism and liver health. Nutrients, 12(9), 2514.

[4] Mukherjee, V., & Mishra, P. K. (2012). Broccoli an underexploited nutraceutical. Science Research Reporter, 2(3), 291-294.

[5] Khan, M. I. (2016). Plant betalains: Safety, antioxidant activity, clinical efficacy, and bioavailability. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 15(2), 316-330.

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