Your liver is a remarkable organ that you literally can't live without. It synthesizes proteins and hormones, produces bile to digest foods, stores glucose, recycles red blood cells and regulates cholesterol. Most importantly, your liver acts as a waste disposal system, filtering out toxins and processing them for elimination. In addition to a sensible diet and lifestyle to ensure proper functioning, certain herbs may help to heal the liver when it's been compromised or overworked. However, please consult with a health-care professional before self-treating your condition with herbal therapies.
Milk Thistle
Also known as Marian or Mary thistle, milk thistle benefits the liver in a variety of ways. The seeds of the milk thistle plant contain flavonoid compounds collectively referred to as silymarin that provide hepatoprotective properties, meaning they protect the liver from damage. Specifically, the compounds silychristin and silydianin alter the outer membrane of liver cells to block the entry of toxins. Silymarin also protects the liver from the toxic effects of certain medications, such as acetaminophen. Silymarin is also considered an antidote for death cap mushroom poisoning.
One of the most exciting things about milk thistle's effects is that it promotes the regeneration of liver cells. This happens because silymarin stimulates RNA polymerase I, the only enzyme that can make duplicate strands of ribonucleic acid (RNA) from DNA genes. This process, known as transcription, basically means that the liver is able to heal itself by forming new cells from a DNA template. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, milk thistle may help to heal the liver from damage caused by hepatitis C and alcoholic cirrhosis.
Dandelion
Dandelion is a traditional herbal remedy for liver and gallbladder disorders in Chinese, Indian and Native American medicine. According to the entry for this herb in the "PDR for Herbal Medicines," dandelion contains a group of compounds called amaroids that simulate the production of bile. In holistic medicine, the root of dandelion is used to enhance liver detoxification and is also reputed to provide antiviral qualities.
Yarrow
This herb contains chamazulene, a chemical agent virtually identical to that found in chamomile that provides anti-inflammatory effects. In traditional herbal medicine, yarrow is used to stimulate the flow of bile. In Europe, the German Commission E, which is analagous to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has approved the use of this herb to treat liver and gallbladder complaints.
Other Herbs
Other herbs traditionally used to cleanse the blood and detoxify the liver include red clover, yellow dock, licorice, alfalfa, artichoke, and the Chinese herbs shizandra and bupleurum. Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of some of these herbs in healing the liver. However, a few studies have shown that the chemical glycyrrhizin in licorice may benefit patients suffering from chronic hepatitis. In addition, Italian researchers are focusing on the potential liver protective properties from artichoke leaf in the treatment of dyspepsia.
References
- "PDR for Herbal Medicines"; Medical Economics; 2000.
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Milk Thistle
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Effect of Glycyrrhizin on the Activity of CYP3A Enzyme in Humans.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Plasma Levels of D-Dimer and Von Willebrand Factor and the Therapeutic Effect of Compound Glycyrrhizin in Children with Cytomegalovirus Hepatitis.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Phytotherapy with a Mixture of Dry Extracts with Hepato-Protective Effects Containing Artichoke Leaves in the Management of Functional Dyspepsia Symptoms.
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