The liver is the largest organ in your body. It performs many vital tasks, including changing food into nutrients, filtering alcohol and toxins from your blood and helping to fight infections. Your liver also secretes bile, a yellowish-green liquid, which aids in digestion. A number of herbs claim to be beneficial for the liver; however, before taking any herbs to address your liver problems, consult with a professional health care provider.
Licorice
Licorice is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra and has been used for centuries as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages. Many people consume licorice customarily in the form of teas to promote liver function. It contains two major functional ingredients, glycyrrhizin and flavonoids, which give licorice its potent antioxidant effects due to the ability of these substances to scavenge free radicals and decrease oxidation, according to the University of Michigan Health System website. Licorice root can also be effective in detoxifying many kinds of poisons that can potentially cause liver damage.
Yarrow
Yarrow is a flowering plant and a popular European folk medicine. The pharmacological effects of yarrow may be due to the presence of one or more sterol compounds. People sometimes use yarrow to treat chronic liver disease. Yarrow appears to be a purported cytoprotectant, meaning it provides protection liver cells against potentially harmful toxins, notes the Georgetown University Medical Center website.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle, also known as Silybum marianum, is a member of the aster family. It is a safe and well-tolerated herb and is widely used as a folk remedy for liver diseases. Milk thistle contains a high concentration of silymarin, a class of flavonoids, which may protect the liver and biliary tract from drugs or alcohol-related injury, according to University of Maryland Medical Center website.
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