Protect your liver and your health with these detoxing tips
When it comes to the holidays and months with long weekends, overindulging is something that happens and with this in mind, Review spoke to a specialist in natural health, Ellen Moyo, to hear what natural ways people can look after their livers and more importantly, detox.
POLOKWANE – Moyo explained that the deposition of toxins inside the body can happen through many ways and that detoxification is not just important for your skin but your liver needs it too.
You might also want to read: Lifestyle changes to promote liver health
She added that there is no need for people to use surgeries to make themselves look and feel better and that many of the answers can be found in looking at whet people eat and doing things naturally.
Here are some tips that she gave for people to detox their bodies and especially the liver:
• A healthy and balanced diet can keep more than half of known diseases at bay. Some of the foods that are great for your liver include grapes, beetroot, berries, nuts, olive oil and low-fat tea.
• Juices can help you clean your liver and promote its functioning. Make sure that you do not consume packed juices because they contain less nutritional values and more sugar and artificial flavorings.
• Being overweight can increase the risk of various diseases. It is harmful to your liver as well.
• Alcohol consumption contributes to a lot of damage to the liver. Continuous alcohol consumption can lead to some severe damage to the liver which can increase the risk of jaundice, cirrhosis, liver failure and even liver cancer.
• Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin known to boost immunity, fight free radicals and prevent damage to body’s cells. A popular antioxidant for decades now, vitamin E is mainly found in oils, nuts and seeds. “There are more than 100 types of liver diseases and that is why it is so important to look after this organ,” Moyo says.
Some of the signs of possible liver problems can be identified as:
• Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice).
• Abdominal pain and swelling.
• Swelling in the legs and ankles.
• Itchy skin.
• Dark urine color.
• Pale stool color, or bloody or tar-colored stool.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Loss of appetite.
• Tendency to bruise easily.
Medical assistance should be considered when signs and symptoms persist such as severe abdominal pain where the person is unable to move.
