Cleaning the liver at home from alcohol, toxins and toxins

The content of the article

1 Detoxification functions
2 When liver cleansing is needed
3 When the procedure is not necessary
4 Right and wrong methods
- 4.1 Undesirable
- 4.2 Valid

The ability of liver tissue to regenerate is legendary. The most common of them says that even if you cut off half from the organ, in a year or two the volume of its tissues will become the same. Only skin possesses a comparable regenerative resource in the body. But the total effect of damaging factors sometimes exceeds even such regenerative capabilities.

Due to the high rate of renewal of liver cells, the question of how to clean the liver at home often becomes irrelevant - in most cases it cleans itself and is quite effective. And a common drawback of traditional medicine for its cleaning methods is the frequent increase in the load on it instead of reducing it.

Detoxification functions

Among the “duties” performed by the liver, the following are most significant.

Bile synthesis. It is produced by liver cells, flows down the hepatic ducts into the gall bladder and accumulates there. Bile is necessary for the breakdown of fats of all types: vegetable, animal and hybrid. It is a product of the processing of cholesterol and bilirubin - a dye in many blood cells, especially red blood cells. If bile was not produced in the body, the listed components would remain in the bloodstream.
Cholesterol synthesis. The liver produces cholesterol - an essential element of cell membranes. She also “packs” his molecules into protein “containers”. Cholesterol is a component of animal fats and offal. It does not dissolve in the blood; therefore, vessels cannot transport it in a free form. The liver “packs” it along with other fatty acids into a membrane capable of organic contact with other blood components. Two types of such “containers” are known - “good” (high density lipoproteins, abbreviated as HDL) and “bad” (low density lipoproteins or LDL). In case of lack of cholesterol in food, the liver independently increases its synthesis by 10-35%.
Vitamin K synthesis. It plays an important role in the production of “coagulation factors” of blood, present in some plants. But its main source in the body is hepatic synthesis. Failure of this mechanism is one of the scenarios of the development of acquired hemophilia.
Blood filtration. The liver cleans it of obsolete shaped bodies, plasma proteins and hormones, protein digestion products from food and the breakdown of body cells, as well as drug components, ethyl alcohol, bilirubin.

The liver also accumulates some vitamins and minerals, and stores a small but significant amount of blood in its tissues with sudden blood loss. It produces glycogen - “reserves” of sugar in case the level of free glucose in the blood falls below the base level (for diabetes, a strict diet, high physical exertion with a limited diet).

When liver cleansing is needed

The need for cleaning and restoration of the liver is associated with a violation of its functions under the influence of:

pathology of the liver itself;
diseases of one of the organs associated with it;
unhealthy habits of the patient;
episodes of poisoning;
courses of drug therapy.

Cleaning the liver of toxins and toxins means cleaning them and blood, and vice versa. That is, the cessation of the entry of dangerous elements for the liver into the blood helps to improve its functions, removing what accumulated in the blood due to liver failure. Such measures are necessary for hepatitis C (the most dangerous asymptomatic course, difficulties with its treatment and carcinogenicity), as well as in other conditions.

Viral hepatitis. Caused by strains A, B, D, E, G, SEN and TT (the last three have been recently discovered, and there is little data on them yet).
Taking medication. Among which, statins (a remedy for atherosclerosis) and biguanides (one of the types of drugs for diabetes mellitus) are of particular danger to the liver.
Circulatory disorders. Caused by atherosclerosis and thrombosis of the hepatic vessels or cardiovascular diseases.
Cirrhosis. Alcoholic, nonalcoholic degeneration of liver cells into connective tissue.
Hemochromatosis. A rare hereditary disease in which the patient’s body cannot absorb iron, and it accumulates in the joints, liver, and cavities of other organs.
Non viral infections. Bacterial, fungal (relatively rare), helminthic infestations, parasitic infestations (malaria).
Cholestasis. Caused by cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts), cholecystitis, scar tissue changes.
Cysts in the liver. Sometimes formed by colonies of parasites (especially helminths of the animal kingdom - trichinella, echinococcus), but also arising from trauma, inflammation, hormonal drugs, intrauterine developmental errors (congenital cysts). Maintaining liver health with them is due to the need to avoid abscess formation.
Gilbert's syndrome. And other congenital malformations of the liver, which are manifested by its inability to metabolize various compounds. Such pathologies lead to relapse of jaundice after taking inappropriate foods, are prone to a benign course.
After drinking. Especially long-term or in large volume. Ethanol breakdown is one of the main functions of the liver. But in its process, acetaldehyde is formed, which is toxic to tissues of all types. And only then does the liver oxidize it to a relatively safe acetic acid.
In case of abuse of bold. The liver synthesizes bile to break down animal, plant and modified fats in the intestines. And she “packs” them in protein coatings for delivery into the bloodstream (along with cholesterol). The use of any fat creates an additional burden on her and the gall bladder. Their intake in large quantities leads to rapid deterioration of both organs, inflammation in them, bile deficiency and cholestasis, and the appearance of stones.

Cleansing the liver in case of a malignant lesion of the organ itself or gall bladder (it does not matter, primary or secondary) is dangerous by improving blood supply in the neoplasm, accelerating its growth, metastasis and malignant decay. Cancer of the liver and gall bladder is a strict contraindication to any cleansing and stimulating liver function procedures.

When the procedure is not necessary

Some of the indications for cleaning require not to clean the liver with folk remedies or with the help of the latest scientific achievements, but to give it a "rest". On the idea of how to effectively clean the liver, patients are most often prompted by symptoms from the digestive tract: heaviness, heartburn, flatulence, aching pain. But their connection with the quality of work or the state of the liver is indirect.

The liver is devoid of nerve endings (they are only in its vessels and membrane, but not tissue), while the walls of the stomach and intestines are penetrated by a dense network of receptors.This means that overeating, especially with excess weight, immobility and / or impaired carbohydrate metabolism, can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, as well as altered acidity of the stomach, gastritis, and peptic ulcer. A liver hurts only with a noticeable "increase" in the volume of its tissues. Signs that directly indicate problems with the liver or gallbladder are:

bitter taste in the mouth;
yellowish plaque with a smell at the root of the tongue;
frothy vomiting with bitter taste;
aching, stitching pains under the ribs on the right;
jaundice (periodic or persistent);
sintered blood in the mouth in the morning (sign of cirrhosis).

Everything else can be caused by other disorders of the digestive system, one-time or permanent metabolic disorders, intestinal motility and microflora. They are not a reason for cleansing the liver. The question of how to cleanse the liver of alcohol is also not always relevant. Frequent and prolonged abuse of it requires the complete cleansing of the entire body, including the liver, from its decay products. But a single dose of even a significant dose does not require any special measures - they are replaced by the breakdown of the alcohol received by the liver itself.

However, constant discomfort and pain in the right hypochondrium require a thorough medical examination. These symptoms are most likely to indicate some kind of chronic process - pancreatitis (if the head or body of the pancreas is “affected” by the inflammation), gallstone disease, liver / gallbladder tumor, cholecystitis, cirrhosis. All the same, they will not succeed in "getting rid" of them by mere cleaning.

Right and wrong methods

It is easy to affect the work or liver condition for the worse - this is facilitated by the modern lifestyle and the composition of most foods. Gene modification, acceleration, artificial maturation and extended storage technologies reduce their quality. The inability of the metabolic system to process or even remove such components unchanged creates no less problems for the digestive system than an excess of simple carbohydrates or lack of exercise.

Improving the position of the liver is more difficult than worsening. Its vessels and cells (hepatocytes) have a special structure, through which not every substance or pathogen can penetrate. The inaccessibility of the liver for direct effects on it through the digestive tract is its natural system of protection against intestinal microflora and pancreatic juice. And the swallowed components interact with the liver tissues only after absorption in the blood and entering its vessels for processing. But for this they must "get" to it, preserving their medicinal properties.

Undesirable

Folk medicine and philistine imagination offer many means to cleanse the liver. However, most of them are ineffective or effective for completely different reasons than those implied in their development. There is also a confusion between cleansing the liver of toxins and improving the outflow of only bile, which often cannot be improved due to the extensive foci of blockage and scarring of the bile ducts.

Among the methods with zero effectiveness and even the risk of getting the opposite result is everything that is based on the intake of digestible or non-digestible vegetable fats: castor, flaxseedcotton, coconut, olive oil. Since in the presence of difficulties with the outflow of bile (stones, foci of scarring, tumors), their administration only complicates and accelerates the development of exacerbation.

Among those that improve general well-being and intestinal motility, although they do not affect liver function, the following drugs can be distinguished.

Raisins. Dried grapes, like fresh grapes, are rich in vitamins (especially ascorbic acid) and some trace elements important for the metabolic system. But it contains a lot of sugar, including fructose. And fructose in the liver is converted to glycogen and triglycerides.Therefore, eating any sweet fruit, including raisins, increases the load on the liver, increases the risk of fatty hepatosis. At work of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), an excess of sugars in food is affected by increased gas formation.
Mineral water. Its acid-base balance and composition vary greatly depending on the source. Incorrectly selected mineral water can cause an exacerbation of urolithiasis - it all depends on the type of stones the patient has. The method of cleansing the liver with the help of mineral water works, but it is based on the erroneous opinion that the “mineral water” taken internally can enter the hepatic ducts directly from the intestine. For this purpose, it is recommended that patients who cleanse the liver take a few sips of heated mineral water without gas, and then lie down for several minutes on their right side. In fact, the effectiveness of the method is explained by the alkaline reaction of water, the use of a heating pad on the right side during cleaning (relieves spasm of the biliary tract, reduces inflammation, improves blood flow) and adding cholagogue and / or sorbitol to mineral water (sweetener with a laxative, choleretic effect) .
Lemon. Ascorbic and other food acids in the composition of lemon, orange, and other citrus fruits stimulate digestion with reduced acidity of the stomach, provide its readjustment, stimulate appetite, and have a slight anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant effect. Vitamin C is also involved in the synthesis of certain immune proteins and the regeneration of mucous and connective tissues of the body. However, they have no relation to the work of the liver and do not affect it.
Activated carbon. Reception of any absorbents eliminates gases, diarrhea, belching with fat and semi-digested food, reduces the brightness of a hangover syndrome. The overall well-being of the patient and the digestive tract are improved, which creates the illusion of cleansing the liver. In fact, the interaction of activated carbon with it is limited by the binding and excretion of undesirable digestion products "bypassing" the bloodstream. This eliminates the need for the liver to filter or break them down. Activated charcoal is strictly contraindicated in gastritis and ulcers of the stomach or intestines, duodenitis, colitis and other inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract.
Magnesia. Magnesium sulfate is used in medicine as a vasodilator, antispasmodic, laxative and choleretic agent. It stabilizes the work of the heart and blood vessels with hypertension, arrhythmias, ischemia. Positive feedback on the cleaning of the liver with magnesia is associated with its ability to improve the digestive tract, relieve stool and excretion of bile. But in the presence of gallstones or foci of scarring in the bile ducts, its administration can result in acute hepatic colic and hospitalization.
Briar and Mint. Both plants have a weak choleretic, antiseptic effect on the digestive system. With the work of the liver they are connected only by the activation of all digestive processes, including the separation of bile. With pathologies accompanied by congestion, inflammation in it, peppermint is more preferable because of its calming effect on peristalsis and the functioning of the nervous system as a whole.

Caution should be exercised withAllohol"- a tablet preparation based on bile powder, activated carbon, garlic and nettle extracts. It is strictly contraindicated in dystrophic changes in the liver, acute hepatitis and jaundice. This also applies to cleaning the liver with the help of any choleretic herbs and vegetable oils. Their action in conditions of blockage of the bile ducts always leads to exacerbation.

Valid

With severe degenerative processes, it is best to use herbs to cleanse the liver without the choleretic effect, but with a positive effect on the work of the stomach, intestines, pancreas.

Milk Thistle. It gives a choleretic effect, but the alkaloids contained in it serve as natural antibiotics with pronounced anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties. Reception of milk thistle allows you to slow down the formation of stones, scarring, replacement of normal liver tissue with connective tissue. One of the milk thistle alkaloids - silibinin - has recently been discovered to block the growth of hepatitis virus in hepatocytes.
Oats. It is rich in starch (semi-sugar), minerals and trace elements, but is relatively poor in vitamins (six representatives of group B, vitamins A and K), like all cereals. The mucus formed by polysaccharides, which is actively released during cooking of oats, envelops the walls of the stomach and intestines, facilitating the manifestations of heartburn, gastritis, and peptic ulcer. Brew oats to clean the liver need to be unpeeled, but washed. Two glasses of oat grains are poured with three liters of water and boiled in an enamel bowl, at minimum heat for three hours. Then filter and drink the broth warm, one glass, fifteen minutes before eating, two or three times a day.

Other popular methods like cleaning the liver with juices (especially beets) or pumpkin with honey promote hematopoiesis, improve peristalsis and serve as a multivitamin supplement to the diet, the absorption of which does not require efforts from the digestive organs. Betaine is present in beetroot juice (its name is derived from the Latin name for beets) - a derivative of the glycine amino acid.

Betaine mitigates the effects of deficiency Vitamin B12, stabilizes the reaction of protein breakdown (one of the functions of the liver), acting as a hepatoprotector. The flip side of beetroot consumption is its pronounced bile and diuretic effect, which requires refusing to take it for kidney stones, liver, or gall bladder.

To clean the liver of parasites is necessary only with the help of specially designed antibiotics. Helminths and worms are independent organisms that are well adapted to survive in conditions of immune attacks, abrasive action of the digestive media and other adverse factors. You can’t get them with plant extracts, and it’s physically impossible to wash them even from the rectum, and especially the winding bile ducts.

The most effective way to cleanse the liver from toxins and toxins remains a balanced diet with restrictions on the addition of fats, mixing them in one meal. Avoid foods containing hydrogenated fat (spread), imitating any tastes, vegetable cream. It is better to combine meat and animal products not with cereals, but with vegetables, especially fresh or steamed. A healthy liver also requires giving up the habit of overeating and multi-component dishes.