Many people believe they are experiencing “liver heat” with symptoms such as acne, poor appetite, redness, itching, and bad breath, and have turned to folk remedies for detoxification. But do these methods really live up to the “rumors”?
1. The Role of the Liver in the Body
The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body, performing vital tasks to maintain health.
The liver plays both endocrine and exocrine roles:
- Toxin Elimination: Fat-soluble toxins are broken down by liver cells into less harmful or more water-soluble substances. Detoxification is considered the liver’s primary function.
- Bile Production: Liver cells produce bile and store it in the gallbladder. For patients who have had their gallbladder removed, bile is directly released into the second part of the duodenum. Bile travels through the bile duct to mix with food, emulsifying fats, cholesterol, and certain vitamins for easier absorption in the small intestine.
Each day, the liver secretes about 0.5 liters of bile, which contains bile salts, bile pigments, cholesterol, bilirubin, electrolytes, and water…
Many factors contribute to liver vulnerability.
- Storage of Substances: The liver serves as a “warehouse” for many vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12. These vitamins can be stored in the liver for several years.
- Metabolic Function: The liver stores carbohydrates in the form of glycogen and converts them into glucose when the body needs it, helping to balance blood sugar levels and provide energy for all activities. Additionally, the liver also metabolizes proteins and lipids.
- Synthetic Function: The liver synthesizes blood clotting factors, angiotensinogen hormones, and albumin…
2. How to Detoxify the Liver?
In today’s world, the liver is exposed to numerous toxins from environmental pollution, medications, and daily consumption of harmful foods. Moreover, life pressures, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle also weaken the liver and make it more susceptible to toxicity. Therefore, it is essential to detoxify the liver to restore balance to its functional activities.
Artichoke helps detoxify the liver.
To detoxify the liver, one can apply non-pharmaceutical methods such as lifestyle changes, healthy living, and avoiding contaminated or harmful foods like processed foods, fried foods, and those high in unhealthy fats. Maintaining a balanced lifestyle, managing stress, avoiding late nights, and consuming organic, healthy, and safe foods for liver health, as well as fresh foods prepared by steaming or boiling with minimal salt, can also be beneficial.
In cases of severe toxicity, the liver needs detoxification at medical facilities equipped with the necessary tools and equipment.
3. Are Folk Remedies for Liver Detoxification Safe?
According to Dr. Nguyen Quang Duong, head of the Oncology Department at Tue Tinh Hospital, certain herbal remedies such as prickly chaff flower, artichoke, phyllanthus, plantain, chrysanthemum, honey, and pennywort are beneficial for liver function. When used correctly and in appropriate doses, these remedies can effectively cool the liver, detoxify, and relieve heat.
<pDrinks like mung bean water, winter melon juice, pennywort juice, black bean water, green tea, and corn silk tea also help cool the body and detoxify the liver.
Mung bean water cools and detoxifies the liver.
Moreover, methods like yoga and health exercises improve blood circulation, enhancing liver function. Saunas also help detoxify the body through sweating.
However, Dr. Nguyen Quang Duong cautions that using too many herbal remedies, continuously for extended periods, or mixing various types can be counterproductive. The liver may become overwhelmed by too many herbal remedies, leading to potential toxicity or even liver atrophy. For example, using high doses of prickly chaff flower continuously for six months may cause liver cell atrophy.
Using high doses of prickly chaff flower continuously for six months can lead to liver cell atrophy.
Therefore, while herbal remedies can positively affect liver function, individuals should avoid indiscriminate use and abuse without guidance from a traditional medicine practitioner. Such practices can harm the liver.
When experiencing symptoms of “liver heat,” patients should consult with traditional medicine doctors for accurate advice and prescriptions to effectively detoxify the liver using folk methods.
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