Purify the liver: milk thistle, artichoke, dandelion and fumaria

How many times have we found ourselves thinking that our liver is heavy? Or during an ultrasound we were told to pay more attention to our diet, because we tend to have a “fatty liver”? Taking care of our liver means taking care of the well-being of our entire organism. Here are four natural active ingredients that can be right for us.

Milk thistle to cleanse the liver

When we talk about liver protection, our thoughts immediately turn to milk thistle: three substances extracted from its seeds perform this “miracle”: silybin, silychristin and silydianin. Three complex names for three real elixirs for the liver: they have important anti-hepatotoxic properties that were already known in ancient times and that even today are an ideal choice even in cases of hepatitis, cirrhosis and steatosis (this is the scientific name for what we called “fatty liver” above). It also promotes the production of bile and would also have positive effects on cholesterol and sugars.

So, to protect and keep our liver healthy, let's give milk thistle a go, which over the centuries has always proven to be a valid ally of our health.

Artichoke is also used to cleanse the liver

Who doesn't love to bring a good plate of artichokes to the table, declined in the most diverse recipes? What we eat is the fruit of the plant, a source of important elements for our body, but in reality to take care of the health of the liver the leaves of this small prodigy of nature are more important. It is in fact known that it aids digestion, stimulates the production of bile - which allows us to properly digest fats - and also has a hypocholesterolemic effect, that is, it would decrease cholesterol levels by limiting its production by the liver.

Taking artichoke-based phytotherapeutic products is therefore a valid aid both to protect the liver and to promote its functionality, while for those who fight against high cholesterol and triglycerides it is undoubtedly a precious ally.

Dandelion: Another Help for the Liver

Here is another plant that we have known since we were children: the dandelion . Doesn't it ring a bell? Yet surely since you were a child you have enjoyed its "blowballs", those spheres of very light white seeds that grow after the bright yellow flowers that characterize it. Well, the dandelion has been known since ancient times for its detoxifying properties on the liver, digestive and diuretic.

It is hepatoprotective, as it is purifying and anti-inflammatory, and like its colleagues mentioned above it stimulates bile function, but also all the glands that are part of the digestive system, from the salivary glands to the intestine. Furthermore, it also acts on the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, providing help to those who suffer from constipation, and promotes the elimination of excess fluids.

A Little-Known Ally of the Liver: Fumitory

The fourth and final ally of the liver that we will discuss here is perhaps the least known: it is fumitory , or rather fumitory officinalis. It also has antispasmodic and hepatoprotective properties and regulates bile, promoting the digestive process as a whole. In fact, if bile production is low, fumitory causes it to increase; vice versa, if it is excessive, it inhibits it. This is why the liver and digestion in general cannot help but benefit greatly from this precious ally of nature.