The liver is the largest organ and the powerhouse of energy. This is because the liver has the ability to store energy by converting it to glycogen. This glycogen is then used to provide energy when required, for example in a fasting state or in a high-energy activity. The liver is also needed to detox, i.e it regulates the chemicals in the body and excretes bile.

The liver is also known to process blood which it receives from the intestines and stomach. This helps with nutrient availability and absorption. This also allows for the metabolization of drugs in forms that are easy to uptake and in a way non toxic.

The liver also assists in the production of plasma proteins and the processing of haemoglobin for the use of Iron. The liver also stores Iron.

Conversion of ammonia, which is toxic to lesser toxic urea prior to excretion is also done by the liver.

Blood clotting is also a function of the liver. Apart from the above, the most important function of the liver is to store fat-soluble vitamins and handle cholesterol homeostasis.

For optimal functioning, the liver needs to be detoxified. For the purpose of detox adjuncts like garlic, turmeric and carrot have shown positive results.

Garlic

Garlic contains sulphur, which works well to detoxify. It works in a way that triggers the liver enzymes which facilitates the flushing out of toxins from the body. A lot of studies have shown that raw garlic helps with liver cancer. Garlic and its derivates work on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Autoimmune liver disease and liver cancer. The effect of garlic is due to its anti-inflammatory; antioxidant and immunoregulatory properties.

Garlic also contains selenium and arginine. These work as antioxidants. The USP of garlic is the allicin content. In order for allicin to be activated and beneficial, it garlic has to be chopped and left to stand for a while before using in cooking. This helps to activate the allicin. However, it is a double-edged sword, because an excess of allicin can lead to liver damage.

Carrot

Carrots are a rich source of carotenoids, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and dietary fibre. All of these work wonderfully for the liver.

Carrots are one of the richest sources of carotenoids. These compounds get converted to Vitamin A which performs a plethora of functions in the body. One of the functions of the liver is to produce and store bile. The bile gets moving when stimulated by the flow of fat from the intestine. This release of bile helps in the process of waste removal. This goes to show that beta carotenoids help to maintain liver health.

A 2013 study has shown that the beta-carotene found in carrots is capable of protecting the liver from damage caused by alcohol. Fibre found in carrots is known to help with recycling cholesterol in the body as fibre binds to cholesterol and toxins in order to excrete it out of the system. This way it reduces the load on the liver. Free radicals tend to damage perfectly healthy cells. The antioxidant functions of carrots along with Vitamin C and Vitamin E, help to protect the liver.

Turmeric

Post covid, turmeric has gained the limelight. However, let it be known turmeric has been used for ages for its plethora of healing properties. It is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Research has shown that high doses of turmeric along with standard treatment protocols have been shown to reduce the symptoms of damage due to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Damage.

The main symptom of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Damage is inflammation- the curcumin present in turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties. A study has shown that 2g supplementation of turmeric helped to drop liver enzymes considerably. This is still under study and cannot be substituted for standard treatment protocols.

A healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise are not to be substituted with adjuncts.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author and not of Medical Dialogues. The Editorial/Content team of Medical Dialogues has not contributed to the writing/editing/packaging of this article.