by Jessica Sanders

Fatty liver disease—when 5 to 10% of your liver weight is from fat—is found in more than 15 million people in the U.S. who abuse alcohol.

What’s worse is that it’s found in 20 to 30% of people in the U.S. who drink very little, or no alcohol at all! It’s called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and, as you can imagine, it’s incredibly dangerous to your health.

NAFLD, considered a toxic buildup, is most commonly found in people who are overweight, obese or suffer from diabetes. People who go through extreme, rapid weight loss or have poor eating habits can be affected, as well. Unfortunately, the cause of NAFLD is not yet clear. What medical professionals have found is that most patients with this disease also have:

  • NAFLD symptomsHigh triglyceride levels
  • High cholesterol
  • Prediabetes

According to WebMD.com, some other causes could be:

  • Medications
  • Rapid weight loss
  • Autoimmune or inherited liver disease
  • Viral hepatitis

Yet in some cases, none of these are present, which makes NAFLD a conundrum for many medical professionals. Despite inconsistencies in the causes, most of the symptoms are similar from one person to the next. These NAFLD symptoms include:

  • Severe exhaustion
  • Generally bad feeling
  • Bleeding gums
  • Nausea, but no vomiting
  • Leg swelling
  • Discomfort in the upper abdomen
  • Yellowed skin and white of the eyes

While the above symptoms are bad enough on their own, that’s not all: some people who suffer from NAFLD end up with permanent liver damage thanks to scarring or cirrhosis. This can lead to liver cancer or total live failure.

When all this is happening in your liver, it can’t do the job it’s supposed to do: “It’s your liver’s job to distinguish between the nutrients you need to absorb and the dangerous or unnecessary substances that must be filtered out of your bloodstream. But when the liver is clogged and overwhelmed with toxins, it can’t do a very effective job of processing nutrients and fats,” says Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD and award-winning health author.

If you already suffer from NAFLD, consult with your doctor before trying any detox methods. If you’re not quite there yet, but think you need a healthy detox, you can use a number of remedies to get your back in full working order.

The Liver Detox Options

detox your live withLuckily, there are a number of liver detox options that don’t involve paying for a prescription. Here are 5 of the best ways to cleanse your liver.

Lemon juice

The bitter lemon flavor triggers nerve and hormone activation in the liver and digestive system, which is a great way to wake up your liver from a fat-induced coma. Put a squeeze of lemon in hot water before you have your morning coffee.

Turmeric

This bright colored spice does more than add flavor to your stir-fry dinner. Thanks to high levels of curcumin, an antioxidant, it helps enhance your liver function. Try this turmeric tea recipe to jump-start your liver detox.

Dandelion Root

While you may not have this sitting in your kitchen cupboard, it’s worth going to the store for. Dandelion root has long been known for it’s health benefits, and when it comes liver detoxing, it should be your go-to.

This root contains taraxacin, a compound that promotes bile flow. This then helps to decrease the congestion in your liver by flushing out the toxins. Try dandelion root tea, which can be found at most grocery, health or drug stores.

Grapefruit

Overflowing with glutathione, grapefruit is ideal for your liver detox. This tri-peptide is made up of three amino acids and is actually created in our bodies. Your body depends on this to help the liver rid itself of heavy metals like lead and mercury.

The more toxins you have in your body, however, the less of this important amino acid is found in your body, so increasing it by eating grapefruit is an important aspect of liver detox. Other foods that contain this important detoxifier include avocado and spinach.

Brussels Sprouts

This smelly vegetable, along with its siblings, cabbage and broccoli, contains glucosinolates, sulfuric compounds that not only protect your liver from damage but help the liver rid itself of excess toxins. Add this vegetable to your dinner a few days a week.

NAFLD is a serious condition that can lead to life-long problems or worse. Get your liver in proper working order and add detox foods and drinks like like lemon, grapefruit and dandelion root tea to your grocery store list before you need more than a detox to get healthy again.

 

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