Taking a break from our normal diet and performing a detox (juice cleanse, liver cleanse) should be an important part of our self-care routine. We live in a toxic world – our liver is constantly working hard to deal with the toxins we are inundated with on a daily basis. We are surrounded by toxins in the air we breathe, the food we eat (laden with pesticides), chemicals we use to clean our homes, personal care products – the list goes on. There are thousands of chemicals on the market today and only a small percentage have actually been tested, the implications of which should not be underestimated.
The role of the Liver & Gallbladder
The liver is our main detoxification organ but not the largest (which is our skin) . It makes bile which is responsible for digesting fats and is key for the detoxification process, to flush out toxins. The quality and flow of bile is significant for healthy detoxification. Bile is often under-appreciated but it is critical for our health and wellbeing. Our gallbladder stores bile and apart from breaking down fats, bile influences your ability to shed stubborn weight and there is an intricate relationship between bile and thyroid health.
For people on a ketogenic diet wo are ingesting high amounts of fats, bile is even more crucial! These dietary fats will need to be broken down appropriately otherwise they will simply get stored as fat. Without sufficient bile, we can’t absorb our fat-soluble nutrients – vitamins A,D,E,K. This could affect your immune system (which relies partly on vitamin A,D) and the ability of the body to put calcium where it should be – away from our hearts and into our bones, teeth (the role of vitamin K). You can be on what’s considered a healthy diet but if you are unable to breakdown your fats, you aren’t reaping the benefits of healthy fats which are many, including neuroprotection and cell membrane health.
Many years of consuming processed foods, nutritionally-poor meals and an increasingly toxin burden have resulted in a gallstone epidemic. The gallbladder becomes congested, sluggish and stones begin to form. These stones are formed when bile hardens into a solid material. But we need good bile flow – bile is an essential toxic waste remover, it soaks up chemicals, hormones, heavy metals and other toxins, helping them to be eliminated from the body. Without decent bile flow, your body is likely to become more toxic and your ability to absorb fats is compromised.
Toxins and Hormones
When you don’t breakdown your hormones (due to bile insufficiency or stagnant bile), there is an increased risk of hormone-dependent issues that could lead to oestrogen dominance or progesterone insufficiency and affect menopausal/perimenopausal symptoms.
Top Foods for Healthy Bile Flow
- Beetroot : Rich in betaine which thins the bile, promoting its unrestricted flow and prevents gallstones
- Digestive Bitters: Naturally bile thinning foods that stimulate the gall bladder to produce bile and your pancreas to produce digestive enzymes. Bitter greens include rocket, radicchio, dandelion.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Rich in malic acid, it thins bile. Take 1tbsp in water before meals to aid digestion.
- Artichokes : Great liver protector and aids bile production. It can also boost your glutathione levels
- Taurine : Found in animal proteins and organ meat. It is an important component of bile acids, supporting healthy bile production and flow
- Lemon in water: Half a lemon in hot water first thing in the morning helps thin the bile and stimulates the liver as well as the gallbladder