Cleanse & Renew: Top Herbs & Foods For a Rejuvenating Spring Detox

Spring into Wellness: Best Practices for Liver Health

It’s almost that time of year again — detoxification season! According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) spring is the best time to address one of our most hard-working organs — the liver — after the heavier foods and sluggishness over the winter. The focus shifts to lighter fare and specific botanicals that will help to clear out toxins such as chemicals and environmental pollutants as we enter into this season of renewed energy and vitality. Let’s take a look at my top recommendations — including the best medicinal herbs to support this vital organ.

A Season of Renewal & Detoxification

Traditional Chinese Medicine is known for its emphasis of working with the seasons to promote overall health — and spring is no exception. This is the time where new life explodes onto the scene and symbolizes upward-moving energy as plants emerge and grow towards the sun. In order to tap into this vitality, you will want to focus on fresh leafy greens rich in chlorophyll. Think: kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, and dandelion greens. According to TCM, these vibrant vegetables are regarded as some of the best foods you can eat to cleanse and support your liver. Sprouts are another excellent choice.

This is also the season to incorporate tart and sour foods into your diet to help remove the stagnation of winter, while encouraging cleansing of the liver. A few examples are grapefruit and kiwi, lemon juice, fermented foods such as sauerkraut, and raw apple cider vinegar. These foods will help to kick-start digestion and liver enzymes to clear away toxins. Incorporating fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and mint is also a helpful practice.

If you’ve ever been curious about juicing, this is an excellent time to embrace it! A juice-only fast helps to give digestion and your liver a long-needed break so that the body can efficiently detoxify environmental pollutants, heavy metals, and more. I recommend green juices that include cilantro, parsley, cucumber, and apple. Begin with a 24-hour juice fast and work your way up to 72-hours. I typically like to enjoy at least 16 oz of fresh pressed juice every few hours during the fast. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout.

Exercise is an often overlooked aspect of improving liver health. According to Penn State College of Medicine, regular physical activity benefits the liver in the following ways:

• Improving blood flow to the organ
• Beneficial changes to the bacterial composition in the body
• Reduced liver inflammation and fat
• Improves how your blood vessels dilate⁹

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends those with liver disease engage in moderate-intensity aerobic activity — such as walking at a pace where you can maintain a conversation with your walking partner — for a minimum of 150 minutes per week. Several days of resistance weight training should also be included.¹⁰

As with any detoxification program, it is wise to consult with your healthcare practitioner beforehand — particularly if you have an underlying health condition.

Harnessing the Power of Medicinal Herbs

Along with diet, juicing, and exercise, herbal remedies are an outstanding option to help support your detoxification efforts this season. My favorite botanicals for this purpose are dandelion root, milk thistle, and schisandra berry — all of which are included in our powerful Liver Blend. This formulation delivers potent, all-natural detoxification support to encourage healthy liver function and overall vitality. Here’s why.

DANDELION ROOT (TARAXACUM OFFICINALE)

• Diuretic
• Helps lower liver inflammation and lipid accumulation in the liver
• Flushes toxins from the liver
• A good source of inulin to promote healthy gut bacteria
• Enhances detoxification of the liver, gallbladder, and kidneys^1,2

MILK THISTLE SEED (SILYBUM MARIANUM)

• Contains silymarin, which may help with liver repair and protection³
• Helps detoxify and support the liver by helping clear environmental toxins, chemotherapy toxins, poison, and harmful drugs from the body.⁴
• Exhibits antioxidant, lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antiatherosclerotic, and anti-obesity effects due to the bioactive compound silymarin.⁵
• Known to assist with cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, jaundice, and hepatitis⁶

SCHISANDRA BERRIES (SCHISANDRA CHINENSIS)

• Promotes liver regeneration
• Helps address non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)⁷
• Assists with kidney, neurological, gastrointestinal, and liver disorders⁸

Are you ready to improve your liver health this season? Take the next steps on your wellness journey by visiting my apothecary today!

Nicole Apelian

Nicole’s Apothecary Products in this Post

References

1. Hepatoprotection by dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale ) and mechanisms, Mahboubi Mohaddese, Mona Mahboubi, January 2020, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 10(1):1 DOI:10.4103/2221-1691.273081
2. Hamza, A.A., Mohamed, M.G., Lashin, F.M. et al. Dandelion prevents liver fibrosis, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in rats. JoBAZ 81, 43 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41936-020-00177-9
3. Abenavoli, L., Capasso, R., Milic, N., & Capasso, F. (2010). Milk thistle in liver diseases: past, present, future. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 24(10), 1423–1432. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.3207 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20564545/
4. Hackett, E. S., Twedt, D. C., & Gustafson, D. L. (2013). Milk thistle and its derivative compounds: a review of opportunities for treatment of liver disease. Journal of veterinary internal medicine, 27(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12002
5. Tajmohammadi, A., Razavi, B. M., & Hosseinzadeh, H. (2018). Silybum marianum (milk thistle) and its main constituent, silymarin, as a potential therapeutic plant in metabolic syndrome: A review. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 32(10), 1933–1949. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6153
6. Hackett, E. S., Twedt, D. C., & Gustafson, D. L. (2013). Milk thistle and its derivative compounds: a review of opportunities for treatment of liver disease. Journal of veterinary internal medicine, 27(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12002
7. Leong, P. K., & Ko, K. M. (2016). Schisandrin B: A Double-Edged Sword in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2016, 6171658. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6171658
8. Zhang, F., Zhai, J., Weng, N., Gao, J., Yin, J., & Chen, W. (2022). A Comprehensive Review of the Main Lignan Components of Schisandra chinensis (North Wu Wei Zi) and Schisandra sphenanthera (South Wu Wei Zi) and the Lignan-Induced Drug-Drug Interactions Based on the Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 and P-Glycoprotein Activities. Frontiers in pharmacology, 13, 816036. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.816036
9. How patients with liver disease can benefit from exercise | Penn State Health by Jonathan Stine, MD MSc, FACP, June 1, 2021. https://pennstatehealthnews.org/topics/how-patients-with-liver-disease-can-benefit-from-exercise/
10. Being Active When You Have Chronic Liver Disease | Exercise is Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine. https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/assets/page_documents/EIM_Rx%20for%20Health_Chronic%20Liver%20Disease.pdf