The liver plays an important role in keeping us alive and healthy. Not only does it process toxins, but it helps us to digest food, maintain hormone balance, produce essential proteins, and more. Unfortunately, our modern lifestyle and diet create numerous challenges for our livers, which are often working harder than they should to keep us functioning. In this article, we’ll look at what the liver does, how we can support it to operate at its best, and why taking natural herbs to cleanse the liver may be helpful for a range of liver conditions.

How the liver helps us

We can’t survive without a liver, and a poorly functioning liver will mean our health overall may suffer. Our livers perform multiple functions that assist us to remain alive and healthy, including:

• Producing proteins we need to survive. Humans need various proteins to maintain good health, and rather than ingesting these proteins, some of these essential proteins are made within our own livers. These proteins allow our systems to move substances around our bodies, clot the blood, and fight infection.
• Storing essential nutrients: There are a number of nutrients we rely on to survive, and many of these are held within the liver. These vitamins and minerals include vitamins B12, K, A, D, and copper and iron.
• Regulating our supply of energy: The liver helps us to produce, store and release the glucose that supplies much of our energy.
• Managing cholesterol: Not only do our livers produce cholesterol, but they help to rid our body of excess cholesterol. They do this by transforming cholesterol into other alternative compounds that our bodies need.
• Producing bile for digestion: Without the liver, we’d have a hard time digesting food. The liver produces bile, 50% of which is then stored in the gallbladder. Without bile, we can’t break down fats in our small intestine as we digest food.
• Helping to process and eliminate toxins: We encounter a range of toxins in our food, medicine, and in the environment. Our livers help us to process them, so that they can more easily be eliminated from our systems.
• Cleansing the blood: When our red blood cells age and are ultimately destroyed, a substance called bilirubin is released. Without the liver’s assistance to process and release bilirubin in the form of bile, the substance can build up in the body. In fact, if you have a poorly-functioning liver, high levels of bilirubin are an indicator.
• Balancing hormones: Cortisone, thyroid hormones and sex hormones (amongst others) all rely on the liver to regulate their levels.

Impacts of poor liver function

There are a range of serious conditions associated with poor liver function. These include fatty liver disease, fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatitis and liver cancer. These conditions can all stress or permanently damage the liver, and have unique causes and symptoms. 

There are also less severe circumstances where the liver is not diseased, but it is not  working at its best. 

Signs you are suffering poor liver function include:

• Bruising easily or bleeding due to reduced clotting factors.
• Loss of hair
• Poor sleep
• Pain or swelling in the abdomen, in particular, the upper right side
• Weakness and general fatigue
• Unexplained  loss of appetite or weight loss
• Yellowing skin/eyes (jaundice) due to excess bilirubin
• Abdominal pain or swelling, especially in the upper right side
• Nausea/vomiting
• Dark urine and black or pale stools
• Swelling in the legs, feet or ankles (edema)
• Skin itching without cause
• Drowsiness, confusion, drowsiness and memory problems (hepatic encephalopathy) in severe cases.

How herbs can help to detox the liver

Herbs have long been used in Western Herbal Medicine to support the liver. Essentially, these herbs are thought to take a load off the liver, and make its job a little easier. The best liver detox herbs serve a range of functions, such as promoting regenerations of liver cells, reducing oxidative stress, maintaining hormonal balance, metabolising nutrients, and more. Popular liver-supporting herbs include Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root, Turmeric, and Artichoke Leaf.

How Liver Plex herbal medicine can support liver health

If you’re looking for natural herbs to cleanse the liver, the liver detox herbs in PPC Herbs’ Liver Plex herbal medicine are some of the best herbs for liver support, combined into one easy-to-ingest oral liquid. All of these herbs have been used in Western Herbal Medicine to protect and support the liver, improve bile flow, reduce flatulence and help detoxify the body. Ingredients in Liver Plex include:

• Turmeric Root (Curcuma longa)
  Aside from being known for its vivid orange colour, Turmeric is well known in Western Herbal Medicine for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can help protect liver cells from oxidative stress and from toxin damage. Turmeric also helps keep liver inflammation at bay, making it a favourite of the liver detox herbs. (Each 5mL of Liver Plex contains liquid extracts of Turmeric root (Curcuma longa), 500 microlitres, equiv. dry 500mg.)

• Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)
  Dandelion root is believed to promote bile production, which then serves to help digest fats. Dandelion can also assist other detoxification processes in the liver, and helps stimulate waste elimination. (Each 5mL of Liver Plex contains liquid extracts of Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale), 750 microlitres, equiv. dry 750mg.)
• Globe Artichoke Leaf (Cynara scolymus)
  Like Dandelion Root, Globe Artichoke leaf is known as a herb for liver detox as it encourages bile production and flow. This in turn helps the body to metabolise fat and digestion is improved. Globe Artichoke leaf also helps with liver detoxification, and is even thought to help with liver tissue regeneration. (Each 5mL of Liver Plex contains liquid extracts of Globe Artichoke leaf (Cynara scolymus), 134 microlitres, equiv dry 67mg.)
• St Mary’s Thistle Seed (Silybum marianum)
  St Mary’s Thistle (Milk Thistle) plays a protective role, in that it helps to give the liver protection from oxidative stress and from toxins. This means that the liver has an easier time handling all its other jobs. (Each 5mL of Liver Plex contains liquid extracts of St Mary’s Thistle seed ( Silybum marianum), 1.5mL, equiv. dry 1.5g.)

Liver Plex – IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Each bottle of Liver Plex includes 200 mL of oral liquid.

Duration of use
No restriction on treatment duration. However, if symptoms persist, talk to your healthcare practitioner

DOSAGE
Adults
5mL three times daily

Directions for use
Shake bottle well before use. Can be diluted with water, fruit juice or other fluids if necessary and consumed immediately.

Interactions
Information not available. Talk to a healthcare practitioner

Shelf life
36 months from date of manufacture

Storage Conditions
Store below 30°C

Cautions
In patients with gallstones, obstructed bile ducts, gallbladder empyema or obstructive ileus, use only after consultation with a physician. If symptoms persist or worsen, talk to a healthcare practitioner. Safety during pregnancy and breast feeding has not been evaluated.

WARNING
USE ONLY AS DIRECTED AND CONSULT YOUR HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST. CONTAINS 30% ETHANOL. USE ONLY IF CAP SEAL IS UNBROKEN.  Store below 30°C.

In very rare cases, Turmeric root (Curcuma longa) may harm the liver. Stop use and see a doctor if you have yellowing of the skin/eyes or unusual: fatigue, nausea, appetite loss, abdominal pain, dark urine, or itching.

FAQs

Where is Liver Plex made?
Liver Plex is made in Australia.

Does PPC Herbs have any other herbal medicines that support the liver?
Yes! We also have created Dandetox® (Dandelion) to support the liver. Long used as a liver tonic, Dandelion promotes the flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder. This helps to support the liver’s natural cleansing/detoxification processes.

Dandetox® (Dandelion) contains Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) extract (0.9 mL/mL) equivalent to fresh whole plant 900 mg/mL. 

All dandelion used in Dandetox ® are Australian-grown. For Important Information on Dandetox ®, click here.

What causes liver damage?
A damaged liver can be the result of physical injury to the liver, alcohol use, a poor diet that includes too much sugar and highly-processed foods, obesity, lack of regular exercise, insufficient hydration, toxins in the environment, certain medications and viruses.

What lifestyle changes can I make to protect my liver?
For optimal liver function, you can do the following:

• Reduce or avoid alcohol consumption. Alcohol damages the liver through inflammation and oxidative stress. (See information on alcohol consumption and its impacts on the liver on the Liver Foundation website.)
• Get regular exercise. Exercise offers a range of liver benefits, in addition to helping us stay at a healthy weight. It can also help to prevent muscle wastage that can result from advanced liver conditions.
• Stay hydrated, as water is essential for the liver to flush toxins out of your system.
• Maintain a healthy diet, by limiting processed foods and drinks, avoiding fried food, and focusing on eating legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats like olive oil.
• Avoid industrial chemicals. It can be difficult to avoid liver-damaging chemicals in the workplace, however you can limit your exposure by using personal protective equipment, including respirators, gloves and so on.

Note that some liver conditions cannot be prevented or resolved by lifestyle changes alone, however these changes should assist your overall health regardless.