How to Detox Your Liver and Gallbladder

Detoxing the liver happens naturally when you clean up your environment and diet, but if you are looking to go the extra mile and really focus on a liver detox, this blog post is for you! Let’s first learn some basics about what functions the liver and gallbladder have, then what symptoms may be your liver ‘telling’ you it needs some help, and then look at what you can do to detox.

What Does the Liver Do?

The liver works with the gallbladder, pancreas and intestines to digest food and absorb nutrients. It also filters and detoxifies the blood coming from the digestive tract. It is easily one of the most important parts of your body to detox and always deserves some extra love and attention. As the largest internal organ it serves a number of functions, like the manufacture of proteins, triglycerides and cholesterol. Technically it is actually both an organ, in that is vital to human survival, and a gland, in that it secretes chemicals used by other parts of the body.

What Does the Gallbladder Do?

The gallbladder’s primary function is to store bile created by the liver. It is a small, hollow pouch right under the liver. Before a meal, it is filled with bile and may be about the size of a small pear. After a meal, it is empty and flat, like a deflated balloon. This bile is key to the digestive process as it breaks up fats, and it also drains waste from the liver into the small intestine.

Should I Consider a Liver Detox?

It’s always a good idea to speak with one of our Qualified Practitioners before you begin your detoxification journey. They will give you tailored advice that is right for your specific condition, which can save you a lot of time and energy! At the very least you can read Dr Morse’s book and watch his YouTube videos to start to learn about detox.

One of the most important things to learn and understand, is how your liver (and other organs!) ‘speak’ to you. Look out for the following symptoms, because they are very likely to be your liver telling you it needs some detoxing:

• Bloating
• Acne, rosacea or blotchy skin
• Pain or discomfort in the right upper abdominal area
• Liver spots
• Excessive perspiration
• High blood pressure, cholesterol or triglycerides
• Fatigue
• Mood swings and depression

How Can I Detox My Liver and Gallbladder?

If you experience a number of these symptoms then doing a liver cleanse could be a great option for you. One of the first steps you can take to decrease the toxic load on your liver is, to the best of your ability, remove yourself from environmental toxins like smoke, gasoline, cleaners, paints and nail polish.

Secondly, cleaning up your diet is of great importance. You should consider eliminating all alcohol, preservatives and animal products especially seafood (due to the high likelihood of heavy metals exposure).

Sticking to filtered water and preferably organic produce will do a world of good to not just your liver but to your whole body!

There are specific herbal formulas and fruits and vegetables that are especially good at supporting and cleansing the liver. Dr Morse’s Liver and Gallbladder Tonic is designed to cleanse and rebuild liver and gallbladder tissue. It also increases the production and storage of bile. You can find this formula in an alcohol or glycerin based  tincture and in capsules.

If you are really serious about cleansing your liver, doing a Liver/Gallbladder flush is very beneficial. However, we recommend that you spend 2-3 weeks eating high raw before doing it.

Lemon water is a fantastic liver cleansing drink, and increasing the amount of grapefruit, grapes, beets, blueberries and cranberries is also beneficial. Also, if you are in cold temperatures and are not raw, why not treat your liver to a delicious cup of Golden Milk? Just combine turmeric, almond milk and a sweetener like agave and warm over a stovetop. You can top it with cinnamon for extra spiced goodness.

Another option is doing Castor Oil packs two to three times a week. You can read about how to do Castor Oil packs and the benefits here.