Support not detox
With alcohol consumption set to rise exponentially over the Christmas period it’s worth following a few guidelines to help your liver along the way. Detoxing your liver is not something you do it’s something your liver does itself. However doing what you can to give it a helping hand is going to prevent the feeling of impending liver failure come January!
For me exercise, hydration and nutrition all play a vital role in liver health. Studies have shown that increased physical activity can protect the liver against fatty deposits caused by excessive drinking. Exercise keeps insulin levels normal despite excessive alcohol usually causing a rise in blood insulin and glucose. So make sure you take sufficient aerobic exercise over the period to help counteract the effects.
Alcohol decreases the production of anti-diuretic hormone which signals the body to reabsorb water whilst simultaneously acting as a diuretic increasing water loss. Headaches caused by excessive drinking are due to blood vessel dilation (swelling) increasing pressure in the brain also during states of dehydration the brain can temporarily shrink causing headaches. Histamines released especially when you drink red wine trigger an inflammatory immune response also causing headaches, which might explain why some people just can’t drink red wine without getting a headache. So drinking plenty of fluids, helps counteract all of these symptoms and if it is the red wine grab an antihistamine to help.
Nutrients that help the liver to repair itself are antioxidants like glutathione found in brassica and sprouts! Perfect time of year. The uptake of glutathione is improved by silymarin found in milk thistle, also renowned for improving liver health. Those aside oatmeal, oily fish or olive oil, lemon and garlic all play their part. One thing you must do is get some good quality coffee into you, the British liver foundation released a paper not so long ago to say that coffee compounds can protect the liver from alcoholic and non alcoholic fatty liver disease, as it’s broken down it produces a byproduct that helps slow the formation of scar tissue in the liver.
So my advice this festive season is enjoy your champagne and cocktails but get out for a run, drink coffee and hydrate before bed and eat plenty of sprouts at Christmas lunch!
Nutrients that help the liver to repair itself are antioxidants like glutathione found in brassica and sprouts! Perfect time of year. The uptake of glutathione is improved by silymarin found in milk thistle, also renowned for improving liver health. Those aside oatmeal, oily fish or olive oil, lemon and garlic all play their part. One thing you must do is get some good quality coffee into you, the British liver foundation released a paper not so long ago to say that coffee compounds can protect the liver from alcoholic and non alcoholic fatty liver disease, as it’s broken down it produces a byproduct that helps slow the formation of scar tissue in the liver.
So my advice this festive season is enjoy your champagne and cocktails but get out for a run, drink coffee and hydrate before bed and eat plenty of sprouts at Christmas lunch!
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