Cleaning the liver is a pointless exercise, because this organ itself is designed for cleansing and cannot be “clogged” with anything. In addition, the methods that people resort to to improve their health only create an extra burden on the biliary tract. Maria Prashnova, a gastroenterologist, hepatologist, associate professor at St. Petersburg State University, head of the EXPERT clinic, told socialbites.ca about this.
“The liver is the main cleansing organ. It cannot be “clogged” in any way, it has the ability to self-purify. The exception is decompensation of cirrhosis, but there is only one true “cleansing” – transplantation of a new liver, “she explained.
Most often, “cleaning” the liver with folk remedies involves taking cholinergic drugs, but there are also more interesting ways.
“For example, they drink olive oil to cleanse the liver – if you add lemon juice to it, quite large “stones” will come out with the stool. Here their negligent “healers” represent them as stones coming out of the liver. But in fact, these are “soap bars” formed in the intestines by the action of digestive enzymes on a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice. And they have nothing to do with the liver, ”explains Prashnova.
In addition, excessive consumption of fat creates an excessive load on the biliary tract.
“Bile contains bile salts. It is they who emulsify fats from our food – without it, our intestines cannot absorb both fats and fat-soluble vitamins. And when we actively drink fat, simultaneously supplying the digestive tract with a large amount of fat, the biliary tract cannot cope. They work at the same speed and cannot satisfy our whims. As a result, unprocessed oils “wait” to be processed – a feeling of heaviness, nausea appears. Or the gut doesn’t want to mingle with the non-emulsified oils and “throws” it all down the toilet, Prashnova added.
For normal liver function, a balanced diet with adequate fiber and fat, maintaining a healthy weight, and an active lifestyle is sufficient.