A healthy liver is vital for your well-being.
Your liver helps regulate blood sugar levels, balancing sugar cravings; benefits a sluggish metabolism; and helps with overall digestive health. However, when your liver is over-taxed (through alcohol or over the counter and prescription medications), you’ll be more susceptible to illness, disease, as well as imbalances that can cause headaches, mood changes, and more.
There are a plethora of food options to help give your liver a boost. As summer is the season of herbs, we thought we’d give you the 101 on herbs + spices for your liver. Many of these herbs are found in more ethnic fare, including Indian, Thai, and Spanish cuisine. In fact, only two of the suggested herbs are found in great quantities in American cuisine and then only in dessert and baked goods.
Read Some Healthy Liver Related Articles:
Read on for 6 herbs + spices to add to your diet for liver love.
- Cayenne: This medium-heat pepper stimulates your circulatory system and helps improve your digestive process as well, making it easier for your body (and your liver) to process toxins.
- Ginger: Becoming a bit more of an American favorite (found in our coffee shop chai tea, etc.) ginger is anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and antiviral. It helps boost your immunity and some studies have shown that it also lowers cholesterol. Lower cholesterol is less taxing on your liver.
- Cardamom: This herb found in Indian cuisine, helps stimulate bile, improving digestive ease.
- Turmeric: Also found in Indian and Thai cuisine, this herb responsible for yellow curry, helps detoxify the liver.
- Fennel: An after-dinner refresher, fennel helps lower inflammation and also boosts digestion.
- Cilantro: Found in Thai and Mexican cuisine (and found dried as coriander seeds), cilantro helps lower LDL cholesterol and helps metabolism. In addition, some report that cilantro helps your body process and remove heavy metals and toxins that would otherwise tax the liver.
With her love of health and writing, Melissa has written for such publications as Shape, Natural Solutions, Yoga Journal, Self and Pilates Style, and has created recipes and food-oriented stories for such publications as Delicious Living and Cooking Light.
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