Have you looked in the mirror lately and wondered why you’re aging so rapidly? Dark circles, crow’s feet, a blotchy complexion and overall tired appearance may be all signs that your liver needs support. When toxic chemicals crowd your detox pathways, they can lead to a domino effect of symptoms including rapid aging. Stress, chronic illness, toxic unresolved emotions, existing gut issues and lifestyle choices all play a role and impact your liver, as well.
Your skin is simply an extension of your liver. It’s a back-up detoxifying organ that provides signs when your liver isn’t working properly. Blood nourishes the skin and the liver filters your blood. When blood is not filtered properly, your skin will visibly become inflamed, leading to issues such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, acne and even wrinkles.
The liver is both a detoxification and a digestive organ. A healthy liver cleanses blood and delivers nutrients to skin cells. A sluggish liver produces blood that may contain contaminants such as pathogens, bacteria and toxins and be nutrient deficient. The impact of this may affect your entire body.
Your liver has multiple roles and is likely the most important organ in the body. Aside from removing toxins, your liver produces bile, which helps break down fat so that it can be absorbed and remove wastes through stool. The liver also stores iron and serves a function in blood clotting.
It is estimated that 9 out of 10 people have a sluggish liver—and those numbers are astounding. Symptoms of a sluggish liver also include weight gain, chemical and food sensitivities, type 2 diabetes/metabolic syndrome, fatigue, hair loss, mood swings, depression, insomnia, digestive issues such as SIBO and more. veins; SIBO; bloating; and more.
Slowing the aging process as well as alleviating the above symptoms of dis-ease may be addressed by tackling the root cause and improving liver function.
We live in a toxic world, so it’s difficult to keep your liver from becoming overwhelmed. Pesticides in our food, heavy metals, chemicals in cleaning products and cosmetics, contaminants in water, the air, etc make our liver work hard. Pathogens such as viruses and bacteria also burden the liver. Interestingly, all of the above work symbiotically to wreak havoc on the system. Mold, viruses and bacteria feed off of heavy metals and other toxins in the body; if you have one, it is likely you have another. Heavy metal toxicity is often connected to gut dysbiosis as well as parasites, all of which put stress on the liver.
Human exposure to heavy metals has increased exponentially in the last decade. Heavy metals are in our food, water, air, household chemicals, cosmetics—they are everywhere. These enter our system, may cause damage to DNA and crowd the liver’s detoxification pathways, disabling them. Glutathione has been proven to safely bind to these toxins and heavy metals. Toxins and heavy metals, however, deplete natural stores of glutathione.
Lifestyle choices such as processed food, sugar and excessive alcohol further burden the liver. Because pharmaceuticals are metabolized through the liver metabolic pathway, these can also affect liver function and detoxification.
Chronic dehydration also taxes the liver along with chronic stress, which releases elevated levels of cortisol, putting your liver into overdrive. Bile production may be affected, which slows the body’s operation of removing toxins. Since bile is also necessary in breaking down fats to be utilized as energy, low bile levels can affect metabolism, mitochondrial function and energy levels.
When the liver isn’t functioning properly, it also throws the entire digestive tract off kilter. Acid levels in the stomach may be affected, causing food to not be digested properly. Bacteria, candida overgrowth and pathogens may invade the digestive system. Leaky Gut Syndrome could develop, leading to further inflammation and chronic illness.
Just as your car’s engine needs to be cleaned, your liver requires similar maintenance. You likely also park your car in the garage to avoid exposure to potentially harmful elements. You clean your car on a regular bases and get frequent oil changes. Same goes for the liver. Without proper maintenance, your liver may become sluggish and be affected by the wear and tear of toxic overload, leading to rapid aging, weight gain, loss of energy and other health issues.
Here are some tips to help support and detoxify your liver:
Clean up your personal care products: Switch to natural small molecule oils for nourishing your skin. Think almond oil or avocado oil instead of buying expensive chemical-laden lotions. You can add essential oils to these carrier oils and create wonderful healing synergy. Nourish your skin instead of injecting it or slathering it with chemicals. Use a non toxic deodorant free of aluminum and chemicals. Go deeper by replacing your toothpaste, hair products, perfumes for natural, non toxic options. Why? Your skin and mucous membranes absorb the chemicals in the ingredients. They are slowly poisoning and aging you!
Limit Meat and Dairy: Hormones and antibiotics in meat wreak havoc on our bodies and alter our delicate endocrine system. Both are difficult to digest. Meat can sit in your intestines for too long and causes bacterial overgrowth. Instead, eat more of a plant-based diet which makes for better digestion; the phytonutrients provide us with health and anti-aging properties. Raw Nuts and seeds are fully of healthy oils that nourish the body. (While you’re at it, remove sugar, fried foods, vegetable oils and processed foods from your diet as well! Your food is your fuel. Give it the good stuff!)
Support Your Liver: If your liver isn’t functioning properly, this can age you tremendously. Toxins need to find a way out of your body. The liver is also responsible for helping the endocrine system with hormone balancing. The liver removes bad estrogens from the system and helps with the conversion of thyroid hormone t4 into free t3, which is the active form of thyroid hormone needed for a healthy metabolism and tons of other bodily functions.
This advanced detoxification formula featuring milk thistle phytosome – 30:1 extract standardized to contain 80% silymarin with a combination of artichoke extract, taurine, ALA and patented acetylated glutathione (Emothion) – all playing a significant role in detoxification and antioxidant support.
Levels of glutathione are naturally higher in the liver than the rest of your body. Low levels of glutathione have been found in chronic liver disease.
Glutathione GOLD™ consists of a patent-pending, acetylated form of glutathione. As a result it is well-absorbed and more stable throughout the digestive tract than other available types of glutathione. Ingredient absorption and stomach acid resistance is further promoted by utilizing an enteric-coating process on the capsule ingredients. Lab results show that s-acetyl glutathione raised intracellular glutathione while having a positive impact on many oxidative stress biomarkers
Nrf2 Boost contains well researched and highly bioavailable ingredients which activate the Nrf2 genetic pathway, promoting optimal cellular health. This pathway regulates the production of the body’s crucial antioxidant enzymes.
Drink Water: But stop with the plastic bottles, which leach chemicals in your body that are both carcinogens and endocrine disrupters. Filter water and add cilantro and lemon or lime to it! Cilantro helps remove heavy metals from your system and lemon alkalizes.
Exercise: Movement helps with digestion and elimination as well as regulating hormones such as cortisol, which rises when we are stressed. Exercise helps improve blood circulation which helps in making you look and feel younger. It also moves the lymphatic system to eliminate bloating, cellulite and toxins. Sweating will make you look younger in the long run! Exercise also induces better sleep, which, in turn, is a remedy for looking and feeling crotchety, old and tired.
The following foods help support liver detoxification. Remember, the liver has the ability to regenerate, so provide it with the proper nutrition to support this repair.
Vegetables: Load up on cruciferous vegetables--broccoli, cabbage, arugula and radishes. These contain enzymatic compounds that support detoxification, such as glucoraphanin, myrosinase and DIM.
Food High in Sulfur: Sulfur helps boost collagen levels, which can help repair damage done to your skin by toxins. Foods high in sulfur include onions and garlic and egg yolk. Sulfur also has detoxifying properties that can detoxify the liver.
Food High in Antioxidants: These include fruits such as berries, medicinal mushrooms, raw cacao and tonic herbs such as ginseng, milk thistle and licorice help to reduce oxidative stress and systemic inflammation.
Sources:
https://www.liverdoctor.com/a-healthy-liver-slows-aging-august/
https://www.avogel.co.uk/health/skin/is-your-liver-the-most-important-organ-for-your-skin/
https://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/epidemic-of-sluggish-liver
https://www.liverdoctor.com/your-skin-reflects-your-liver/
https://www.quicksilverscientific.com/blog/signs-your-liver-needs-a-detox/
https://alituranaturals.com/want-beautiful-skin-take-care-liver/