Think of the liver as a fish tank with a motorized water filter. If the filter is clogged with toxins from the tank, the entire tank becomes filled with the same contaminants. In our system, the filter is the liver, the tank is the body, and the fish that has to live in it is you.

So how does alcohol affect your liver?
Your liver is a robust organ and can usually cope with drinking a small amount of alcohol. However the liver can only handle a certain amount of alcohol at any given time, so if you drink more than the liver can deal with by drinking too quickly, or drinking too much, your liver cells struggle to process it.  When alcohol reaches the liver, it produces acetaldehyde, the toxic product of ethanol metabolism in the liver which covalently binds to a variety of proteins, thereby altering liver function and can damage liver cells causing permanent scarring, as well as harm to the brain and stomach lining.

Your liver also requires water to function effectively. When alcohol enters the body it acts as a diuretic and as such dehydrates you and forces the liver to find water from other sources. The severe dehydration is part of the reason why, after a big night of drinking you can wake up with a whopping headache.

There are many natural remedies to help support and cleanse the liver by stimulating its natural ability to clean toxic waste from the body:

Milk Thistle has been used for over two thousand years due to its remarkable effects on the liver and gallbladder. Milk thistle helps with the detoxification of poisons such as alcohol, regeneration of damaged liver tissue, stimulation of bile production, and improved digestion.

Dandelion Root stimulates bile flow from the liver, and is often used by herbalists to help fight fatty liver, cirrhosis, oestrogen dominance, and even acne.

Turmeric is a powerful liver protector and even liver cell regenerator.

Peppermint stimulates bile flow and relaxes bile ducts, helping to break down fats. It also helps reduce bad cholesterol, which makes the liver’s job of filtering toxins easier.

Yellow Dock Root is a blood purifier and commonly used to cleanse toxins from the body. It helps break down fatty foods by stimulating bile production, enhancing normal liver detoxification, improving the flow of digestive juices, helping the liver eliminate toxins, and has mild diuretic effects to help flush out harmful substances. It also helps reduce irritation of the liver and digestive system.