Do You Need to Detox Your Liver?

CLEVELAND - Many health trends seem to come and go, but there are some that always find a way of resurfacing – like detoxing your liver.

But is that really necessary? 

“The liver is probably one of our most incredible organs in terms of its ability to do a lot of things at once. It is your detox center. So, the question that I tell my patients that we should be asking is not so much where can I get a good liver detox, but more so, how can I support my liver to do the job it's already meant to do?” said Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic.

Kirkpatrick said you don’t need any special teas, powders, or pills to detox your liver.

Instead, she recommends focusing on methods that are known to be effective, such as exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and eating more whole foods.

Some ideas include cruciferous vegetables, along with berries, fatty fish, legumes, nuts and beans. 

Research shows that coffee and green tea can also be beneficial for your liver. 

Meanwhile, sugary snacks, sodas and alcohol should be avoided.

“We have recent studies that have come out showing that alcohol really has no health benefits. This idea that we should maybe have a few glasses of wine for the health benefits has now been disproven. We know that it can be harmful to the liver, especially for individuals that already have problems with their liver to begin with, Kirkpatrick said.

Kirkpatrick said it’s also important to talk to your physician about your goals. 

They may want to do some additional testing.