What Are The Best Liver Supplements?

You may not see your liver at work unlike other parts of your body, but it does a number of extremely essential functions, nonetheless. It cleanses toxins for you, cleans your blood, breaks down and synthesizes proteins, helps you absorb certain nutrients better, and helps in promoting better digestion, among others. This is why the push for better liver health has never been stronger and thanks to the advancement of science, we now have supplements that claim to detoxify the liver.

What are these supplements? How do they work? Do they really even work? Aside from supplements, how else can you take care of your liver health? Here are the answers to these questions, and more.

Vitamin A and Iron

Vitamin A and iron are both linked to the prevention of iron deficiency Anaemia. But other than that, it can be connected to liver health, too. This is because low iron levels in the body, or Anaemia, can affect the proper functions of the liver.

On the other hand, be careful in taking iron or vitamin A supplements , too, as too much of it can be unhealthy for the liver. For example, too much vitamin A leads to scar tissues in the liver and thus can be damaging as it is when you are lacking it.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E, like vitamin A and iron, can help in promoting better liver functions. However, the truth is that most people can already have enough levels of vitamin E just from their daily diet alone. For people with vitamin E deficiency, or any other condition that gives them lower levels of it, supplements can help restore the needed (optimal) levels of vitamins needed.

Vitamin D

A research that was done by the people from the University of Tennessee in Memphis found out that at least 90% of individuals that are suffering from chronic liver disease have a vitamin D deficiency. Also, vitamin D deficiency that is left unattended can lead to cirrhosis. This, in turn, can develop liver cancer.

Vitamin B12

Out of all the b-vitamins, only vitamin b12 can be stored in the liver. This is where it gets a little tricky, as vitamin B12 deficiency can affect your liver functions, while too much of the daily recommended intake can damage it, too.

To be safe, always make sure to buy from products made by trusted names such as Naturally Vitamins. For one, Hep Forte can provide a well-rounded combination of essential nutrients.

Do liver supplements work?

So, the burning question is: do liver supplements really work? Do you really need it? If most vitamins that are good for the liver can be obtained from a wealthy and balanced identity, what do you need them for?

The truth is that the key is proper dosage and proper guidance on what to take, how much to take, and how often to take it. In fact, recent data shows that at least 20% of liver injuries in the United States are caused by improper use of supplements. In worst case scenarios, people who obtain liver injuries from improper medication sometimes end up needing liver transplant.

Additionally, a study involving the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) concluded that supplements may cause damage to the liver if taken without proper guidance of a medical professional. The study also suggested that deaths related to liver problems are higher in people who are improperly taking supplements, as opposed to people taking pharmaceutical medications.

Still, this does not mean that supplements do not work or that they are bad for you. This only means that they CAN be bad, if not taken properly, excessively, or without any guidance from your doctor or physician.

How to Maintain a Healthy Liver without Supplements

Although supplements help you and can provide a boost in the needed minerals and nutrients for a healthier liver, there are things in the way that you live that can also provide a health boost to your liver, even without the need for any external assistance.

Here are some of them.

Control your consumption of fat

Not just any fat, but saturated fat, to be specific. This type of fat, unlike others, can create fat deposits around the liver. This can, in turn, lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cause other forms of liver damage in the long run.

Limit (if not remove) your alcohol intake

Perhaps one of things we can bring inside our body that can be highly toxic to our liver is alcohol. Ideally, you would do your liver a huge favor if you can stop consuming alcohol altogether. However, in this day and age, alcohol consumption is already a must for a lot of people.

So, the key is control. Never drink too much--both in terms of volume as well as in frequency.

Avoid chronic drug use

There is no doubt that illegal drug addiction can lead not only to liver damage, but a lot of other health, personal, and social problems. On the other hand, there are over-the-counter medicines that when taken out of control, can also lead to liver damage.

Certain types of antibiotics, fever reducing drugs such as acetaminophen, cancer drugs, antidepressants, and some anti-anxiety drugs can damage the liver when taken too much.

Before you go

If you live a healthy lifestyle and do not have any serious medical condition, chances are you should not worry about your liver health. A balanced and proper diet combined with regular exercise should do the job.

However, should you have the need to take liver supplements, make sure you seek professional advice first and make sure to buy only authentic products from tested manufacturers and distributors.