Best Liver Repair Supplements

Vitamins & Minerals For Liver Repair

Liver disease encompasses a wide range of conditions that affect the liver’s ability to function properly.

These diseases can be caused by various factors, including:

• infections
• alcohol abuse
• fatty liver disease (FAS)
• genetic disorders
• autoimmune conditions.

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Can the liver be repaired?

Indeed, the liver has the ability to heal itself following injury, but this ability has limits. For example, stopping alcohol consumption can allow a fatty liver to heal.

It possesses an extraordinary capacity for regeneration, allowing it to substitute damaged cells with new ones. Nevertheless, chronic or significant injury may result in fibrosis, and in advanced cases, cirrhosis becomes permanent.

Stages of liver disease

There are four stages of alcoholic liver disease (ALD):

• steatosis
• steatohepatitis
• cirrhosis
• combined steatohepatitis and cirrhosis

All but the latter stages (End-stage Liver disease – ESLD) are reversible. 

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Alcohol use

One of the most common symptoms of alcoholism is the build-up of fat cells in the liver.

A fatty liver can cause all kinds of health complications. These include:

• loss of appetite
• yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
• swelling in the ankles and tummy
• confusion
• drowsiness
• nausea.

Any one of these can be debilitating for anyone. If you are consuming alcohol regularly and have one or more of the above symptoms, you may have a build-up of fatty cells in your liver. This is called steatosis.

Below is a summary of the foods and vitamins that can help your liver and how they can help you recover from drinking too much alcohol. 

MCT oil

Steatosis is treatable, and one of the natural treatments to break down the fat cells in the Liver is MCT oil (medium-chain triglyceride).

There are many benefits to the body in processing MCT, the most relevant being the breakdown of fatty cells within the liver.

MCT oil is most commonly found in coconut oil, cow, goat and sheep milk.

If you don’t like the MCT foods listed above, thankfully, you do not have to rely on foods with medium-chain triglycerides to include them. You can still get them in your diet by using medium-chain triglycerides supplements. 

One of those supplements that you can get is Desistal, with 250mg of MCT oil powder in each capsule. 

Now, how does MCT go about breaking down your fatty cells in the liver? Well, your body absorbs MCTs more rapidly than long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), which contain more carbons in their fatty acid chains. Due to their shorter chain length, MCTs travel more quickly from the gut to your liver and do not require bile to break down as longer-chain fats do.

This means that instead of fatty cells building up in your liver, the fats are broken down to be either used as fuel or stored as body fat.

Since MCTs easily enter your cells without breaking down, they can be used as an immediate energy source. 

So there you are. MCT will break down any stored fat cells and transform them into energy that you can use. This process can be the beginning of the end of steatosis. 

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Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a significant role in maintaining healthy liver function and may even have protective effects against liver diseases. It’s linked to reducing inflammation, improving insulin resistance, and potentially preventing the progression of conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

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Milk Thistle

Studies show that some of the components of milk thistle can help with repairing your liver.

A substance called silymarin helps protect your liver from liver-damaging toxins. It also reduces inflammation and helps the liver to regrow in parts after being damaged.

It repairs liver damage to the cells from both alcohol and disease. It helps in liver function as well as repair and protection. Silymarin protects the liver from toxins and other free radical elements by stopping them from getting onto the cell to do damage.

Bacopa monnieri

Bacopa monnieri, also known as the ‘herb of grace’, is a plant used for medicinal purposes for centuries. 

Research shows that it may boost brain function and alleviate anxiety and stress (a class of powerful compounds called bacosides in Bacopa monnieri is believed to be responsible for these benefits). A boost in brain function and less anxiety and stress could be just what you need when recovering from high alcohol consumption.

Here are some of the benefits linked with Bacopa Monnieri –

1. Contains powerful antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that can help protect against cell damage caused by potentially harmful molecules called free radicals. Research suggests that damage is from by free radicals, which cause many chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. And so, by consuming Bacopa monnieri regularly through the Desistal supplement, you could encourage extensive molecular repair in conjunction with your alcohol recovery. 

2. Reducing inflammation

Inflammation is a response from your body that helps fight and heal the effects of liver disease.

There are signs that Bacopa monnieri could reduce oxidative stress, which is a contributing factor in developing liver disease.

In test-tube studies, Bacopa monnieri appears to suppress the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are small proteins crucial in controlling the growth and activity of other immune system cells and blood cells. 

In other words, Bacopa may stop an inflammatory response before it starts. 

3. Helps lower blood pressure

High blood pressure is a serious health concern, as it strains your heart and blood vessels. This can encourage the heart to grow weak, eventually causing heart disease. 

A study revealed that Bacopa monnieri significantly lowered blood pressure levels in rats that had elevated levels, but it had no effect in rats that had normal blood pressure levels. 

It is clear that bacopa is showing signs of lowering high blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure is a process that requires perseverance, and this is critical in your recovery from high alcohol consumption.

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Acetate in Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a staple in many households. This may be down to the taste, or it could be the endless health benefits of this eye-watering fluid. But one aspect of apple cider vinegar is more relevant to the recovery of alcoholism than any other. 

That is Acetate. Acetate is the main ingredient found in ACV, and it can help with wound healing and inflammation, which helps support a liver damaged by alcohol. 

It is important to know that treating steatosis can be detrimental to your liver’s recovery if your body is deficient in vitamin E. Fortunately, Vitamin E can be found in apple cider vinegar.

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B Vitamins

All B vitamins play a crucial role in enabling the body to transform food, particularly carbohydrates, into energy in the form of glucose. Collectively known as B-complex vitamins, they also assist in the utilisation of fats and proteins.

These vitamins are essential for maintaining a healthy liver, skin, hair, and eyes, as well as ensuring the proper functioning of the nervous system.

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Choline

Choline is a crucial nutrient that is important for promoting proper liver health and may aid in the recovery of the liver, especially in instances of fatty liver disease.

It assists in fat metabolism, facilitates the removal of fats from the liver, and plays a role in the creation and maintenance of cell membranes.

Although choline can be sourced from foods such as meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and eggs, some people might opt for choline supplements if they believe they have a deficiency.

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Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important for liver health and recovery, functioning as an antioxidant, promoting collagen synthesis, and facilitating detoxification. It safeguards the liver from harm, boosts detoxification functions, and aids in the regeneration of tissues.

Tumeric

Turmeric, especially its key compound curcumin, has demonstrated potential benefits for liver health and might assist in liver recovery, particularly for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Nevertheless, further studies are required to validate its effectiveness and safety across various liver disorders.

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Vitamin E

Supplementing with vitamin E could potentially enhance liver health, especially for those suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

As an antioxidant, it helps decrease inflammation and cellular harm, and it might also lead to better liver enzyme readings. Nonetheless, it’s important to understand that vitamin E is not a solution for NAFLD and might not be appropriate for all individuals, particularly those with type 2 diabetes or advanced liver damage.

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N-acetylcysteine

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supports liver healing and detoxification by increasing glutathione levels, a strong antioxidant that shields the liver from harm. Additionally, NAC possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that enhance overall liver wellness.

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Tryptophan

Tryptophan could aid in the healing of the liver by minimizing damage and inflammation, possibly via various mechanisms.

It may enhance antioxidant levels, lower hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, and block pathways related to liver cell death, such as pyroptosis and necroptosis.

Research indicates that tryptophan and its byproducts may help reduce liver damage in cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other liver disorders.

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Beetroot Juice B6 Vitamin

It may not sound appetising to most, but beetroot juice is one of the best ways to consume enough beetroot to help your liver.

With antioxidants, it can reduce oxidative stress, a cause of inflammation in the liver from drinking too much.

Beets also contain B6 vitamins, which reduce hepatic fat accumulation in the liver.

B3 is not easy to produce when the liver is strained by alcohol consumption. Replacing it through vitamins or high-strength foods like beetroot juice can restore this important nutrient to your body.

Studies show this liver-caused deficiency can contribute to depression, anaemia and fatigue.

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Supplements to avoid

If you have a liver condition it is important to always talk to your doctor before taking any kind of herbal supplement or medicine. Your liver processes supplements and medicines, so they can add extra stress to your liver.

Some supplements can cause damage to your liver. You are more at risk if you already have a liver condition.

The main supplements to avoid are:

Weight loss supplements can contain herbs that can damage your liver, for example ‘ephedra’.

Green tea extract tablets and capsules can cause problems for some people. But drinking normal amounts of green tea is safe.

If you are ever in doubt of what supplements may interfere withe liver function, enter the name of the ingredient into the LiverTox database.

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How to reduce liver damage

According to the British Liver Trust, you can do the following things to reduce liver damage:

• Cut down or preferably, don’t drink alcohol
• Keep a healthy weight
• Have a balanced diet
• Exercise
• Get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B
• Get tested for Hepatitis B and C if you have been at risk through sexual activity or needle sharing.