The liver performs hundreds of essential functions in the body

 The liver performs hundreds of essential functions in the body, including storing glucose from the food you eat, producing bile for the digestion of fats, and filtering harmful toxins out of the blood before they cause damage to other vital organs. Unfortunately, the carbohydrate-heavy Western diet and our modern sedentary lifestyles can cause fatty tissue to build up inside the liver, resulting in inflammation which limits the organ's ability to perform these crucial tasks.

A combination of diet, exercise, and a well-rounded supplement can assist your liver's natural ability to flush out toxins and fat, helping to relieve abdominal fullness, boost energy levels, and improve mental clarity.

The 5 Must-Have Ingredients for a Good Liver Supplement

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

N-acetyl cysteine is a precursor to the powerful antioxidant glutathione, which helps neutralize cell-damaging free radicals that cause inflammation and fatty buildup in the liver. In addition, NAC has been shown to play a pivotal role in promoting your liver's natural ability to filter toxins from the blood. In this way, this essential compound offers the dual purpose of liver protection and detoxification.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle contains compounds collectively known as silymarin, a group of flavonoids which have been shown to protect liver cells from toxic substances. Like NAC, milk thistle is a strong antioxidant that supports healthy liver function by defending against oxidative stress. Keep in mind, however, that not all milk thistle has the same level of silymarin content. Look for milk thistle standardized to at least 70% silymarin.

Choline

Choline is an essential nutrient naturally present in meat, fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs. One critically important role of this compound is to transport fats out of the liver, thus avoiding lipid buildup within healthy tissue. Due to dietary restrictions, vegetarians and vegans are particularly at risk of a deficiency.

Dandelion

Dandelions are rich in antioxidants, which help protect the liver against free radical damage and the inflammation that follows. In addition, it supports the production of bile, which aids in the efficient digestion of fats and their expulsion from the body. Look for formulas which contain dandelion root rather than an extract of the entire plant, as the root has a higher concentration of liver-cleansing compounds.

Artichoke

Like milk thistle, artichoke contains silymarin and another similar compound called cynarin. While these antioxidants help promote optimal liver function, other compounds help improve bile flow to flush toxins out of the body. Artichoke leaf extracts are rich in liver-protective flavonoids, while extracts of the stem and root are less so.