One more barbecue, one more graduation party, and the summer has just begun. So, as part of our ongoing Dads and Grads Guyd coverage this month, we’ve got a few holistic hangover helpers to do a body good if the grad in question overindulges. Forget about the morning-after fry-up. Instead, reach for remedies to restore that overworked liver.
Perhaps not the sexiest, the liver is one of the largest and hardest working organs in the body. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the liver processes toxins from secondhand smoke to those tasty gin-infused libations.
Beyond processing and detoxifying the body from these stressors, the liver also stores some of our body’s most important nutrients. Meanwhile, alcohol, when broken down in the liver, creates a harmful chemical called acetaldehyde (which ages your tissue and damages your body).
Related: Buy Your Grad a Drink as He Enters the Workforce
Luckily, when treated well, the liver can regenerate itself, reversing damaged tissue. So, there’s still time! While you’re gearing up for a summer of fun in the sun, and packing up the cooler full of light beer, down a dose of these five nutrients to keep an even keel and help your liver detox.
- Milk Thistle: Milk Thistle (also known as Silymarin) has been used for centuries to treat liver conditions such as hepatitis and cirrhosis. Today it continues to be used as a supreme liver antioxidant.
- Glutathione: The liver’s primary detox nutrient, glutathione is considered the body’s master antioxidant and critical for detoxification. Not only does glutathione promote detoxification, but it also enhances antioxidant protection and fortifies the immune system. Daily supplements like Setria glutathione are recommended.
- B vitamin: Vitamin B (specifically B1, B2 and B6) is our bodies energy-enhancing nutrient essential to maintaining a healthy body function, including digestion.
- Green Tea: The active ingredient in green tea, EGCG (Epigallocatechin Galate), has been shown to stimulate key detoxification pathways — helping the liver be a more effective.
- Fiber: Fiber helps to optimize the process of detoxification in the body.
Meanwhile, grads — drink responsibly and wait until you’re 21.
