Three Common Ingredients That Encourage Liver Health

“You are what you eat,” is a common expression that highlights how important nutrition is to the health of every part of our body, and we commonly talk about superfoods that have major health-boosting effects.

This is even more important when it comes to the liver, as our livers need to stay healthy to regulate toxins and protect the rest of our bodies.

In particular, there are three common ingredients that each work incredibly well as a liver antioxidant and can boost our liver health in other ways.

Here are three ingredients to add to your recipes today.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice that you may not be familiar with by name but have almost certainly tasted if you enjoy spicy food. It is a golden coloured powdery spice commonly used in curry bases and Asian cuisine.

Both it, and its root curcumin have been used in herbal medicines for thousands of years, but medical research has also shown it to have strong benefits to our health.

Curcumin is a strong antioxidant, and taken with black pepper to improve its absorption can help neutralise free radicals and boost the body’s enzymes defences.

In some studies, curcumin has been shown to be as effective as exercise when it comes to reducing the risk of heart disease and has shown to have some effects on cancer growth, although more research is needed to confirm these findings.

The best way to take turmeric is with black pepper, as it improves its absorption into the bloodstream by 2,000 per cent.

Honey

Honey, often preferred as a natural sweetener to sugar, is full of antioxidants, but how they interact both with each other and within the human body make them exceptionally beneficial to our health.

There are many recipes with honey, but many have taken to adding it to oats and other healthy ingredients.

Honey contains a combination of phenolic compounds and organic acids which not only work as an antioxidant but increase the antioxidants in your blood, as well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

This helps to promote liver health, as well as eyesight.

Interestingly, the soothing ability of honey has been known since Ancient Egypt, being used to heal burns and wounds, as well as treating other skin conditions. It has also historically been used to help suppress bad coughs.

Peppermint

Peppermint, an aromatic herb used in teas and breath mints among other uses, has been used as a natural flavouring as a natural treatment for digestive issues for thousands of years.

Peppermint contains menthol which has been used to relieve headaches, relieve clogged sinuses and fight off bacterial infections. It also provides a distinct cooling flavour which makes it pleasant to consume.

It has some muscle relaxant qualities too, which is part of what makes it so effective at soothing aches and pains, particularly in the digestive system.

It also acts as an antioxidant due to its flavonoids contained within it.