Experts Weigh In: Is a Liver Cleanse Necessary? Here's What They Say

Are you thinking about detoxifying your liver?

Creators on TikTok frequently share their home remedies for liver cleansing, which usually consist of ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, lemon, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and more.

Social media is also buzzing with recommendations for supplements and herbs like milk thistle, turmeric, and coenzyme Q10 to cleanse the liver.

However, most of these liver detox methods do not have sufficient scientific proofs and the individuals promoting them are not healthcare professionals.

Cindy Sing Law, MD, a hepatologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, informed Health that herbal products or supplements are not FDA-regulated in the US and are not thoroughly examined in clinical trials.

She further clarified that products labeled ‘natural’ aren't necessarily harmless.

Law warned about the increasing number of products being sold as ‘liver cleanses’, claiming that they can be potentially dangerous if they include ingredients that can induce drug-related liver damage.

Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness and Preventive Medicine and president of KAK Nutrition Consulting, informed Health that some of these “cleanses” may also adversely interact with other medicines.

In conclusion, what may look like a harmless holistic health step could potentially cause more harm than good.

Kirkpatrick further explained that the risks vary with the product since there are countless versions of these products in the market. She also suggested using certain ingredients more organically in your dietary pattern such as adding turmeric to meals or lemon to water.

The article then moves on to explain how to ensure liver health in safe and sustainable ways, according to experts.

The liver, being one of the most significant organs in your body translates everything that is taken in and transforms usable nutrients into substances and supplies those to the cells when required.

Furthermore, the liver also gets rid of toxic substances that enter the body hence ensures that they do not cause any harm to the body.

Law states that one of the primary functions of the liver is the metabolism of drugs and detoxification of substances in the blood, therefore, the liver does not need to be cleansed.

Kirkpatrick suggests people to focus on looking after the liver so it operates as it should instead of emphasizing liver cleanses.

She explained that the liver (along with the kidneys) does everything necessary to filter and get rid of toxins from the body and it solely requires better care.

As per the American Liver Foundation, 4.5 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with liver diseases. If neglected, liver disease can lead to liver failure and liver cancer.

Risks for liver disease include:

Cirrhosis, a long-term liver disease involves liver scarring and affects how the liver operates. Causes of cirrhosis include:

Arjmand Mufti, MD, medical director of liver transplantation and living liver transplantation at UTSouthwestern Medical Center, stated that NAFLD is now termed as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

“MASLD is thought to be prevalent in 25%–30% of adults in the general population and is the most common cause of chronic liver disease,” Mufti stated.

In Law’s experience, too much alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for liver disease. She observed an increase in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With a rise in alcohol consumption, there’s an increase in the prevalence of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) along with hospitalizations and liver transplants due to ALD“, Law added. The ALD hospitalization rates particularly increased amongst women and individuals under 45 years old.

To ensure optimal liver health, Mufti recommends a few necessary lifestyle modifications that positively impact overall health.

“Such changes include keeping alcohol consumption in safe limits and avoiding binge drinking. For patients who are diabetic, we encourage good diabetic control and constant monitoring in pre-diabetic patients. Also, overweight patients should try to lose weight and people should seek treatment for high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels,” Mufti advised.

He noted that regular exercise is important for cardiovascular health and overall wellbeing.