Medicinal Herbs That Promote Liver and Kidney Health
The world is filled with stressors that pose challenges to our health. Fortunately, Mother Nature has equipped the human body with some heavy-hitting detox armaments. The body’s chief defensive weapon is the liver, that football-sized organ located under the right-front ribs. Another vital defense system is the kidneys, bean-shaped, fist-sized organs nestled on either side of the mid-spine. Naturopaths agree that certain herbal medicine can maximize the detox functions of these organs, the liver, and kidneys, while also promoting their overall effectiveness. Such botanical boosters can be found in our 100% alcohol-free liquid herbal supplements, including Herbal Detox, Kidney & Bladder Blend, and Liver Build with Milk Thistle. These herbal supplements are some of the best products we offer for the overall health of the kidneys and the liver.
The Multitasking Liver
Detoxifying the blood is one of several hundred tasks carried out by a healthy liver every day. It also produces bile, required to digest fat; ensures absorption of essential nutrients; balances blood proteins, fats, and sugars; enables blood to clot at wound sites; and cleans up defunct red blood cells. In addition, the liver supports other body systems, including the kidneys, heart, brain, reproductive organs, joints, and eyes. If liver damage or liver failure occurs, normal liver function cannot be properly handled by your body and unlike the appendix or even the spleen, the liver is essential not just to health, but to survival.
The World’s Best Filters: the Kidneys
Most people know that the kidneys eliminate waste products and surplus fluid from what we ingest. In the course of filtering an impressive 200 quarts of fluid every day, these organs are so sophisticated they “know” what to reabsorb to help the body and what to eliminate through the urinary tract. However, disruptions in this intricate process can lead to various health issues, ranging from urinary tract infections, kidney disease, kidney stones, and oxidative stress to the severe complications of chronic renal failure. The renal system also produces vital hormones to regulate blood pressure, triggers a form of Vitamin D to build healthy bones and boost immune function, balances blood pH, and regulates potassium and sodium levels.
Multitasking Herbs
Clearly, these hard-working organs deserve a helping hand and this help can be found outside of prescription medication. Just as liver and kidney functions are mutually supportive, some dietary supplements made using herbal medicine are beneficial to both systems and promote a healthy kidney and liver. One example is the humble Dandelion Root. There’s a good reason why European settlers brought these plants with them when they crossed the Atlantic into the United States. The root of this common lawn weed has strong diuretic effects, helping the kidney function by flushing excess fluid from the body. Those diuretic properties also support the liver’s detox functions. Ayurvedic healers have long viewed dandelion root as a liver health tonic and natural remedy.
Burdock Root is another herbal remedy and health aid masquerading as a pesky lawn weed. It may produce annoying burrs, but its root has diuretic properties beneficial to both the liver and kidneys. It also works as a blood tonic, capable of eliminating certain toxins that can damage the liver. Both dandelion root and burdock root are herbal products that help avoid liver damage and kidney damage or kidney failure and minimize adverse effects of day-to-day life to aid in the functioning of the organs.
Milk Thistle, the Detox Queen
Any discussion of herbs supporting hepatic function inevitably includes milk thistle seeds. The herb’s name probably comes from the milky sap secreted when the leaves are crushed. Healers have long considered milk thistle a blessing to liver and gallbladder function. Modern studies suggest one of its chemical compounds, silymarin, supports the healthy regeneration of worn-out liver cells.
