What Supplements Are Good for the Liver?
You can find a whole range of information on what supplements are good for the liver. Some are proprietary blends with secret ingredients that promise to “detox” your liver. Others proclaim an ancient history of treating liver problems.
But are any of these supplements even good for your liver? And how can you tell which ones support your liver, which ones can be a drain, and which won’t do anything at all?
If you want to answer those questions, you have to know what your liver is, what it does, and how different foods can help or harm it. From there, you can make the best choices about which supplements make their way into your daily routine.
Do you need supplements for your liver?
Your liver is an organ that sits in the abdominal cavity, just above the stomach. Your liver’s biggest job is to filter all of the blood in your body, removing toxins like alcohol. It also helps create bile, a substance that helps with transporting waste.
Liver “detoxes” tend to be scientifically questionable. After all, detoxifying is your liver’s whole job – how would you detox the detoxifier? What supplements are good for the liver tend to be determined by how well they support the liver in its job as a detoxifier, not whether they can remove toxins from the liver itself.
Collagen supplements and liver damage
People who are learning about liver damage and supplements are often concerned about collagen side effects on the liver. To explain what’s going on here, we’ll need to answer a couple more questions.
First, what is collagen? Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It’s tough, flexible, and found in your bones, skin, organs, muscles, hair, and nails. A normal liver will have around 5.5 mg of collagen per gram of wet tissue.
The second question is, how is collagen related to liver damage? Collagen plays a big role in how your body heals and repairs itself, so scar tissue has a high collagen content. When you have liver disease, you can sometimes have liver cirrhosis, which is severe scarring. This leads to your liver having a significantly higher collagen content than usual.
However, it’s important to know that liver cirrhosis has nothing to do with collagen supplementation. When it comes to what supplements are good for the liver, there are some that can cause damage, and collagen for liver typically does not cause liver damage.
What supplements are good for the liver?
There are a few general categories of supplements that are good for the liver. Some are plants and contain complex compounds that are too difficult to separate into their own supplements. Others are vitamins or micronutrients that you can eat in foods or purchase as supplements.
Remember, “detoxing” your liver is not really possible, since the liver is a detoxifier itself. Instead, you’re aiming to support your liver and reduce harm.
The most harmful things to your liver are high alcohol usage, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, smoking, and drug usage. Other risk factors include too much iron in your diet, hepatitis B, or a family history of liver disease.
If you suspect you have liver disease, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider. They’ll be able to guide you through what supplements are good for the liver problems you’re dealing with. Your medical professional will also be able to address any possible interactions a supplement could have with prescription medications you’re currently taking.
If you want to know what supplements are good for the liver, here are a few you can try:
Milk thistle
Milk thistle is a plant native to the Mediterranean that’s related to ragweed and daisies. Milk thistles have had medicinal uses for centuries in treating what we now know to be liver, kidney, and mental health problems. As modern science has researched what supplements are good for the liver, we’ve come back to milk thistle and discovered it has immense potential.
Milk thistle may support liver health, improve symptoms of liver cirrhosis, help return liver functioning to normal, and even decrease the risk of death by liver-related complications.
Dandelion root
Dandelion root is another one of the foods that heal the liver that has been used for centuries in folk practices. Ancient writings have mentioned using dandelion root to address skin problems, swelling, upset stomach, and what we now recognize as kidney and liver problems.
Dandelion root is an antioxidant, which is why it can have protective effects on the liver. As the liver removes toxins, it creates “free radicals,” which are molecules with an uneven number of electrons. Free radicals are a normal part of your body’s functioning and can help prevent infection, but too many of them cause oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress can contribute to liver problems and a host of other health issues, but antioxidants can bring your body back into balance. As we go through what supplements are good for the liver, you’ll notice many of them are antioxidants! Since your liver creates free radicals, antioxidants play an important supporting role in preventing oxidative stress.
Beetroot
Beetroot has a future in not only preventing liver problems but possibly in helping treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Beetroot juice has been shown to help balance cholesterol, as well as being a powerful antioxidant.
Coffee
Like many other supplements that are good for the liver, coffee has strong antioxidant properties. Two cups or fewer each day have been linked to a reduced risk of liver disease and slower progression of liver disease once diagnosed.
While not technically a supplement, coffee is easily available and a common part of many people’s daily routine already! Even the best supplements for liver repair pale in comparison to daily habits and lifestyle changes, including a varied, healthy diet.
Fiber
Fiber can be a supplement, but you can also get plenty of fiber in your normal diet! Fiber may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think of what supplements are good for the liver. And while fiber is great for gut health and heart health, your liver benefits from a fiber-rich diet, too!
Fiber can protect your liver in two ways. First, by reducing your risk of obesity or helping with weight management if you struggle with obesity. Second, fiber can reduce inflammation in your liver, slowing the development of liver disease.
Vitamin C
As research digs into what supplements are good for the liver, vitamin C has been shining brighter than nearly anything else. A dose of 1,000 mg a day can help your liver prevent iron and fat accumulation. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant and can help balance your blood sugar.
The combination of all these things means that vitamin C can help slow or even reverse the effects of liver disease. Eating a diet rich in fruits and veggies will naturally provide plenty of vitamin C, giving you all its protective effects.
Vitamin E
Across the board, when looking at what supplements are good for the liver, antioxidants are a safe bet. Vitamin E has some antioxidant properties, and it may have the capacity to help regulate the amount of fatty acids that your liver takes in.
Research hasn’t placed vitamin E as one of the best supplements for liver repair, though, with some studies showing little to no effect on the liver. Vitamin E seems to fit best into liver care in a supporting role alongside other treatment methods or supplements.
Choline
Liver repair isn’t choline’s greatest strength, but it can absolutely have protective effects. One thing to remember when considering what supplements are good for the liver is common causes of liver problems. And aside from risk factors like genetics or alcoholism, nutrient deficiencies can be a huge problem.
Choline is a micronutrient, which means your body doesn’t need very much of it. However, you may not necessarily get enough in your regular diet, so a supplement can help. In a healthy liver, choline will help regulate cholesterol and cell function.
Zinc
Zinc is a supplement you’ll need to use with care. Too much zinc can cause liver failure, or worsen existing liver problems. So how did zinc end up on a list of supplements that are good for the liver?
A zinc deficiency can also cause liver problems, and long-term zinc supplementation can improve liver function. The only thing you’ll need to do to supplement with zinc safely is follow up with your healthcare provider to ensure you aren’t consuming too much, so you can get the benefits with as few risks as possible.
Copper
Much like zinc, copper supplementation is all about finding the right amounts. Too much can cause or worsen liver problems, but without enough, your body will have a hard time processing the zinc it needs.
Copper deficiency has been linked to several different liver diseases, though, so follow up with your healthcare provider to make sure you don’t need to supplement. Your provider may want to run tests to help you find what supplements are good for the liver problems you’re facing, or are most at-risk for.
Selenium
Selenium is a mineral, like calcium, iron, or zinc. Your liver uses selenium as an antioxidant and inflammatory regulator. It may also reduce the accumulation of fat in your liver, so selenium has some potential as a treatment for fatty liver diseases.
When we’re looking at what supplements are good for the liver, minerals all have dosage problems in common. Like zinc and copper, selenium deficiency can lead to liver problems, but an excess can also worsen or cause liver damage.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3s are most well-known for being heart-health protectors, but they can be superheroes for your liver, too. Omega-3s have amazing protective benefits for your liver since they help regulate the amount of fat your liver stores from the food you eat.
Omega-3s are supplements that are good for the liver when you’re looking to protect, but preliminary studies show it may help with slowing the progression of liver disease, as well.
Collagen peptides
Collagen peptides benefits that come to mind for most people tend to be for skin and hair, but collagen for liver health is among them, too! Remember, what supplements are good for the liver does not have anything to do with the collagen content of your liver, since that may be caused by liver cirrhosis, which is simply scarring on the liver.
We already know what collagen is, but what are collagen peptides? When you purchase a supplement, you’ll typically see either “collagen peptides” or “hydrolyzed collagen”. These are the same thing and refer to collagen that has been broken down so your body can use it more easily.
You can use collagen for liver health because it’s naturally high in the amino acids glycine and proline. Glycine helps to reduce the inflammatory response as your liver processes toxins. This allows your liver to more effectively flush toxins and reduces the risk of liver cirrhosis. Proline helps to clear fat deposits from your liver and arteries, so your liver can run more smoothly.
Finding the best supplements for liver repair
When you’re looking at what supplements are good for the liver, the quality of your supplement matters as much (or more!) than which supplements you choose. A poor-quality supplement may have fillers or added ingredients that make your liver actually work harder. The best supplements for liver repair will be medical-grade.
A medical-grade supplement is held to the highest quality-control standards possible, and many are also free from added ingredients that cause your liver to work overtime. A high-quality, medical-grade collagen for liver health can help you support your liver as you work towards the healthiest you.
