Liver health is important to maintain. Day in and day out, the liver cleans up just about everything to make sure your blood doesn’t turn toxic. Simply living and being alive produces toxic waste that your liver constantly fights.
Add onto that the crappy food you may eat, the environment you live in, and even the drugs or supplements you might take, and your liver has a lot to deal with!
Your liver, believe it or not, can affect your mood and cognition and even your appearance. People with poor and failing liver function get yellowed eyes and skin (jaundice) and acne because their liver simply cannot handle their lifestyle.
Fortunately, I have a list of supplements which are very beneficial to liver health and function. I am personally interested in the upkeep of my body, whether or not I am experimenting with nootropics and supplements. And whether you live sober and clean or you like to party late nights, you should find this list helpful too.
Contents
Milk Thistle for Liver Health
Milk thistle is an herb, and it’s considered one of the best of its kind for liver health.
It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and its mechanism of action been vindicated by modern science. 1 You’ve probably had milk thistle before too: Rockstar Energy Drink actually contains a milk thistle extract. But to be honest, I’d rather just take a milk thistle and a glass of water.
- You can get this one in capsule and liquid form on iHerb
- You can get it in bulk at Powder City
I’ve heard of everyone from partiers to juicers (the steroid kind) taking milk thistle to help their liver function because of their lifestyle. Some people have actually taken it for acne, which milk thistle has been shown to reduce tremendously. 2 My best guess as to why it helps with acne is because the liver deals with hormones and free radicals and pro-inflammatory agents, including the kind which cause pimples and zits.
NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) for Liver Health
Have you ever seen those little “hangover prevention” shots at a convenience store? If you look at the ingredients on the label, chances are you’ll find NAC.
NAC is the acetylated form of the amino acid L-Cysteine. It happens to be of the best liver health supplements around.
In my own experience with taking NAC twice a day, I’ve found that when I decide to have a drink or three in a night, the next morning I feel pretty damn good. Without it, I’d normally feel groggy or sleepy the next morning. In any case I drink plenty of water.
NAC is great for your mood too. Mike Cernovich at Danger & Play has mentioned how it helped him, considering his family history of mental illness. 3
Studies have indeed hinted that NAC might be very useful for bipolar disorder. 4
- iHerb has plenty of NAC capsules
- Powder City offers bulk NAC powder
Spirulina for Liver Health
Spirulina is another helpful supplement for your liver. It contains an enzyme inhibitor which promotes your body’s own natural antioxidant production. It can also apparently help with certain liver-based ailments.
(Check out my post on spirulina.)
Spirulina is also touted as an anti-aging longevity booster and a superfood.
- You can get spirulina on iHerb and on Powder City in bulk form
Conclusion
These are just a few things in my personal arsenal for maintaining liver health. Whether you live a straight and narrow life, or you like to cut loose and drink once in a while, these substances may help you and your hard-working liver.
References
1. | ↑ | Milk Thistle — Examine.com |
2. | ↑ | Effects of Oral Antioxidants on Lesion Counts Associated with Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Patients with Papulopustular Acne — Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research |
3. | ↑ | How N-Acetylcysteine (N-A-C) Cured My Depression and Anxiety — Danger and Play |
4. | ↑ | Maintenance N-acetyl cysteine treatment for bipolar disorder: A double-blind randomized placebo controlled trial — PubMed |