By @YourGreenBaby
This is the third post in our series on PCOS. Links to the others are found below.
Your liver is the second largest organ in your body, located on the right upper side of the abdomen; it is responsible for many tasks which are vital to life. The liver plays a role in digestion, assimilation, maintaining blood sugar levels, storing vitamins A, D, E, K and B12, as well as minerals iron and copper, producing cholesterol, and metabolizing hormones for excretion from the body, to name just few.
I like to think of the liver as the gateway to our body. It acts like a large filter – screening, sorting, breaking down and detoxifying the many chemicals, substances, toxins, hormones, etc in our body. When we consider the toxic environment most of us live in it is easy to see how the liver can become overburdened and sluggish. A liver which is overburden and sluggish will have a difficult time breaking down excess estrogens for the body to eliminate, meaning more estrogens in the body, which can aggravate the symptoms of PCOS.
The liver needs constant support to prevent it from becoming overburdened and sluggish, and to ensure it works effectively not only with the task of eliminating toxins and estrogens from the body, but also to perform the many roles necessary for optimum health and well being.
Here are a few things you can do naturally to support the liver:
Enjoy a morning cup of hot water and lemon. Squeeze a half a fresh lemon into a cup of hot water each morning and enjoy. This helps to stimulate the liver promoting cleansing and detoxification.
Include foods high in indole-3-carbinol. This compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, etc aids in the detoxification of estrogens and helps to protect the liver.
Enjoy liver loving foods. Liver loving foods support the liver and aid in the detoxification process. Liver loving foods include: apples, artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brown rice, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, caraway seeds, carrots, dandelion greens, garlic, oat bran, onions, spinach, tomatoes, turmeric, cinnamon, licorice, walnuts, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables and fennel.
Eat a high fibre diet. Once the liver has broken down estrogens they are passed to the gut then the colon for elimination from the body. If the bowels are not moving effectively, the estrogens can be reabsorbed into the body through the colon wall. A high fibre diet ensures regular bowel movements and ensures excess estrogens are effectively eliminated from the body.
Support the liver with dandelion tea and milk thistle. Dandelion is a bitter herb known to help support the liver in its detoxification role. A substance in milk thistle called silymarin has antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties and helps to protect the liver from toxins.
Ensure adequate hydration. Hydration is necessary for optimum functioning of the body as a whole, and of each and every organ, including the liver. Hydration is also important to ensure regular bowel movements. Stay well hydrated.
Avoid chemicals and toxins in your environment. Chemicals are everywhere in our environment and all have to be sorted and detoxified by the liver. We can control those in our immediate environment with a few simple choices:
- Choose organic food whenever possible.
- Limit processed packaged food in your diet. These “food stuffs” contain preservatives, food additives, colourings, etc that all have to be processed by the liver.
- Avoid chemicals in your immediate environment by limiting the use of chemical cleaning products, body care products loaded with chemicals, fragrances, etc all of which can stress the liver.
- Minimize the use of over the counter medications. All medications require the liver to work harder to process them, which can leave it sluggish and overburdened.
- Limit alcohol intake. Less alcohol means less work and stress for the liver, leaving it with time, energy and the resources to break down excess estrogens for elimination from the body.
While the liver does not play a direct role in PCOS, by supporting it and its role in the body you can help reduce some of the symptoms of PCOS. A healthy liver means a healthy body; supporting it is a step in the right direction to ensure optimum health and well being.
For specific protocols to support the liver and aid in detoxification I highly recommend seeking the advice of a naturopathic doctor or holistic nutritionist who can provide a personalized and individualized plan for you.
It should also be noted that some woman with PCOS do have liver damage known as non alcoholic fatty liver disease which is related to insulin resistance, something a large majority of woman with PCOS have. Your doctor can order a liver profile test to determine if this affects you. If it does taking the steps above and seeking more individualized advice can help to support the liver and prevent further damage.
Liver Plays Key Role in Maintaing Fertility: A new University of Milan study suggests that estrogen receptors in the liver are critical for maintaing fertility. The findings are published in the journal, Cell Metabolism. The link to the abstract is here.
This is the third in a series of posts on the topic of PCOS. Be sure to check out our other posts on the topic:
Understanding PCOS and Recommendations for Nutrition and Lifestyle
And other posts by Kim Corrigan-Oliver
Nutrition Guidelines in the Preconception Period
The Importance of Preparing For The Journey
Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a first time mom. She is a certified holistic nutritionist specializing in nutrition for mom, baby and toddler. She loves good food and to cook. And, she loves to share her passion for all of the above with those interested in learning more about feeding their babies and raising healthy happy children. For more information please check out her website at Your Green Baby.
