At some point, during your daily media overload, you may have seen a TV commercial or online ad about a ‘revolutionary’ liver cleanse product or detox diet that claims to improve liver function, and even repair damages in the liver. These products are readily available, with promises to cleanse the liver particularly after a fatty meal or excessive alcohol intake. But do they really deliver on these promises? Let’s review the myths and truths behind some of these products.
ARE THEY SAFE AND FDA-APPROVED?
Taking a step back—we should perhaps ask a basic question: Are liver cleanses safe and U.S. FDA-approved to begin with?
Johns Hopkins hepatologist, Tinsay Woreta, MD, explained in an article that liver cleansing products are neither regulated nor approved by the FDA. As such, clinical testing of these products and their contents may vary. The bottom line: Woreta and other hepatologists at Johns Hopkins do not recommend these products.
ARE THEY HELPFUL FOR DAILY MAINTENANCE?
Many liver cleansing products promise to detox the liver to ensure maintenance of daily health and proper function. They feature many natural ingredients including milk thistle and turmeric—ingredients that we’ve discussed in previous ADRLF blog posts due to their natural liver-protecting effects. Milk thistle has been scientifically proven to have high levels of silymarin, which has antioxidant, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric, which is widely used in ayurvedic medicine, contains the chemical curcumin, which also has anti-inflammatory properties. However, liver cleansing products may contain other inorganic ingredients that may do more harm than good. And with the absence of well-documented clinical trials and FDA approval, it’s difficult to find conclusive proof of these products’ claim of improving daily liver function.
CAN THEY FIX EXISITING LIVER DAMAGE?
The next question is: Can liver cleanses repair existing liver damage and prevent future liver conditions?
Much less concrete proof is available on the ability of detox products to correct existing living conditions such as hepatitis and fatty liver disease.
To address hepatitis, we at ADRLF strongly and continually encourage everyone who’ll listen to: SCREEN. VACCINATE. DON’T HESITATE!
Screening and vaccination—particularly for hepatitis A and B—are the front-line defenses against getting hepatitis infection. Those with chronic hepatitis B and C may require oral medication and significant lifestyle changes.
People with alcoholic liver disease should stop alcohol intake in order to cease any active injury on the liver, and simultaneously allow the liver to regenerate healthy cells. And those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are recommended to undergo a safe fat-loss program that has been approved by their health care provider.
Finally, it’s important to know and understand the risk factors for developing hepatitis and other liver diseases, such as one’s family’s health history, as well one’s history of needle usage, and/or getting tattoos.
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