This Liver Detox Could Help You Lose Weight — and Get Rid of Bloat and Fatigue
Low energy, bloat, blah moods, and sleep issues are affecting people more than usual. Why? From an extra glass (or two!) of wine to comfort-food binges to increased exposure to chemical cleaners, the pandemic did a number on all of us. “Our bodies have taken a hard hit recently, and virtually everyone now has a liver that isn’t functioning as well as it should,” notes world-renowned detox authority Alejandro Junger, MD.
The good news: The liver is our most resilient organ. “Take simple steps to support its ability to detox and heal itself, and you can feel dramatically better by next week,” promises Dr. Junger, whose devotees report using his approach to quickly transform their health and shed one to two pounds every day.
Tucked under the right side of our rib cage, the football-sized liver “is constantly filtering blood pumped from the intestines,” says Dr. Junger. Most of what we ingest — fat, sugar, protein, alcohol, vitamins, minerals, medicine, toxins — is sorted and either shipped off or processed by the organ. In fact, it’s the hub of our metabolism and our main fat-burning organ.
The liver also fuels our stress response, regulates hormones, produces immune cells, and performs more than 500 other functions. So it’s no wonder it struggles to keep up with demand. With so many roles, symptoms of a sluggish liver pile on, especially blood-sugar issues, high cholesterol, cravings, weight gain, GI woes, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and low immunity. Luckily, Dr. Junger’s fix is easy and effective.
What are the benefits of a liver detox?
Dr. Junger’s famous Clean 7 plan starts by targeting the biggest liver-zapping culprits: Sugar, grains, processed foods, and alcohol. Turns out, these options typically turn into a massive excess of blood sugar that the liver must convert to fat. “When the liver is overwhelmed, fat gets trapped in the organ itself, impairing function,” Dr. Junger explains. Skipping these problem foods, even if only for a short time, boosts liver health. And per scientists at Baylor University in Texas, it helps 98 percent of people lose significant body fat.
What will you eat instead? Healthy protein and antioxidant-rich plant foods, especially cocoa, berries, cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, and seeds. They’re loaded with nutrients that help the liver repair itself and eliminate toxins that otherwise have health-dampening side effects.
What’s the science behind it?
To take the findings of modern science to a whole new level, Dr. Junger draws on ancient Ayurvedic healing practices as well as spices. He loves holy basil, ginger, cinnamon, and especially turmeric. Worth noting, these practices now have traditional clinical studies backing them up. Take turmeric — research shows its compounds break up fatty deposits clogging the liver and also repair liver tissue damaged by exposure to toxins. There’s also evidence that turmeric’s antioxidants spike fat burn by up to 560 percent! And a study from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine found that a detox based on Ayurvedic principles improved liver function by 53 percent in just one week.
Dr. Junger, a cardiologist, reveals that Ayurveda helped heal his own treatment-resistant IBS. “Seeing how well it worked humbled me as a doctor who had long practiced strictly Western medicine. Now I believe factoring in ancient wisdom makes my approach an unstoppable force!” he says, adding that you can repeat the weeklong approach as many times as needed to achieve your health goals and feel amazing.
This article originally appeared in our print magazine.
