10 Best Herbs for Liver Health

The liver is affected by cirrhosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, liver failure, and hepatitis in a lot of people around the world.

Nearly 2 million people die every year from liver illness around the world.

Heavy drinking, having high blood sugar, being overweight, having high blood pressure, getting viruses, having high lipid and cholesterol levels, and more are all things that can put you at risk for liver disease.

There are many ways to treat liver disease, such as with medicine, nutrition treatment, immunotherapy, lifestyle changes, surgery, and even a liver transplant in the last stages of the disease.

In addition to normal treatments, a lot of people try alternative methods, such as herbal supplements, to help and protect their liver health. In fact, about 65% of people with liver problems in the US and Europe take herbal supplements.

These ten herbs have been shown to help the liver.

A very important note

Some of the herbs on this list may not be safe for people who have certain liver problems.

It’s important to talk to your doctor before adding any plant supplements to your diet, including the ones on this list, because some herbs have been linked to liver damage and other problems.

1. Milk thistle (silymarin)

Silymarin, which is also known as “milk thistle,” is made up of silybin, silychristin, and silydianin, all of which are taken from milk thistle (Silybum marianum) seeds.

Milk thistle has been used for more than 2,000 years to treat problems with the liver and bile ducts. New study suggests that it may also help protect the liver.

Some people think that silymarin is a powerful antioxidant that may help liver cells grow back, lower inflammation, and help people with liver illness. But studies on people have had mixed effects.

For instance, some studies have shown that taking a silymarin supplement may help stop liver disease from getting worse, make people with alcoholic cirrhosis live longer, and improve their general quality of life.

Still, other studies show that silymarin doesn’t work any better than placebos, which shows that more research is needed.

No matter what, silymarin is thought to be safe and hasn’t been linked to any bad side effects, even when used in large amounts.

2. Ginseng

Ginseng is a well-known plant supplement that is great for reducing inflammation.

Several studies in test tubes and on animals have shown that ginseng is an antioxidant that may help protect the liver from damage caused by viruses, chemicals, and alcohol. Plus, it might help liver cells grow back after surgery.

Also, some tests on humans have shown that ginseng may help the liver work better and make people with liver disease and liver dysfunction less tired and swollen.

For instance, a 2020 study of 51 men with high levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), a sign of liver damage, found that those who took 3 grams of ginseng powder every day for 12 weeks saw their ALT levels drop significantly compared to a placebo group.

Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels were also lowered a lot, which is another sign of liver damage.

Even though these results are good, more study needs to be done on how ginseng affects liver health.

People think that ginseng is good for liver health when used on its own. But ginseng can interact with some medicines, which can hurt the liver and cause other side effects that could be dangerous.

3. Green tea

Green tea and its main polyphenol compound epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) are often included in literature reviews that look at plant remedies for liver problems, even though they aren’t really herbs.

Taking green tea extract as a supplement may help people who have liver disease, according to some studies.

A study of 80 people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) found that taking 500 mg of green tea extract every day for 90 days lowered the levels of ALT and AST, which are signs of liver damage, by a large amount.

The people who were given the placebo also saw their AST and ALT numbers drop, but it wasn’t a big deal.

In a different 12-week study of 80 people with NAFLD, those who took 500 mg of green tea extract every day had much better results with AST, ALT, and inflammation markers than those who took a placebo. The treatment also slowed down changes in the liver’s fat.

It has also been shown that drinking green tea can help protect against liver diseases like liver cancer, hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatic steatosis, and chronic liver disease.

For the most part, drinking green tea is safe. However, green tea extract pills have been linked to serious liver damage in some cases.

4. Licorice

If you think of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), you might think of chewy candy. But licorice is actually a herb that has powerful healing qualities.

Studies have shown that licorice root can reduce inflammation, fight viruses, and protect the liver.

Glycyrrhizin, a saponin compound found in licorice root, is what makes it work. It is widely used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine to treat a wide range of illnesses, including liver disease.

There are some studies that show that treating some liver problems with licorice extract may be helpful.

In a study of 66 people with fatty liver disease, taking 2 grams of licorice root extract every day for two months lowered ALT and AST levels much more than a fake treatment.

There was another small study where six healthy people took a glycyrrhizin supplement before drinking vodka every night for 12 days. The other six people only drank vodka every night for 12 days.

In the group that only drank vodka, liver damage signs like ALT, AST, and GGT went up a lot. These signs didn’t change much in the glycyrrhizin group, which suggests that glycyrrhizin may help protect against liver damage caused by alcohol.

These results are encouraging, but more study is needed.

Besides that, some people are more sensitive to licorice, and using licorice goods for a long time can cause dangerous side effects like high blood pressure and low potassium levels in the blood.

5. Turmeric

Curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, has been linked to a wide range of impressive health effects.

There is a lot of evidence that turmeric can help fight inflammation, free radicals, and cancer. This spice is often recommended to people who have liver disease.

One study showed that giving people with NAFLD 500 mg of a curcumin product every day for 8 weeks cut liver fat content and AST and ALT levels by a lot compared to a control group.

Another study looked at 70 people with NAFLD. Those who took 500 mg of curcumin and 5 mg of piperine every day for 12 weeks had much lower levels of ALT, AST, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and inflammatory markers than those who were given a placebo.

Piperine is a chemical that is found in black pepper that helps the body absorb curcumin.

Researchers also saw that the curcumin treatment made NAFLD a lot better compared to the control group.

Taking turmeric and curcumin supplements is usually thought to be healthy. However, there have been reports of severe liver damage. Even so, it’s not clear if these cases were caused by tainted curcumin goods or by the products themselves.

6. Garlic

Garlic is a famous ingredient in many herbal remedies, even though it is botanically a vegetable. It’s full of powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant plant chemicals, like allicin, alliin, and ajoene, which may help keep your liver healthy.

A 2020 study of 98 people with NAFLD found that those who took 800 mg of garlic powder every day for 15 weeks had much lower amounts of ALT, AST, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides than those who took a placebo.

Also, the severity of liver fat buildup got better in 51% of the people in the garlic group, but only 16% of the people in the control group.

A different study with more than 24,000 adults found that guys who ate raw garlic more than seven times a week had a 29% lower chance of getting fatty liver disease. When it came to guys, eating raw garlic was linked to less NAFLD, but not when it came to women.

A study also found a link between eating raw garlic and a lower chance of getting liver cancer. People who ate raw garlic twice or more a week had a 23% lower risk of getting liver cancer than people who ate raw garlic less than twice a week.

Most people think that raw garlic is safe, but some people may get liver damage from taking concentrated garlic pills.

7. Ginger

Ginger root is often used in cooking, and it is also often used as a medicine to treat a wide range of health problems, including liver disease.

A 12-week study with 46 people who had NAFLD found that taking 1,500 mg of ginger powder every day greatly lowered ALT, total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, and CRP, an inflammatory marker. This was compared to a placebo group.

The results of another study were similar. Compared to a control group, people with NAFLD who took 2 grams of ginger every day for 12 weeks saw big drops in ALT, GGT, inflammatory markers, and fat buildup in the liver.

Ginger root has strong chemicals in it, like gingerols and shogaols, that help stop inflammation and protect cells from damage. This may be good for liver health. And ginger might help keep your liver safe from harmful things like alcohol.

Ginger is usually thought to be safe, even for people who have problems with their liver. But you should always talk to your doctor before taking high-dose ginger items as a supplement.

8–10. Other herbs with liver-protective properties

Besides the above methods, a lot of other herbs have also been linked to better liver health.

8. Danshen

In traditional Chinese medicine, danshen is a drug that is often used. It’s Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge’s dried roots.Studies on both people and animals have shown that danshen may be good for the liver.

Studies on animals show that danshen may help protect against alcohol-related liver disease and encourage liver tissue regeneration. Studies on humans show that when used with other herbal medicines, danshen injections may help treat liver fibrosis.

9. Ginkgo biloba

People often take ginkgo biloba as a vitamin, and it has been linked to better liver health. One study on rats found that ginkgo biloba shots improved liver function and decreased liver fibrosis.

Even though ginkgo biloba has been linked to some mild side effects, it hasn’t been directly linked to liver damage.

10. Astragalus

The plant astragalus can be eaten and is often used in traditional Chinese medicine. There are many healing chemicals in it, like saponins, isoflavonoids, and polysaccharides, which work very well as medicine.

Most people think it’s safe, and it hasn’t been linked to liver damage. But it might not work well with some medicines.

Studies on rodents show that astragalus may help protect against fibrosis and fatty liver caused by a high-fat diet when used alone or with other herbs.

Precautions

Some herbal treatments may help treat or avoid liver problems, but anyone who wants to use herbal treatments for liver health needs to talk to a qualified medical professional first.

This is because many plant medicines have been shown to be harmful to the liver and should not be used by people who already have liver disease or other health problems.

Some herbal drugs have even been linked to liver damage or even death. plants by themselves or mixed with other plants can both do a lot of damage to your liver.

Aside from that, herbal pills may contain heavy metals, pesticides, drugs, and bacteria that are bad for your liver.

Also, a lot of herbs can react badly with common medicines, which can hurt or even kill the liver.

While some herbs might be safe for you, a lot of them aren’t, so you should always talk to your doctor before taking any plant supplement.