Easy Ways to Keep Your Liver Healthy

by Dr. Nick Zyrowski May 19, 2025

The liver has often been called a workhorse and with good reason. It supports all your organs, being responsible for over 500 vital bodily functions. (1) It produces proteins for blood plasma, processes hemoglobin for iron usage, cleans medications and other substances from the blood, and that’s only for starters. Many of us don’t think about how much the liver does and in turn, end up with some serious health issues.

Since we understand the liver is a crucial organ, it makes sense to keep it functioning properly and restore health when necessary. Some in the medical community won’t share this information, but there are numerous ways to detoxify your liver and revitalize it. We have some actionable tips you can start taking today to improve your health, and none of them come with a prescription!

Symptoms of poor liver function

Unfortunately, we frequently see patients in our NuVision Health Center clinic who show signs of poor liver function, but they don’t know it. Many think it’s a sign of getting older with issues that keep piling up over time.

  • Digestive problems: If you have poor digestion and get issues like indigestion, gas, and bloating, you could have a sluggish liver. (2)
  • Hormonal imbalances:Your liver breaks them down and rids the body of hormones you do not need. For some patients, hormonal imbalances are the first sign of liver issues.
  • Skin conditions: If you have eczema, dermatitis, or rashes, you may be showing signs of poor liver function. (3)
  • Weight gain:Some may be gaining weight without overindulging or unable to lose weight, which can signal poor metabolic function.
  • Food cravings: Some people experience increased cravings, which isn’t typical for them. They may also have certain food aversions they didn’t previously have. (4) 
  • Fatigue: We all get a little tired sometimes, but if you’re noticing an overwhelming number of days where you feel worn down, that is not typical and may be a sign of liver issues.
  • Gallbladder issues:When you consider the number of people getting their gallbladders removed, it’s pretty startling. What we often don’t consider is the gallbladder sits just above the liver, and trouble in that area may result from liver dysfunction.

What if your labs are normal?

Some people have these signs and go to their doctors to find out what might be causing them. In many cases, their physicians order blood work and check for markers that show any specific issues. After running numerous labs, some patients still get told there is nothing wrong.

The problem is that you can have many symptoms before the readings show on these lab tests. When the numbers come back, your doctor may think everything is fine. That puts you in an awkward position because you aren’t sure what to do next.

Fixing the issue

Whether or not the blood tests signify an issue, there are some things we can do to detox the liver and start restoring natural health. There are some immediate priorities you can begin that will help.

Remove all toxic foods

Most of us don’t have perfect diets, but there are some items we consume that shouldn’t even be considered food. Think about sugary drinks and snacks, highly processed junk foods, seed oils, and even fruits that contain large amounts of sugar. These products put a heavy burden on your liver and can ruin its normal function. We recommend analyzing your diet and being honest with yourself about how you eat and if some tweaking is in order.

Start consuming healthy foods

Once you remove the toxic foods, you want to start eating healthy foods that are good for liver function. There are some powerful options that aren’t expensive and can contribute to a healthy outcome. You want to consume more organic leafy greens, herbs, cruciferous veggies, coconut oil, and even apple cider vinegar. (5) The Heal Yourself Cookbook & Diet Guidehas a shopping list that can be of great help when learning to eat healthy.

Pay attention to your home environment

This part is surprising to many people, but your home is likely filled with toxic chemicals. Take a look at your cleaning products, shampoos, soaps, body lotions, and laundry detergents, among others. Look at the ingredients, and you will find a multitude of dangerous toxins that you use every day. Remember, your skin is an organ, and you are absorbing these things your liver eventually is exposed to.

Our ancestors never dealt with these issues and even decades ago, we didn’t have the amount of unhealthy products in homes. Now, we have an overabundance of marketing to lure us into buying things we don’t need that are causing some disastrous health consequences. You can start by removing as many of these products as possible and replacing them with natural items that aren’t harmful. It’s easy to get these online or at local stores, and many aren’t that expensive. They are much better for your family and won’t disrupt your body’s natural processes.

Optimizing liver function

There are specific nutrients you can use to restore your liver. We’ve utilized these in our clinic and seen fantastic results. In our practice, we like to use Liver Assist because it contains a specific formula that combines the nutrients for healthy liver function. We believe to restore liver health, you need these core nutrients in clinically appropriate doses, and Liver Assist has all of them:

  • N-Acetyl Cysteine: I’ve talked about this amino acid for years. It is a precursor to glutathione, which is the most powerful antioxidant in the body. (6) It also helps detoxify the body including the liver.
  • Milk thistle:Supports antioxidant activity, neutralizes toxins, decreases inflammation, promotes glutathione, and protects the liver.
  • Alpha lipoic acid: Reduces inflammation and oxidative stress. It regenerates antioxidants, boosts the immune system, and plays a crucial role in the energy system.
  • Selenium: Plays a critical role in the glutathione detox process and supports liver cells and liver structure.

We mentioned using these nutrients in clinically relevant doses, and that’s because many people buy these supplements and after a while, stop using them because they don’t see results. We’ve seen this happen, and often, it's because they weren’t taking the right doses to address the issue.

Hope for Liver Health

 We want to empower you with the knowledge to fix your liver function and reduce any future issues. We’ve seen so many people feel discouraged and hopeless because they went to doctor after doctor without finding genuine answers. You know that we believe true health only comes naturally, and we have helped many people regain vitality and thrive again. We would love to help you with your wellness journey, so if you want to know more about what we do, please contact us for more life-changing information.

References  

https://www.kcrg.com/2025/05/01/iowa-city-mental-health-center-reshapes-response-addiction-mental-illness/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/liver-anatomy-and-functions#:~:text=More%20than%20500%20vital%20functions,certain%20proteins%20for%20blood%20plasma

https://www.hawaiipacifichealth.org/healthier-hawaii/be-healthy/love-your-liver-look-for-these-8-signs-of-organ-damage/#:~:text=Nausea%20and%20upset%20stomach%20are,often%20linked%20to%20liver%20problems.

https://family-intervention.com/blog/recognizing-early-symptoms-of-liver-disease/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8373143/#:~:text=Compared%20to%20controls%2C%20a%20greater,disease%20compared%20to%20healthy%20controls.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24894721/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6770193/#:~:text=Glutathione%20is%20a%20tripeptide%20(cysteine,the%20immune%20system%20%5B1%5D.

Dr. Nick Zyrowski
Dr. Nick Zyrowski



Also in From The Doctor

Food Allergies vs. Food Sensitivities: What's the Difference?
Food Allergies vs. Food Sensitivities: What's the Difference?

by Dr. Nick Zyrowski November 25, 2024

Read More
Prescription drugs are the leading cause of death
Prescription drugs are the leading cause of death

by Dr. Nick Zyrowski May 14, 2024

Read More
99% of what you see on social media is fake
99% of what you see on social media is fake

by Dr. Nick Zyrowski May 13, 2024

Read More