My Liver Maintenance Routine When I Was Dealing with A Chronic Illness
My chronic illness came on after too much exposure to things such as PFAS, PCBs, pesticides, microplastics, synthetic fragrance, mold and a whole host of other persistent, bioaccumulative, and/or toxic substances. The liver is the primary organ tasked with getting these substances out of the body. When overwhelmed, however, the liver starts to quarantine these chemicals in soft fatty deposits that are sometimes called liver stones. These deposits will ultimately clog up the liver, undermining its detoxification functions, which is what happened to me.
Some people will choose to do liver flushes to clear the liver and the bile ducts of these chemicals. However, liver flushes pose a high risk to those with chronic illness because liver stones must pass through the intestines before they can exit the body. While the stones are in the intestines, the toxins are prone to reabsorption into the bloodstream through the intestines, and the body gets re-exposed to them. A proper liver flush is an involved process and poses an especially high risk for those with chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivity. I decided that a more gentle liver maintenance routine was a better bet for me. Here is what I did to support the wellbeing of my liver:
I mixed 1 tablespoon of genuine organic extra virgin olive oil with one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon or grapefruit juice. I took this mixture on an empty stomach once per week. Sometimes I used this same mixture as a salad dressing as well. If I felt my liver needed extra attention, I reclined on a couch on my right side for 15 minutes after taking the mixture. This encouraged soft liver stones to exit my liver, by getting the bile flowing. I avoided eating a lot of meat earlier that day or too much fatty food, but continued to eat healthy fats because I understand them to be essential to my body’s wellbeing.
I brewed a tablespoon of chamomile tea in 32 ounces of water and drank it between meals the day before I took the olive oil / citrus mixture. I also made sure I was getting enough saturated fats in my diet, as chamomile breaks down lipids in my body. Sometimes I sipped on a glass of sour cherry juice throughout my day instead, but avoided it on days when I felt I had blood sugar issues. Both chamomile tea and sour cherry juice have a reputation for dissolving soft liver stones that are still in the liver and bile ducts. When I had stones actively stuck in my bile ducts, I drank chamomile tea or sour cherry juice more often. I knew the stones were stuck because my stool hardened despite getting enough water, fiber, and saturated fat. And I had a decrease in appetite, suggesting bile was not getting into my GI tract. Sometimes I even felt the stones trying to pass through the bile ducts.
I also cooked 2 cups of brown lentils (presoaked and rinsed) with half a teaspoon of baking soda. I ate 2 tablespoons of lentils a half an hour before taking the olive oil / citrus mixture and 2 tablespoons of the lentils a half an hour after taking the olive oil / citrus mixture. The fiber in the lentils significantly helped absorb the toxins in the soft stones exiting my liver.
To remedy the stones stuck in my bile ducts and to deal with hard stools, I mixed a tablespoon of magnesium citrate (e.g. Calm brand) with 6 ounces of warm water and drank this first thing in the morning and two hours before I took the olive oil / citrus mixture. Magnesium citrate would draw water to my intestines, soften stool, and dilate my bile ducts. I would wait 15 minutes before drinking any more water, but otherwise kept myself quite hydrated. I made sure my elimination was regular to keep any soft stones moving through and out of my intestines.
Over time, I incorporated activated charcoal into my routine to absorb toxins if I suspected I had liver stones in my intestines.
Joanna Malaczynski is the author of Silent Winter: Our Chemical World and Chronic Illness.