Re: Re: Re: SCD-Legal Liver Cleanse

[Guest guest]

So, let me state first that I'm no pedigreed herbalist, I've just had a lot of personal experience and experimentation.  Take what I say with a grain of salt...One of the things I've found is that the idea of " liver cleanse " is a bit ambiguous.  In a relatively healthy liver, taking a bunch of stuff that will flush your whole system out (e.g. grapefruit) will also flush your liver out.  But if you're in a state of general toxicity and your liver is backed up trying to deal with all the toxins from your body, a sudden flush of all those toxins can overwhelm it and actually end up causing more problems---making your liver sick, which makes it function less efficiently with respect to detoxifying, which makes your body toxic, which makes your liver sick, and so on.  If this is how your body works, you may need to build up your liver specifically before you allow your whole body to flush.

What I've found to be extremely cleansing is: dandelion/dandelion root (very hard on digestion, if you're on this list, I wouldn't even try this one), grapefruit, grapefruit seed oil (also hard on digestion, but many benefits), and then anything else with large doses of vitamin C and other antioxidants (cranberry, blueberry, currant, acerola, acai, etc.)

What I've found to be a slightly gentler cleanse: nettles and gentian root.  Though I think these are both SCD illegal due to antihistamine effects?  Not sure why, really; unless someone's allergic I can't imagine nettles causing a problem.  Gentian is a bit more hardcore, though.

What I've found to be supportive to your liver: milk thistle!  This stuff is absolutely incredible.  The key with it, though, is to take it very, very regularly: three times a day, possibly up to about double the recommended dose on whatever bottle you have.  Though again, I am not a physician nor qualified to make such a recommendation; you may want to research dosage on your own.

Schisandra berry is also very cleansing, but it feels to me that it's done in such a way that your liver is simultaneously supported.  It seems much more of a brain/lymph cleanse than a blood cleanse.  But I haven't played around with this one much.  It may be tough on you if your liver is really hard up.

If you just have some built-up toxicity, a quick flush will usually pretty much reset everything.  But if you really have liver problems, you're looking at more of a slower strength-building exercise.  Your liver should flush some stuff, yes, but it also must *heal*, and this will take just as much time as healing any other tissue in your body.  You may find you have to alternate between taking large doses of cleansers and then going totally off the cleansers, giving your liver some time to rest and heal.  You should just try to learn to listen to what your body is telling you, and follow its requests.

Personally, I made enormous progress with this (before I was on the SCD diet), mostly with regular milk thistle use.  There is of course always a time when you have to address the underlying cause of the toxicity to gain any more benefit (presumed Crohn's in my case).  Hopefully this SCD diet will do the trick!

As always, if you do decide to purchase some herbs, make sure they're of high quality.  Ask someone local who knows, or better yet, buy in bulk from someplace where they smell pungent, or if you can't find them bulk, open up the cellulose capsules and smell them to make sure they're fresh).

My two (three?) cents.Evan

 

My

thoughts and decisions exactly [big grin].

 

 

Kim M.

SCD 6 years

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction 6+ years

neurological & spinal deterioration 3+ years

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

….And

then repeat in a couple weeks? Thank you, I

think I'll take the slower method of SCD cleaning everything out.

— Marilyn

 

[Guest guest]

At 07:39 PM 3/12/2010, you wrote:

My thoughts and decisions

exactly [big grin].

Gee, for once our systems are in agreement! <grin>

—

Marilyn

New

Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

[Guest guest]

Also, one thing to consider if you're having liver troubles is that there are two other filtering systems in the body: the kidneys (which seem like they often get problems when your liver does), and the amazingly-resilient...skin!  Sweating is good (some people can stimulate this with cayenne or similar; some can't), stimulating your skin with a loofah is good.  I've also heard good things about castor-oil packs---though I haven't really seen any results with them, and the justification is sooooo fru-fru.

Evan

So, let me state first that I'm no pedigreed herbalist, I've just had a lot of personal experience and experimentation.  Take what I say with a grain of salt...One of the things I've found is that the idea of " liver cleanse " is a bit ambiguous.  In a relatively healthy liver, taking a bunch of stuff that will flush your whole system out (e.g. grapefruit) will also flush your liver out.  But if you're in a state of general toxicity and your liver is backed up trying to deal with all the toxins from your body, a sudden flush of all those toxins can overwhelm it and actually end up causing more problems---making your liver sick, which makes it function less efficiently with respect to detoxifying, which makes your body toxic, which makes your liver sick, and so on.  If this is how your body works, you may need to build up your liver specifically before you allow your whole body to flush.

What I've found to be extremely cleansing is: dandelion/dandelion root (very hard on digestion, if you're on this list, I wouldn't even try this one), grapefruit, grapefruit seed oil (also hard on digestion, but many benefits), and then anything else with large doses of vitamin C and other antioxidants (cranberry, blueberry, currant, acerola, acai, etc.)

What I've found to be a slightly gentler cleanse: nettles and gentian root.  Though I think these are both SCD illegal due to antihistamine effects?  Not sure why, really; unless someone's allergic I can't imagine nettles causing a problem.  Gentian is a bit more hardcore, though.

What I've found to be supportive to your liver: milk thistle!  This stuff is absolutely incredible.  The key with it, though, is to take it very, very regularly: three times a day, possibly up to about double the recommended dose on whatever bottle you have.  Though again, I am not a physician nor qualified to make such a recommendation; you may want to research dosage on your own.

Schisandra berry is also very cleansing, but it feels to me that it's done in such a way that your liver is simultaneously supported.  It seems much more of a brain/lymph cleanse than a blood cleanse.  But I haven't played around with this one much.  It may be tough on you if your liver is really hard up.

If you just have some built-up toxicity, a quick flush will usually pretty much reset everything.  But if you really have liver problems, you're looking at more of a slower strength-building exercise.  Your liver should flush some stuff, yes, but it also must *heal*, and this will take just as much time as healing any other tissue in your body.  You may find you have to alternate between taking large doses of cleansers and then going totally off the cleansers, giving your liver some time to rest and heal.  You should just try to learn to listen to what your body is telling you, and follow its requests.

Personally, I made enormous progress with this (before I was on the SCD diet), mostly with regular milk thistle use.  There is of course always a time when you have to address the underlying cause of the toxicity to gain any more benefit (presumed Crohn's in my case).  Hopefully this SCD diet will do the trick!

As always, if you do decide to purchase some herbs, make sure they're of high quality.  Ask someone local who knows, or better yet, buy in bulk from someplace where they smell pungent, or if you can't find them bulk, open up the cellulose capsules and smell them to make sure they're fresh).

My two (three?) cents.Evan

 

My

thoughts and decisions exactly [big grin].

 

 

Kim M.

SCD 6 years

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction 6+ years

neurological & spinal deterioration 3+ years

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

….And

then repeat in a couple weeks? Thank you, I

think I'll take the slower method of SCD cleaning everything out.

— Marilyn