When your liver works well so does the rest of your body, for the liver is your body’s chemical centre. It is responsible for clearing excess hormones, getting rid of chemicals that could undermine the immune system, and cleansing the toxicity that builds up from too much alcohol, poor food and taking drugs of all kinds. The liver’s ability to deep-clean the system helps protect your whole body from premature ageing and degeneration.

The trouble is that the modern world is literally full of potentially dangerous chemicals. We take them in through the chemically fertilized and highly processed foods we eat, through the air we breathe and the water we drink. As a result many livers are overloaded with toxicity and burdened with a volume of work they were never designed to deal with. When your liver becomes toxic you can experience many different symptoms from headaches and itchy eyes to pain in the right side, confusion and depression. Strengthen your liver and you immediately raise your vitality not to mention lifting depressed spirits, even if you have been plagued with them for years. There are all sorts of plants that can help you do this from carrot (yes truly, ordinary carrots) to dandelion, chicory, dang quai or Chinese angelica, liquorice and ginger. Make them a part of your life. The most important liver strengthener of them all is the magnificent milk thistle plant.

Herbal Beauty

Wonder Weed

Cultivated in Egypt 5,000 years ago, chicory (Chichorium intybus) is a beautiful, gentle plant which pulls a lot of power for healing. It was one of the 75 plants Charlemagne demanded be grown in his own garden because of its beauty and its might. It is now much undervalued. Chicory root is a mild tonic, and has diuretic and laxative properties, which helps strengthen the liver. Just as useful are its leaves. They add buzz to any salad as they are slightly bitter. You can lightly steam them and eat them as a green vegetable too. Chicory is easy to grow. But pick the leaves before the plant flowers as afterwards they become too bitter for most palates.

Dandelion

Dandelion is at the top of my list of healthy plants for the liver and digestive system. It is a wonderful overall tonic to strengthen your whole body. Add a few dandelion leaves to fresh vegetable juices in a blender and drink a glass every morning. It is a great way to start the day and, like sea plants, dandelion is rich in vitamins and minerals including iron and potassium. Drink dandelion-root coffee. Toss dandelion leaves in your salads whenever you can — they are free, abundant and, provided you pick them when they are young, deliciously bitter. The leaves are a natural diuretic. The roots have anti-rheumatic properties and the flowers are rich in lecithin, a nutrient that is useful in protecting the liver. You can even use the white sap from the fresh stem and root as a topical remedy for warts. Make dandelion a part of your day-to-day life and you can grow strong as a lion.

Liver Strength Salad

Just about everything in the salad below not only acts as a tonic for the liver but also strengthens the whole body. In lab experiments, carrots have been shown to protect against liver damage and chemical pollutants. They contain phytochemicals that increase the activity of enzymes involved in the liver’s detoxification processes. Turmeric is another great liver protector. Young dandelion leaves and flowers are not only delicious, they strengthen the entire organism.

Dandelion petal salad

dark green salad leaves, eg rocket, lamb’s lettuce

2.5 cm (1 in) piece ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 carrots, grated

12 dandelion flowers

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon 10. Worcestershire sauce

turmeric

sea salt

Cajun seasoning

It is easy to make a great salad that not only tastes delicious but also acts as a tonic for the liver. Fill a bowl with the dark green vegetables and add the ginger, garlic and carrots. Sprinkle with the petals from the dandelion flowers and then add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of turmeric, some sea salt, a dash of Cajun seasoning and toss. This salad serves 2 to 4.

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