Food for Liver Health: Dwarfing Milk Thistle Benefits
Your liver is a 24/7, over-achieving, type-A kind of organ! Its many roles include
metabolism, detoxification, glycogen storage, plasma protein synthesis, and bile production
for proper digestion. It is so vital to your health that if necessary, it is capable
of regenerating itself from as little as 25 percent of a remaining liver into a whole
new liver again. No other organ has this ability.
Free radicals, naturally occurring food toxins, and environmental poisons all tax
liver health to an alarming degree. When you see the term, "hepatoprotective,"
it is describing something that protects the liver. Emerging wolfberry research has
shown these little berries are almost like liver armor—they are incredibly hepatoprotective!
A nifty, newly discovered wolfberry compound called a cerebrocide
has been found to protect the liver from environmental insults. Cerebrosides are a
combination of sugar and fat (glycolipids) that in one study protected liver cells
from a toxic dry-cleaning chemical better than the well-known liver protectant milk
thistle extract.1
Yet another hepatoprotective compound in wolfberry was discovered as recently as
2002: pyrroles. These unusual molecules have a nitrogen atom in their
central ring and actually outperformed wolfberry cerebrocides in protecting the liver.2
Both cerebrocides and pyrroles were discovered in Lycium chinense, another wolfberry
species and close cousin to Lycium barbarum.
1. Kim SY, et al., "New antihepatotoxic cerebrocide from
Lycium chinense fruits," J Nat Prod. 1997 Mar;60(3):274-6
2. Chin YW, et al., "Hepatoprotective pyrrole derivatives
of Lycium chinense fruits," Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2003 Jan 6;13(1):79-81.
This text excerpted from "The NingXia Red Advantage: Seven Pillars of Health",
Young Living Magazine, Oct-Dec 2005. Reprinted with permission of Young Living Essential Oils, LC, Lehi,
UT 84043 U.S.A. No other reprinting without the express written permission of Young Living Essential
Oils, LC is allowed. Young Living is not responsible for the content posted on this Web site.
Healthy Liver
Cystic Liver
Haemo-type Liver
Cirrhotic Liver
Fatty Liver
Extreme Fatty Liver
Consult your health care professional
about any serious disease or injury. Do not attempt to self-diagnose or prescribe
any natural substances such as essential oils for serious health conditions that
require professional attention.
