Wednesday Tea Blend - Liver Detox

A loose leaf tea focusing on liver and pancreas health.  The pancreas is responsible for insulin production, so this tea blend is perfect for liver congestion, pancreas ailments and more.  

Health conditions which stem from a compromised, overburdened and toxic liver—whether it’s acne or other skin issues like eczema or vitiligo, digestive issues like bloating, fatigue, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, gallbladder problems, and more. These all have a sluggish or fatty liver at their core.

Wednesday Tea Blend helps to eliminate the buildup from the following in the liver:

• Heavy metals
• Prescription or OTC medications
• Environmental pollutants
• Alcohol

The benefits of having an optimally functioning liver include weight loss, a boosted immune system, increased energy and vitality, and more radiant skin.  

Ingredients include:

Dandelion - Used as a liver tonic for centuries.  Dandelion helps with the secretion of digestive juices.  Its properties increase the flow of bile, which improves the emulsification and digestion of fats.  Dandelion is a supportive herb for hepatitis, jaundice, Kidney stones, gallstones and  liver problems. Dandelion helps to  ease the symptoms of kidney stones and also to prevent their formation.  Dandelion leaves act as a potassium-sparing diuretic and encourage the release of excess water, which is helpful in treating edema. 

Goldenseal - Encourages release of digestive secretions; Goldenseal contains berberine alkaloids that help to kill any foreign bacteria in the digestive system.  Used by Native Americans to treat liver disease. Goldenseal is a hepatic substance, meaning that it has value in cleansing the body of free radicals and toxins while supporting optimal health and detoxification of the liver and kidneys. This hepatic nature of goldenseal helps to improve circulation, increasing blood flow to vital organs.  Do not use this herb longer than two weeks without consulting a practitioner.  Goldenseal should not be used by pregnant women because the herb has been reported to cause uterine contractions.

Ginger - Helps to protect against fatty liver disease.  Ginger helps to reduce oxidative stress on the liver, decreasing insulin resistance and inhibiting inflammation. Note: Ginger has blood thinning potential

Elderberry - Helps to reduce blood pressure and levels of uric acid in the blood.  It can increase insulin secretion and improve blood sugar levels.

Cramp Bark - It is an antispasmodic for all of the pelvic organs, including the reproductive tract, the digestive tract, and the bladder.

Rosemary - Stimulates the release of bile, which is important in fat digestion, and activates your antioxidant defense mechanisms to protect your liver 

Yellow Dock Root - Beneficial for the digestive tract, liver and skin. Stimulates the bile and digestive enzymes.  Common uses of yellow dock root include treating poor digestion, poor liver function or toxicity.

Anise- Improves digestion and promotes liver and kidney health. 

Mugwort - Commonly used to aid digestion, detoxify the liver and to aid in the absorption of nutrients as well. It is also used to stimulate gastric juices and bile secretion.  Helpful as a liver tonic, to promote circulation, as a sedative and for treatment of hysteria and anxiety.

St. Johns Wort - Helps to increase how quickly the liver breaks down some medications.  It elevates the mood, soothes the nerves, aids the liver in detoxification, and strengthens immunity.

Lemon - Polyphenols are a key component in lemon, which plays a major role in minimizing insulin resistance.  Lemon helps to manage blood glucose levels. Lemon is great for the liver, as it is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons.  It also helps to liquify bile.

 Link to Study (Protective Effects of Lemon Juice on Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5439254/

While lemon zest may contain key ingredients in helping one manage their blood glucose levels, the magic lies in the peel. Similar claims have also been made for orange peels.  A deeper evaluation of the skin contents shows that key ingredients, flavanones, are found in all citrus peels.  Since the peel is separated into different layers, similar to the human skin, the amount of flavones in each layer also varies. The white part of the skin, the albedo, has been shown to contain a larger amount of flavones compared to other layers of the peel.

Burdock Root - Known to help protect and restore liver cells from damage from prolonged use of medication and/or alcohol consumption. It may help to naturally lower blood sugar levels as well a provide other health benefits.  It is a powerhouse of antioxidants that is also known for effectively removing toxins from the blood and resolving skin issues.

 Eyebright - Helps to protect the liver and lower blood sugar.  Helps to minimize eye-yellowing and restore tone to the whites of the eye.  It also helps to improve circulation in the eye. It is a strong antioxidant which can effectively remove oxygen free radicals in the body.  It has the ability to prevent oxidation more than ten times that of vitamin E. The antioxidant effect can prevent the degeneration of cell aging, eliminate eye fatigue, improve eyesight, bright eye, improve eyesight and help reduce puffiness and dark circles. Also helps with poor memory and vertigo.

Turmeric - Known to stimulate the absorption of glucose and helps to improve the function of cells in the pancreas.  Helps to lower insulin resistance by minimizing inflammation in the body.   Type 1 diabetes causes the destruction of cells in the pancreas which then causes prolonged inflammation. Some of the inflammation is caused by the build-up of cytosine that impairs the functioning of insulin in the blood causing insulin resistance. Cytosine is a group of small proteins that play a major role in affecting the behavior of the cells around them by controlling cell signals. The curcumin in turmeric inhibits the signals sent by cytosine cells that cause inflammation, thus reducing insulin resistance.

Milk Thistle -  Known to protect against damage to liver cells.  Benefits people with cirrhosis of the liver. Researchers determined that treatment with milk thistle potentially leads to reductions in liver related mortality.  In addition, milk thistle may help reduce inflammation associated with Hepatitis C.

Link to Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11735632

Note: People with asthma, seizures, liver disease, kidney disease, or low blood pressure should discuss this recipe with their doctors.

Eucalyptus - Helps with bladder diseases and lowering blood sugar.  Note: People with asthma, seizures, liver disease, kidney disease, or low blood pressure should not use eucalyptus without first talking to their doctors.

Instructions:  Steep ~2 teaspoons of tea for 4 minutes and drink with stevia or honey.  Ingredients include eucalyptus, goldenseal, dandelion, ginger, elderberry, cramp bark, rosemary, yellow dock root, anise seed, lemon, mugwort, St. Johns Wort and Stevia.

Note: If you're considering the use of herbs for liver health, make sure to consult your physician before beginning treatment.0