Liver Supplements

If you are looking for a supplement for your liver health, there are some important things you need to know. While liver supplements can certainly have a positive impact on your liver health, too much of a supplement can have adverse affects and cause serious liver damage. If you have a serious liver condition, or have a drug or alcohol dependency, your liver is likely to need professional treatment from a physician.

There are supplements that can help your liver function more efficiently, though. Here is a list of some of the most beneficial liver supplements.

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) comes from the amino acid cysteine. Amino acids are building blocks of protein. This amino acid is very important because it helps the body to make glutathione. Glutathione plays a vital role in liver detoxification. The amount of glutathione that is produced by the body is dependent on the amount of cysteine in the body. So, if the levels of cysteine in the body are low, the levels of glutathione in the body will be low. If glutathione levels are too low, liver detoxification may not work as well.

Glutamine is also an amino acid. One function of glutamine is to maintain the health of the intestinal tract so that the liver will be properly nourished. The intestinal tract is where nutrients are absorbed. Glutamine, along with NAC, helps to support the production of glutathione, which helps with liver detoxification.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid helps the liver in three ways. First, it is one of the most powerful antioxidants you can take to help offset the damage of free radicals. During Phase One when free radicals are produced, antioxidants are needed to help cancel out the damage that free radicals may cause to cells in the body, including liver cells. Second, it is a special antioxidant because it is both fat-soluble and water-soluble and therefore works in all parts of the body. Usually, an antioxidant will work only in one part of the body or the other. Alpha-lipoic acid is also special because it increases the levels of the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and Coenzyme Q10 in the body. Third, it raises the level of glutathione in the body, and glutathione is needed in liver detoxification.