11/23/2018 / By RJ Jhonson
Maintaining a healthy liver is one of the best ways to achieve optimal health. One way to keep it healthy is to supplement your diet with natural compounds that protect the liver from damage. A study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine examines the European white water lily (Nymphaea alba L.) and its merit as a natural source of hepatoprotective compounds.
Your liver performs many functions, many of which put it at the receiving end of harmful substances or bad habits. Whether it’s indulging in too much fat and sugar, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or not drinking enough water, such stimuli can impair liver function and result in one condition or another.
The European white water lily is known to contain compounds and natural chemicals that are good for the liver. Its flowers and rhizomes have antioxidants and hepatoprotective properties, as well as cytotoxic effects that are effective against liver cell carcinoma.
Its leaves, however, have not been looked into. The researchers in the study above collected aqueous ethanolic extracts from the leaves. They put these through several tests to determine factors such as polyphenolic content. They tested the extracts’ hepatoprotective activity on Wistar rats with CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. The researchers compared two doses (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) with silymarin, a natural treatment for liver conditions, over five days. They employed a series of tests meant to gauge various aspects of liver functionality.
They found that the leaf extracts contained 53 compounds, including nine hydrocarbons, two sterols, and 11 fatty acids. The extracts were found to have improved liver function by a considerable degree. Other signs of reduced liver damage were also noted.
Because of their findings, the researchers concluded that the European white water lily has hepatoprotective properties that are comparable with silymarin. In addition to these, white water lily extract also had antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that make it even more effective in treating liver concerns.
Taking care of your liver begins with eating the right food. Here are some food items you can include in your diet if you want a healthy liver:
Find natural remedies for liver disease at Remedies.news.
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Tagged Under: alternative medicine, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, European white water lily, herbal medicine, Herbs, liver damage, liver disease, liver health, natural cures, natural medicine, Nymphaea alba, plant cures, prevention, remedies, research, silymarin