12/18/2018 / By Michelle Simmons
Liver diseases — including cirrhosis — is a leading cause of death and disability today. One way to protect your liver naturally is to take chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), a flowering plant that belongs to the dandelion family, which has been found to possess hepatoprotective properties.
In a study published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, researchers from Egypt looked at the phytochemical and liver-protective activity of dried chicory extracts against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in mice.
Chicory has been used in the past by the Egyptians as an herbal medicine for keeping the liver and gallbladder healthy. The herb’s benefit on the liver has also been validated by science. Researchers at Mansoura University in Egypt reported that chicory might help reduce oxidative stress and liver injury in certain circumstances.
For the study, there were five groups of mice. The first group served as the control, the second group received carbon tetrachloride, the third received dried chicory extracts only, the fourth received chicory extracts and carbon tetrachloride, and the fifth group received silymarin. The given chicory extracts were at a dose of 500 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) body weight.
The administration of carbon tetrachloride caused damage to the liver. This is because it caused significant changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, albumin, total protein, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT). However, these changes were brought back to their normal values after the administration of chicory extracts. Histopathological tests of liver tissues further supported these findings. Overall, these outcomes indicated that chicory extracts contain strong liver-protective effects.
Based on the findings of the study, the researchers concluded that the treatment with chicory extracts could protect the liver from damage and even treat a liver injury.
In addition to chicory, there are also other herbs that can protect your liver. These three herbs are promising natural means of improving liver health:
Having a healthy lifestyle also keeps your liver healthy. The American Liver Foundation recommends these lifestyle tips to keep your liver healthy:
Read more news stories and studies on natural medicines for preventing and treating liver damage by going to AlternativeMedicine.news.
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Tagged Under: alternative medicine, chicory, Cichorium intybus, Hepatoprotective, herbal medicine, Herbs, liver damage, liver disease, liver health, natural cures, natural medicine