The Science Behind Liver Support

The liver is a primary detoxification organ. A healthy liver, capable of efficiently detoxifying and metabolizing, depends on an adequate presence of antioxidants. Blackcurrants are one of the world’s richest sources of antioxidants.

Some of these antioxidants include anthocyanins, which are the compounds responsible for blackcurrants dark color, and they are very effective at reducing oxidative stress that fights cell damage.

In phase 1 of liver detoxification -as the liver breaks-down metabolites- it produces unstable, and potentially dangerous molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which require antioxidants in order to become safe and stabilized.

This fact is particularly insightful for cases of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), where inflammation can be damaging to the liver. Inflamed tissue often contains a type of white blood cell that perpetuates the inflammation.

NAFLD is on the rise due to contemporary diet, exercise, and lifestyle factors. The disease is classified as the presence of over 5% fat in hepatocyte cells, unrelated to alcohol consumption.

Our Liver Health Blackcurrant supplement is packed with some of the world’s highest antioxidant levels, making it highly effective at supporting liver function and reducing the likelihood of NAFLD.

One fascinating study demonstrated that blackcurrants were able to reduce inflammation and expression of pro-inflammatory genes, specifically in what was coined an ‘obesogenic-diet’ -a diet high in fat and sugar, mirroring the contemporary food choices that result in NAFLD.

Inflammation often predisposes cancerous development in cells. Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. The cancer starts -like all cancers- with the proliferation of local cells, which in the liver, are called hepatocytes. Blackcurrant skin extract has been shown to directly reduce the proliferation of cancer cells in the liver.

Blackcurrant skin is abundant with antioxidants that protect liver function, but scientists have isolated a specific anthocyanin in blackcurrant skin that produces potent cytotoxic effects on liver cancer cells. 

Our Liver Health formula contains 140mg of New Zealand blackcurrant extract. Each capsule also contains 300mg of milk thistle (Silybum marianum), 5mg of vitamin E, and 20 mcg of vitamin D.

Milk thistle is another powerful antioxidant, and it contains the compound silymarin, which has been shown to be an active flavonoid in repairing liver damage.

As well as its role as an antioxidant, vitamin E has been shown to improve the integrity and functionality of the liver. Vitamin D receptors are present in liver cells, and vitamin D has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on the liver.

This triad of powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidants are what makes our Liver Health so effective at protecting the life-long vitality of your liver.

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