Linked to over 500 vital bodily functions, the liver is a powerhouse of an organ.¹ Your liver health is key to your overall health, which is exactly why a liver detox is ideal for improving several aspects of your day-to-day life. 

But how do you know your liver detoxification is working, and how long does it take for your liver to heal? 

This guide will take you through all the signs your liver is detoxing—from clearer skin to a clearer mind—and how to get started on the right track to a healthy liver and lifestyle. It’s the perfect time to start your liver detox diet, stay informed, and learn about the benefits of a liver detoxification. 

#1 Higher Energy Levels

A liver cleansing detox should be a positive experience, helping your body eliminate the harmful toxins that are weighing you down. Throughout the process, you may begin to feel more energized, excitable, and alert—a sure sign your liver is detoxing. Here’s why:

One of your liver's most notable functions is its bile production, a liquid stored in the gallbladder used for digestion. Bile helps turn fat into the useful energy your body uses for all its functions.² An effective liver detox diet can recondition your liver to make the most efficient use of bile, contributing to the energy you need to lead an active life. 

Once you’ve started your liver cleansing detox, you may experience:

• Increased awareness
• An easier time waking up
• Less mid-day exhaustion

While a  liver cleanse can be an initial shock to your system, sticking with the liver cleanse can reward you with more vitality and vigor to tackle your next challenge. 

#2 Healthier, Clearer Skin

One of the most visible signs of a successful detox is clear, plump-looking, and firm skin. But you might be wondering how does what goes on inside your body affect the look of your skin on the outside? 

 It turns out, when it comes to skincare, beauty truly does go beyond skin-deep:

• Your Diet Affects Your Skin – Your diet is one of the key components to healthy skin, and your liver plays an important role in turning food into glowing skin. Your liver filters out the chemicals and harmful toxins from the food you eat and builds the necessary proteins for your skin to repair itself and maintain a healthy look. If you drink alcohol, consider limiting your alcohol intake and learning how to cleanse your liver from alcohol. You can learn more about what alcohol does to your liver  in our latest blog.
  
  When your diet is saturated with too much-processed foods, fat soluble toxins, alcohol or sugar, your liver can struggle to handle the excess, which can lead to increased acne and dull, sagging skin.³ By eliminating these things from your diet through a detox, you can help your liver give your skin its best glow-up.
  
  
• Hydration Helps Your Skin and Liver function – One of the biggest contributors to skin problems is dehydration. When you drink water, you moisturize your skin from the inside out, helping your skin look full, even, and youthful. It’s always important to drink enough water and during a detox, it's doubly true. Water is also an essential part of helping your liver function to flush out toxins like heavy metals that can cause your liver cells to have liver damage and irritation to your skin. Be sure to keep your glass full and carry a water bottle when you’re on the go.

#3 Improved Daily Mood

When you think about organs that are connected to your daily thoughts and feelings, you might consider the brain (or, of course, the metaphorical heart). But the liver can deeply influence our emotions. How? Hormones. 

Hormones are chemical messengers within the body that affect everything from our fight-or-flight instincts to our digestive systems. You can think of them as our little bio-relay systems that tell our body how to function and shape our moods and cognitive functions.⁴

While your liver doesn’t produce hormones itself, it does influence hormone balances within our bodies. Without a properly functioning liver, hormones won’t be broken down and processed correctly, leading to an imbalance that can have major mood effects.⁵

The liver regulates a variety of important hormones including:

• Cortisol – Cortisol is your body's alarm system, and too much of it can result in sleep problems, anxiety, and concentration problems. It’s your flight or fight mechanism, and excess cortisol can be stored in the liver if not broken down properly.⁶

• Estrogen – The liver regulates excess estrogen, which could otherwise cause a hormonal imbalance that negatively affects mood. 

• Testosterone – The liver breaks down testosterone so that correct levels can be maintained within the body. Balanced testosterone levels are important for mental and emotional health in men and women, and it’s a key hormone for sexual health and libido.

Your liver is the center for hormone regulation and disposal. When functioning correctly, it breaks down hormones and secretes them.

As your liver detoxes, these chemical processes will be assisted and allowed to function at their peak, helping you stay positive and productive.

#4 Enhanced Digestive Health

Gut health goes hand-in-hand with a healthy liver. When detoxing, you’ll experience better digestion and digestive health by giving your liver the leg up when it comes to processing a number of chemicals and toxins.

As we mentioned, bile is a key component of digestion but it doesn’t only affect your energy levels; it’s also an essential part of holistic digestive health.

Throughout your detox, you can look forward to:

• Reduced bloating
• Less nausea 
• Weight loss

Digestive Hormone Regulation

We’ve talked a little bit about how your liver regulates hormones that affect your mood, but we’d be remiss to ignore that hormone regulation is also a contributing factor to digestion.

Importantly, your liver breaks down aldosterone, a hormone that regulates potassium, sodium, and water retention. Build-ups of aldosterone can cause puffiness and cellulite—giving you all the more reason to pursue your liver detox and to feel and look your best.

In combination with a balanced diet and exercise, these benefits will not only take effect quickly but result in more permanent effects. Think of your liver detox less as a new solution and more like another part of your health-conscious lifestyle.

#5 Reduced Inflammation

Thanks to your liver detox, you might be enjoying fewer symptoms of inflammation.

Inflammation is an immune response that occurs when tissue is broken down, which can occur from:

• Trauma (from exercise or injury)
• Toxins
• Bacteria

Whether you’re working out doing high-impact exercises like running or weight lifting, or doing less strenuous activities that still get your heart pumping, you’re probably dealing with inflammation. Several other causes can lead to tissue breakdown, but the end result is the same: chemicals are released, causing blood vessels to leak fluid which builds up and causes uncomfortable swelling.⁷ 

Inflammation is a naturally occurring phenomenon, in fact, it’s one of the body's best systems for protection and self-preservation from illnesses or injury. But too much inflammation can lead to an overflow of those chemicals (and puts your liver’s chemical-filtration abilities to the test). The toxins in your liver can build up, causing increased inflammation that will only result in more aches and pains while you’re trying to live your best life.

When your liver is successfully detoxing, you may experience:

• Faster recovery times after exercising
• Less soreness or stiffness post-workout
• Improved muscle and joint health

You’ll know right away that your liver is detoxing when you can return to the gym after a rigorous session feeling refreshed and pain-free.

Sticking with Your Detox to Reap the Benefits

If you’ve started your detox and have yet to see the signs of liver detox working, don’t worry. It can take time to see the effects in action. But slowly, you’ll start to notice gradual, tiny changes that can make a huge difference in your mental and physical wellness. The important thing is to stick with it and keep your goal in mind—a whole-body reset that will set you on a path to a more satisfying and healthy lifestyle. 

Our tips for sticking with your detox are:

Redefine Liver Health With Cymbiotika

If you’re looking into trying a detox, you know that there are few things more important than your health. That’s why Cymbiotika is committed to providing the best options in supplements, with a commitment to quality ingredients, sustainability, and transparency. You’ll know exactly what you’re putting in your body with Cymbiotika.

With products like our activated charcoal and longevity mushrooms, you can start detoxing today and find yourself feeling happier, healthier, and more energetic tomorrow. All of Cymbiotika’s products are vegan, organic, and crafted to aid in your pursuit of a sustainable health-conscious lifestyle.

If you haven’t started your detox yet and are looking for a helping hand to guide you on your journey to a more fulfilled future of health, don’t worry. You’re not alone—you have Cymbiotika to help you every step of the way.

Visit Cymbiotika today to find the products to take your liver detox to the next level.

Sources: 

1. Johns Hopkins. Liver: anatomy and function. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/liver-anatomy-and-functions 
2. Johns Hopkins. The Digestive Process: The Liver and its Many Functions. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/the-digestive-process-the-liver-and-its-many-functions 
3. Healthline. Adult Acne Is Real: Here Are the Foods That Can Cause It.  https://www.healthline.com/health-news/adult-acne-foods-that-cause-it
4. New Medical. What are hormones?. https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-are-Hormones.aspx 
5. Health Hub 360. How liver functions affect hormone balance. https://amchara.com/hormones/how-liver-function-affects-hormone-balance 
6. Today’s Dietician. Cortisol — Its role in stress, inflammation, and indications for diet therapy. https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml 
7. MedlinePlus. Immune response. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000821.htm 
8. Open Fit. The Dos and Donts of Social Media and Weight Loss. https://www.openfit.com/social-media-weight-loss
9. Dermet NZ. Heavy metal toxicity. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/heavy-metal-toxicity/ 
10. LiverDoctor. Your liver can affect your mood and hormones. https://www.liverdoctor.com/your-liver-can-affect-your-mood-and-hormones/