liver flush experiences?

January 24, 2005 6:57 AM

Anyone ever tried a liver flush? Opinions on its value? [+]

I'm no health nut, but some time ago I read of a man who received a liver transplant. After returning home from the hospital he ate some peanuts and nearly died from an allergic reaction to the peanuts. Only thing is, he hadn't been allergic to them before. Turns out the guy who donated the liver WAS. If a liver with degenerating function contributes to allergies, it might explain why they seem to get a little worse every year. Anyway, alternative health nuts have long promoted a "liver flush" for health reasons. I'm interested in knowing anything that the MeFi congregation might have to edify me. Techniques, what to expect, was it worth it, etc. TIA

posted by spock to health & fitness (22 comments total)

I've a friend who has "flushed" several times. Or perhaps many times, depending on how you define it.

Anyway, point is that it appears to have helped her immensely.

I remain suspicious that it would be dead easy to be dead wrong about a liver flush: that it'd be quite possible to harm one's liver by ingesting some of the self-proclaimed cleansers. Were I to do it, I'd be damned sure to seek studies that indicate the product is safe, especially if I had an already-weakened liver.

I don't understand what the peanut allergy dude has to do with any of this. AFAIK, you can't flush away an allergy!
posted by five fresh fish at 7:59 AM on January 24, 2005

What the hell is a liver flush?
posted by Pressed Rat at 8:30 AM on January 24, 2005

I was skeptical about the peanut allergy-transplant story, but I found the original article. The donor died after eating satay.
posted by shoos at 8:38 AM on January 24, 2005

My girlfriend has done a liver flush twice, both times finishing up more energetic and rosy-cheeked and lovely than before she started. She's very traditional in her MD idolotry and still says it works for her.

Once she did a gall bladder flush after the liver cleanse - there were green/gray peas and stones! It was gross and utterly fascinating.

I am too undisciplined to stick with the regime long enough to make it work. so I can't give you a first hand account.
posted by pomegranate at 8:44 AM on January 24, 2005

I have read a lot about liver flushes but not done one myself. Apparently there is some disagreement as to whether the stones you excrete are actually any kind of gallstones, or just mushy balls made up of the olive oil and lemonade that you drink as part of the process.
posted by jessamyn at 8:50 AM on January 24, 2005

Most will recommend the supervision of a doctor, but I've never heard of any indication that it was actually bad for you; on the contrary, most standard Western diets create loads nasty, toxin-laden stones [link to gall stones, and very, very disguisting].

Here's a fairly common recipe for flushing, for those interested.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:56 AM on January 24, 2005

What other body parts can be flushed?
posted by glibhamdreck at 9:04 AM on January 24, 2005

I generally trust Dr. Weil when it comes to alternative medical treatments. He says that liver cleansing is probably not medically beneficial.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:18 AM on January 24, 2005

I did a liver flush about a year ago after I had a bout of pancreatitis. Ate mostly oatmeal and drank 4 cups of raw apple cider a day for two weeks, then did the olive oil and grapefruit juice after a day of fasting. Got some pea-sized green clumps of blort out, but I can't say it made a miraculous difference in how I felt. In retrospect, I believe my pancreatitis was sue to overindulgence in chocolate. Since I for the most part gave it up I have felt better, and when I occasionally imbibe in it I get a twinge in the same area. Like most of this anecdotal stuff, I think it will help some, but not all people. I don't think liver flush will do much harm, outside of a little digestive tract discomfort. It may be worth the effort, but like mostly everything in life, don't bet the farm on it.
posted by ackptui at 9:38 AM on January 24, 2005

Civil_Disobedient, that's probably the most frightening image I've seen in a long time, and I'm in the middle of an EMT class, the books for which contain plenty of trauma pictures.

Thanks. :P

I wonder if this falls under the same category of medicine as various colon cleansing remedies.
posted by cactus at 9:52 AM on January 24, 2005

Remember that "gross things come out" doesn't mean that they weren't supposed to be in there in the first place. There are all sorts of things that aren't very appetizing to look at that are meant to stay inside -- compare this explanation in the blue of the gunk that comes out after a colonic. That whole thread is probably a good read even though it's a different thing being flushed.
posted by mendel at 9:53 AM on January 24, 2005

Woops, a moment too slow!
posted by mendel at 9:54 AM on January 24, 2005

One of the benefits of doing the liver flush per our Program is that most of the liver and gallbladder stones will be prompted out whole ...

yeah. i totally don't believe this.

i don't understand how you'd just "flush" a stone.

i had my gall bladder removed (but not before experiencing some very painful stone passings and some incredibly unpleasant effects when a gall stone got *stuck* in my bile duct) and it hurt like fuckin' hell (i pretty much thought i was having a heart attack -- i've never felt pain that intense before or since). Those things are seriously stuck in there folks -- olive oil and lemonade ain't gonna loosen them up.

so how does the flush purport to get gallstones out from your gall bladder? i just glanced over the article that CD linked, so if it's in there, apologies.

(also, note to youngsters who think you might have gall stones. do not listen to the doctors: they will tell you it is not possible for you to have stones -- because you're too young. get an ultrasound asap. if you do have gall stones, you're gonna be hurting bad.)
posted by fishfucker at 10:59 AM on January 24, 2005

(i should note that *before* i had my bladder removed, i was advised to eat very bland and lowfat foods -- one nurse advised a diet of apple sauce and *maybe* chicken broth if i ended up having a lot of trouble -- similar to the ones mentioned in the "flush" recipe in order to prevent my gall bladder from acting up -- from what i understand, the gall bladder starts working its secretion magic when you have something difficult to digest in your crap factory, and thus, you want to avoid those tough-to-breakdown foods. so the "flush" recipe isn't total conjecture, i suppose).
posted by fishfucker at 11:01 AM on January 24, 2005

As I recall, somewhere before or after the olive oil/acidic juice course was a rather heavy dose of Epsom salts, which supposedly dilates the bile ducts to allow the stones to pass through. The apple juice was to soften the stones to lessen the possibility of getting one stuck.
posted by ackptui at 11:09 AM on January 24, 2005

Said jessamyn: ...the stones you excrete are actually any kind of gallstones, or just mushy balls made up of the olive oil and lemonade that you drink as part of the process.

This is more or less exactly what my doctor said. He snorted at the mention of Dr. Andrew Weil and said most of what people feel from these things is purely psychosomatic since your innards are self-cleaning. He went on to say most folks would be better served by eating fresh vegetables, less processed and fried food, and going for a walk every day.
posted by fandango_matt at 11:22 AM on January 24, 2005

It's been my experience that any change in a normally somewhat un-varied diet will make you feel better. I think people that claim to be rejuventated by flushing their livers, or eating only foods that begin with the letter 'R', or whatever, are either enjoying the benefit of some nutrient that'd been missing in their diets or feeling empowered that they are asserting their control over their lives by controlling something so basic as diet. And I don't mean any of the above in a condescending way; feeling better is feeling better.
posted by TimeFactor at 12:44 PM on January 24, 2005

It sounds kind of torturous.

I'm curious about the effect this "flush" would have on your resident intestinal fauna. Seems like it'd kill them off, which can't be a good thing...?
posted by mudpuppie at 2:52 PM on January 24, 2005

The ducts can't just be "dilated" with olive oil and acidic stuff. Otherwise we wouldn't take people's gallbladders OUT when they started getting stones stuck in them. This sounds a lot like "ear candling," where the gunk that comes out is actually made by the process itself.
posted by u.n. owen at 3:48 PM on January 24, 2005

I do know the oil will cause the gall bladder to release its contents. It sounds to me that, at least in theory, you begin by eating fat-free, building up a bladder full of bile. Then you take your olive oil, which will cause a big release of bile to the intestine. I can suppose that this actually might cause smaller stones to be flushed out before they can cause problems latter.

Just a WAG about what's going on, based on knowing about the gall bladder releasing bile when fat hits your small intestine (from having an upper GI years ago).
posted by Goofyy at 3:27 AM on January 26, 2005

Sort-of off-topic:

I had the same experience as fishfucker. I had my gallbladder removed a few months ago after gallstones that started when I was 17 (at least the attacks started then) and went undiagnosed for three years because no doctor (as it was explained to me later) believed someone my age could have gallstones. If I could, I would hug the doctor who suggested an ultrasound after one particularly bad attack (most of my pain was in my back, not the actual gallstone area).

I would've been interested in trying some kind of "flush" had I known about it. The doctor's plan had been to try and leave the gallstones alone and hope they wouldn't give me too much trouble (as taking out gallstones alone usually mean they eventually come back) - which didn't work out after one got stuck in my bile duct and I didn't go to the hospital until five days later (scared of hospitals and initially thought I was just having a regular gallstones attack) at which point I wasn't too far off having permanent liver damage. Gallbladder is gone now, and I feel so, so much better for it.

Though completely grossed out after seeing that picture.
posted by eatcherry at 11:26 AM on January 26, 2005

I've got to say that I am utterly fascinated by how disgusting this 'treatment' is. As such, I am seriously considering trying it -- in the name of science! If I do, I will attempt to document it -- thoroughly -- for any who may be interested.
I have no reason to suspect that I have an actual gallstone, which is undoubtedly a good thing, especially in light of the dangers mentioned in the about.com article jessamyn linked to above. However, the warning did make me curious: if this process isn't effective at removing stones small enough to make it out through the bile duct, why would there be a danger of trapping a stone large enough to get stuck? In any case, the basic concept doesn't seem especially hazardous, as it seems to essentially be a dietary gimmick.
posted by Mark Doner at 4:49 PM on January 27, 2005