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A liver detox can theoretically be achieved in various ways; it can involve fasting or drinking only juices or other liquids for several days, or a very restrictive diet. Another way of implementing a liver detox is via herbal or dietary supplements, which is what Liver Reset was designed to do.
Liver Reset is a liver cleansing supplement developed by Organifi, a health and wellness company that specializes in the making of whole-food supplements that are generally made with herbs and plants.
In this article, we will together figure out whether Liver Reset has liver-supporting properties, and whether it’s actually capable of supporting liver health.
Main Takeaways
- Liver Reset is a vegan dietary supplement containing extracts of Triphala, Dandelion, Milk Thistle, and Artichoke aimed at detoxifying the liver and promoting overall health.
- There’s scientific backing for liver protection through antioxidants in Triphala and Milk Thistle, but Liver Reset’s lower dosages cast doubt on its effectiveness.
- Priced at $28 for 15 servings, it’s considered premium and expensive compared to other liver detox supplements with similar ingredients.
- Liver Reset may be worth considering if organic ingredients are a priority, but more affordable options with similar ingredients are available.
What Are The Ingredients In Liver Reset?
The liver manages various nutrients and medications as well as waste removal, so many people believe that a cleanse or detox will remove accumulated toxins after they’ve drunk too much alcohol or eaten unhealthy foods. Others believe that it will help their liver work better and thus dramatically improve their health, even treat liver disease.
Liver Reset is a dietary supplement created to detox or cleanse your liver. Some advocates claim it’s an effective way to clean out the toxins in your body, help you lose weight, and improve your health. However, as much as I would want for it to work, liver detox is a controversial concept, and even though many serious people vouch for it, it’s also quite possible that it may not produce a desirable effect.
The ingredients within Liver Reset are entirely vegan and are mostly extracts taken from unique plants, namely Triphala, Dandelion, Milk Thistle, and Artichoke. Organifi claims that these ingredients can support your liver health, remove excess toxins, and improve your digestion and energy levels.
Let’s look at the ingredients individually and see what the scientific literature has to say about each one.
Organic Triphala Extract (300 mg)
Triphala is the mixture of three dried fruits found in India: amla, bibhitaki, and haritaki.
This mixture has been commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times as a treatment for stomach-related issues and dental cavities. It is also believed to promote longevity and overall health.
Triphala contains a number of antioxidants that perform protective functions in the body, namely vitamin C, flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, and saponins, as well as other significant plant compounds. 1
Antioxidants may confer the liver with protective effects, and this is because the liver metabolizes various compounds that produce free radicals, so by increasing antioxidant intake you have more tools to scavenge free radicals and thus restore and maintain the oxidative/antioxidative balance in the liver. 2
Triphala is also an alternative to over-the-counter laxatives, and its effectiveness has been demonstrated in several studies. In one study with patients with gastrointestinal disorders, Triphala reduced constipation, abdominal pain, and flatulence and improved the frequency and consistency of bowel movements. 3
In animal studies, Triphala has been shown to reduce intestinal inflammation and repair intestinal damage. 4, 5 Though, do take this with a grain of salt as animal studies are not synonymous with solid evidence.
Organic Dandelion Extract (300 mg)
Dandelion is a vegetable that is occasionally used as a salad green, but it’s mostly used as a diuretic throughout the world, although there’s a lack of good human evidence to support its use as a diuretic.
Given its documented effects, it’s clear that Organifi has included it in this formula for its digestive properties, but most of the studies showing improvements in terms of digestion are animal studies (not exactly solid evidence).
For instance, limited rodent evidence suggests dandelion may be able to ease digestion by increasing the rate at which food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine. This is called gastric emptying. 6
However, I’ve managed to find some evidence that suggests the oral ingestion of dandelion (around 10 grams per 150lb person) seems to confer some minor protective effects in the liver, which is related to the fact it contains antioxidants. 7, 8, 9
I must mention that there are no studies done on humans, so a lot of the aforementioned evidence is not of a quality that you can completely trust. Not to mention that some of these studies use very high doses.
Organic Milk Thistle Extract (250 mg)
Milk Thistle has been used throughout the centuries as a solution to liver disorders, and this is thanks to it containing silymarin, a plant mixture known to benefit injured livers.
Evidence suggests that silymarin protects liver cells, reduces liver-related deaths, and improves markers of liver function in people with chronic liver disease. 10
Apparently, these effects occur because silymarin plays the role of a free radical scavenger, which means it’s capable of reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, similar to the effects provided by other antioxidants.
Artichoke Extract (150 mg)
As the name suggests, artichoke extract is an extract taken from a common bulb vegetable called artichoke.
There is a compound in Artichoke called cynarin, which may cause an increase in bile production, as well as the acceleration of gut movement and the digestion of certain types of fat. 11, 12
Surprisingly enough, there is also evidence that artichoke extract may protect your liver from damage and promote the growth of new tissue. 13, 14, 15
It turns out that an increase in bile production also helps remove harmful toxins from your liver. 16
These positive effects on liver health are seen in both animal and human studies, but the only issue is that these studies use doses higher than the ones within Liver Reset. In other words, artichoke extract is underdosed.
How Much Does Liver Reset Cost?
One bottle of Liver Reset costs $28 (according to Organifi’s official website) and it comes with 15 servings, which is the equivalent of $1.87 per serving. This is considered premium.
In my opinion, it is quite expensive for a liver detox supplement, particularly when compared to other popular formulas such as Nutra Champs and Nature’s Craft, which are significantly cheaper and contain servings per container.
Additionally, both supplements also seem to have the same or a higher variety of plants and herbs, so the fact Liver Reset is more expensive isn’t alluring, although its ingredients are derived from organic agriculture (which probably explains the gap in pricing).
Does It Really Promote a Healthy Liver?
According to the evidence I found, some of the ingredients in Liver Reset seem to provide the liver with protective effects, namely due to some of them containing powerful antioxidants.
For instance, Triphala is rich in antioxidants, which is natural given that is a blend of three different fruits. While dandelion is mostly recognized for its diuretic effects, some studies also have shown that dandelion may confer the liver with protective effects, but the doses used are pretty high.
The more promising ingredients are milk thistle and artichoke extract.
Milk thistle contains silymarin, a compound that has been shown to improve markers of liver function and reduce liver-related deaths.
Artichoke extract, on the other hand, has also demonstrated protective effects against damage to the liver, and also seems to stimulate the growth of new liver tissue. However, the dose of artichoke extract in this supplement is low compared to the ones used in studies.
Let us not forget, however, that the effects of each ingredient could stack up, and thus it’s quite possible that Liver Reset may promote liver health— preventing liver disease, among other conditions.
Also, Liver Reset seems to be quite helpful in terms of promoting digestion, although there are other supplements that can also do that, and it’s not the most relevant function in this supplement.
Anyway, is Liver Reset worth trying? The data found in studies are promising, but we can’t ignore the fact it’s more expensive than formulas that offer the same or similar ingredients. Therefore, I think you would be better off trying more affordable formulas unless you really value the fact Liver Reset’s ingredients are derived from organic agriculture.
Editor’s note: The content on this website is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.
References:
1. Naik, G.H., Priyadarsini, K.I., Bhagirathi, R.G., Mishra, B., Mishra, K.P., Banavalikar, M.M. and Mohan, H. (2005), In vitro antioxidant studies and free radical reactions of Triphala, an ayurvedic formulation and its constituents. Phytother. Res., 19: 582-586.
2. Casas-Grajales S, Muriel P. Antioxidants in liver health. World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 2015;6(3):59-72.
3. Pulok K. Mukherjee, Sujay Rai, Sauvik Bhattacharyya, Pratip Kumar Debnath, Tuhin Kanti Biswas, Utpalendu Jana, Srikanta Pandit, Bishnu Pada Saha, Pradip K. Paul. Clinical Study of ‘Triphala’ – A Well-Known Phytomedicine from India. Iranian Journal of Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2006.
4. Nariya M, Shukla V, Jain S, Ravishankar B. Comparison of enteroprotective efficacy of Triphala formulations (Indian Herbal Drug) on methotrexate-induced small intestinal damage in rats. Phytother Res. 2009 Aug.
5. Peterson CT, Denniston K, Chopra D. Therapeutic Uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic Medicine. J Altern Complement Med. 2017.
6. Jin YR, Jin J, Piao XX, Jin NG. The effect of Taraxacum officinale on gastric emptying and smooth muscle motility in Rodents. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2011 Aug.
7. Gulfraz M, Ahamd D, Ahmad MS, Qureshi R, Mahmood RT, Jabeen N, Abbasi KS. Effect of leaf extracts of Taraxacum officinale on CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats, in vivo study. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2014 Jul.
8. Davaatseren M, Hur HJ, Yang HJ, Hwang JT, Park JH, Kim HJ, Kim MJ, Kwon DY, Sung MJ. Taraxacum official (dandelion) leaf extract alleviates high-fat diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver. Food Chem Toxicol. 2013 Aug.
9. Domitrović R, Jakovac H, Romić Z, Rahelić D, Tadić Z. Antifibrotic activity of Taraxacum officinale root in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Aug 9.
10. Gillessen A, Schmidt HH. Silymarin as Supportive Treatment in Liver Diseases: A Narrative Review. Adv Ther. 2020.
11. Ben Salem M, Affes H, Ksouda K, Dhouibi R, Sahnoun Z, Hammami S, Zeghal KM. Pharmacological Studies of Artichoke Leaf Extract and Their Health Benefits. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2015 Dec.
12. Kirchhoff R, Beckers C, Kirchhoff GM, Trinczek-Gärtner H, Petrowicz O, Reimann HJ. Increase in choleresis by means of artichoke extract. Phytomedicine. 1994 Sep.
13. Mereish KA, Bunner DL, Ragland DR, Creasia DA. Protection against microcystin-LR-induced hepatotoxicity by Silymarin: biochemistry, histopathology, and lethality. Pharm Res. 1991 Feb.
14. Kraft K. Artichoke leaf extract – Recent findings reflecting effects on lipid metabolism, liver and gastrointestinal tracts. Phytomedicine. 1997 Dec.
15. Colak E, Ustuner MC, Tekin N, et al. The hepatocurative effects of Cynara scolymus L. leaf extract on carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injury in rats. Springerplus. 2016.
16. Ben Salem M, Affes H, Ksouda K, Dhouibi R, Sahnoun Z, Hammami S, Zeghal KM. Pharmacological Studies of Artichoke Leaf Extract and Their Health Benefits. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2015 Dec.
