Fatty Liver: Best Herbs for Liver Health? (Benefits and Precautions)

Many people around the world live with conditions that affect the liver, including cirrhosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, liver failure, and hepatitis (1Trusted Source).

Every year, liver disease accounts for nearly 2 million deaths worldwide (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

Risk factors for liver disease include heavy alcohol intake, high blood sugar levels, obesity, high blood pressure, viruses, elevated triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and more (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

Liver disease is treated in a number of ways as a holistic options, including nutritional therapy and lifestyle change but the safest way is always prevention by living a adapting a healthy lifestyle, avoiding GMO foods, fried foods, cans foods, cooking oil, fast food, and by using good quality nutrition.

Many people are turning to alternative therapies, including herbal supplements. In fact, around 65% of people in the United States and Europe with liver diseases take herbal supplements (10Trusted Source).

Here are the 9 best herbs that have been shown to improve liver health.

An important note

it’s critical to check with your holistic provider before adding any herbal supplements, including the ones on this list, to your diet.

1. Milk thistle (silymarin)

Silymarin, often called milk thistle, consists of a group of compounds extracted from milk thistle (Silybum marianum) seeds, including silybin, silychristin, and silydianin (10Trusted Source).

Milk thistle has been used for over 2,000 years to treat bile duct and liver conditions, and research shows that it may have liver-protective properties (11Trusted Source).

It has been suggested that silymarin has strong antioxidant effects and may help promote liver cell regeneration, reduce inflammation, and benefit those with liver disease. However, results from human studies have been mixed (12Trusted Source).

For example, some studies have shown that taking a silymarin supplement may help protect against liver disease progression, prolong life in people with alcoholic cirrhosis, and enhance overall quality of life in people with liver disease (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

Regardless, silymarin is considered safe and has not been associated with adverse side effects, even when used at high doses (19Trusted Source).

2. Ginseng

Ginseng is a popular herbal supplement known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties (20Trusted Source).

A number of test-tube and animal studies have demonstrated that ginseng has antioxidant effects and may help protect against liver injury caused by viruses, toxins, and alcohol. Plus, it may boost liver cell regeneration after surgery (21Trusted Source).

What’s more, some human studies have shown that ginseng treatment may improve liver function and reduce fatigue and inflammation in people with liver disease and liver dysfunction (22, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).

For example, a 2020 study in 51 men with elevated levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), a marker for liver damage, found that those who took 3 grams of ginseng extract per day for 12 weeks experienced significant reductions in ALT, compared with a placebo group (24Trusted Source).

Levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), another marker for liver damage, were also reduced significantly (24Trusted Source).

4. Licorice

Although chewy candy often comes to mind when thinking of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), it’s really an herb with powerful medicinal properties (33Trusted Source).

Licorice root has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and liver-protective effects in scientific studies (33Trusted Source).

The main active component in licorice root is the saponin compound glycyrrhizin, which is commonly used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine to treat many ailments, including liver disease (33Trusted Source).

Some studies have demonstrated that treatment with licorice extract may benefit those with certain liver conditions.

A study in 66 people with fatty liver disease found that supplementing with 2 grams of licorice root extract per day for 2 months significantly reduced ALT and AST, compared with a placebo treatment (34Trusted Source).

In another small study, 6 healthy people took a glycyrrhizin product before drinking vodka every night for 12 days, and 6 people only drank vodka nightly for 12 days.

In the vodka-only group, liver damage markers, including ALT, AST, and GGT, significantly increased. In the glycyrrhizin group, these markers did not significantly increase, suggesting that glycyrrhizin may help protect against alcohol-related liver damage (35Trusted Source).

What’s more, some people are more sensitive to licorice, and the chronic use of licorice products can result in some cases in high blood pressure and low blood levels of potassium (36Trusted Source).

When used on its own, ginseng is thought to be relatively safe for liver health and should be not combined with medications.

3. Green tea

Although it isn’t technically an herb, green tea and its main polyphenol compound epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) are often included in literature reviews focusing on herbal remedies for liver conditions (28Trusted Source).

Some studies have found that supplementing with green tea extract may help treat those with liver disease.

A study in 80 people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) found that supplementing with 500 mg of green tea extract per day for 90 days significantly reduced the liver damage markers ALT and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (29Trusted Source).

Another 12-week study in 80 people with NAFLD observed that those who took 500 mg of green tea extract daily experienced significant improvements in AST, ALT, and inflammatory markers, compared with a placebo. The treatment also reduced fatty changes in the liver (30Trusted Source).

Green tea intake has likewise been shown to protect against various liver conditions, including liver cancer, hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver (hepatic steatosis), and chronic liver disease.

5. Turmeric

Turmeric and its main active component curcumin have been linked to a variety of impressive health benefits.

It’s well documented that turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, which makes this herb a popular choice for those with liver disease (37Trusted Source).

A study in people with NAFLD demonstrated that daily treatment with 500 mg of a curcumin product for 8 weeks significantly reduced liver fat content and levels of AST and ALT, compared with a placebo group (38Trusted Source).

Another study in 70 people with NAFLD found that those who supplemented with 500 mg of curcumin and 5 mg of piperine per day for 12 weeks had significant reductions in ALT, AST, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and inflammatory markers, compared with a placebo group (39Trusted Source).

Piperine is a compound found in black pepper that enhances curcumin absorption.

It was also observed that the curcumin treatment significantly improved NAFLD severity, compared with the placebo group (39Trusted Source).

6. Garlic

Although garlic is botanically considered a vegetable, it’s a popular component of many herbal remedies. It’s packed with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant compounds, such as allicin, alliin, and ajoene, which may help support liver health (41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source).

A 2020 study in 98 people with NAFLD found that those who took 800 mg of garlic powder per day for 15 weeks experienced significant reductions in ALT, AST, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, compared with a placebo group (42Trusted Source).

What’s more, 51% of the participants in the garlic group showed improvements in the severity of liver fat accumulation, compared with just 16% of the control group (42Trusted Source).

Another study in over 24,000 adults found that men who consumed raw garlic over 7 times per week had up to a 29% reduced risk of developing fatty liver disease. Although raw garlic intake was inversely associated with NAFLD in men, this association was not seen in women (43Trusted Source).

Additionally, a study linked raw garlic intake to a lower risk of liver cancer. Eating raw garlic twice or more per week was associated with a 23% reduced risk of liver cancer, compared with consuming raw garlic less than twice per week (44Trusted Source).

7. Ginger

Ginger root is a popular culinary ingredient and also commonly used as a medicinal treatment for many health conditions, including liver disease.

A 12-week study in 46 people with NAFLD found that supplementing with 1,500 mg of ginger powder per day significantly reduced ALT, total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP), compared with placebo treatment (46Trusted Source).

Another study observed similar results. People with NAFLD who supplemented with 2 grams of ginger for 12 weeks experienced significant reductions in ALT, GGT, inflammatory markers, and fat accumulation in the liver, compared with a placebo group (47Trusted Source).

Ginger root contains powerful compounds, including gingerols and shogaols, that help inhibit inflammation and protect against cellular damage, which may help support liver health. Plus, ginger may help protect your liver against toxins like alcohol (48Trusted Source, 49).

8. Danshen

Danshen is a substance that’s commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s the dried roots of the herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Human and animal studies have shown that danshen may have positive effects on liver health.

Animal studies indicate danshen may help protect against alcohol-related liver disease and promote liver tissue regeneration, while some human studies suggest danshen injections may help treat liver fibrosis when used alongside other herbal remedies (51Trusted Source, 52Trusted Source, 53Trusted Source).