Caffeine Sensitive? Detox Your Liver.

All of my life I have been extremely sensitive to caffeine. One cup of coffee or a lot of dark chocolate sends my heart racing, my head spinning and my body shaking.

I just chalked up the extreme response to being a little quirky. But according to Dr. Peter D'Adamo, naturopathic physician and author of The GenoType Diet, caffeine sensitivity like mine is a result of a sluggish liver. He calls people like me "slow acetylators". Basically, toxins go into the liver, but spend too much time there when they should simply be processed and eliminated.

This really makes sense now that I'm pregnant and have developed an itchy and dreadful case of PUPPPs, also known as "pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy". The best antidote I have discovered in my research after a course of steroids failed, is dandelion root extract--a mild and natural liver detoxifier. It's worked miracles.

However, for non-pregnant people looking to detoxify their livers, milk thistle is one of the best herbal remedies. D'Adamo recommends taking a 200-500 mg a day as well as 100-150 mg of artichoke leaf extract, which supports liver function by increasing bile production. Additionally, he suggests supplementing with 200-500 mg of N-acetyl glucosamine, which helps reduce intestinal inflammation.

As always, check with your physician before starting on a detoxification plan.

Stay tuned...tomorrow I'll share with you how to do an overnight liver detox using a castor oil pack.

Photo Credit: Julius Schorzman

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