Today we are talking about two precious allies for the health of the liver and the whole body, pineapple and tulsi, which is a plant from which a well-known and appreciated infusion is obtained. In fact, pineapples and tulsi stimulate detoxification processes, counteract fatty liver and liver damage caused by heavy metals. Not bad for something that can be easily incorporated into one's diet. But let's try to understand better.
Tulsi stimulates detox processes, the study
The first research we are talking about today is a review, published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine by an Australian team, which focused on the properties of tulsi (Cohen et al, J Ayurveda Integra Med, 2014). Tulsi, also called holy basil, belongs to the Lamiaceae family, the same as mint, basil, oregano, lemon balm and thyme. Tulsi originated from India but nowadays it is available everywhere in dried form to make healthy teas. Regular intake of tulsi is considered to help fight diseases and keep the body healthy even under conditions of great stress. In fact, tulsi helps the body to strengthen itself and to overcome very stressful periods, also characterized by anxiety, it is neuroprotective, cardioprotective, anticancer and antioxidant. But above all, as the review indicates, tulsi is a valid ally for stimulating detoxification processes and protecting the body from damage caused by toxins, which can be, for example, pesticides, pollutants, medicines, heavy metals and radiation. In fact, tulsi works in two ways. On the one hand, tulsi increases the levels of antioxidants in the body, such as glutathione, and thus makes the body better able to cope with the damage caused by toxic substances. This effect is made possible by the phenolic compounds present in the plant, especially in the Krishna tulsi variant, or dark tulsi. On the other hand, tulsi stimulates the body's ability to get rid of toxins, increasing the detoxification action carried out by the liver. This happens since tulsi favors the activation of a class of enzymes, called cytochrome P450, which are responsible for deactivating toxins and effectively removing them from the body.
Pineapple for liver health, studies
The liver plays an essential role in our body when it comes to removing toxins. In fact, the liver transforms toxins into substances that can be easily eliminated through the urine. This is one of the reasons why it is important to take care of your liver and its health. Here at this point we can find a precious ally in the pineapple! In fact, as demonstrated by a very recent scientific research published in the journal Biomed research International by an Egyptian team (El Demerdash et al, Biomed Res Int, 2022), a substance contained in pineapples, bromelain, protects the liver from damage from heavy metals such as the aluminum. Aluminum is a substance present in some medicines, such as antacids, but also in food additives, packaging and food processing machinery, from which it migrates to food. Aluminum tends to accumulate in the liver, generates inflammation and free radicals, which in turn alter the liver and the functioning of its cells until it causes apoptosis, namely cellular death. Instead, taking bromelain has been shown to reverse this process triggered by aluminum and restore full liver function. The hepatoprotective action of pineapple is also demonstrated by other studies. We can cite the research conducted by a Thai team and published in the journal Food and Function (Namwong et al, Food Funct, 2022). In this case, the intake of the pineapple fruit made it possible to reduce cholesterol and hepatic triglycerides and to improve the condition of the fatty liver. Another study, published in the Journal of Biological Sciences by an Indonesian team, showed that drinking pineapple juice reduced ALT and AST transaminase values, which were elevated at the beginning of the experiment indicating liver damage. A reduction of these values shows, however, that pineapple juice is hepatoprotective (Yantih et al, Journal of Biological Sciences, 2017),
Conclusions
Today we saw that tulsi and pineapple can help us detoxify the body, by stimulating the liver. Not only that, tulsi and pineapple also protect the liver, helping to keep it healthy, reducing the damage caused by medicines and heavy metals but also by the condition of the fatty liver, which in turn increases, in the long term and if not properly treated, the risk of liver damage and cellular degeneration. Tulsi can be found easily, in the form of sachets or loose leaves, in specialized shops and supermarkets. Bring a cup of water to the boil, remove from heat, add a teaspoon of tulsi, or a sachet, and leave to infuse for ten minutes. Then filter, or remove the sachet, and once lukewarm, drink. As for pineapple, you can consume its juice, as long as it doesn't contain added sugar, but also the whole fruit. In this case, do not discard the hardest internal part as it is the one richest in bromelain. Pay attention and ask your doctor for advice if you are taking antibiotics or blood thinners, which can interact with some compounds found in pineapple.
