How a Liver Supplement Can Help Reduce Bloating and Brain Fog
Learn how to spot a supplement that can deliver results and what makes a quality liver support product
Disclaimer:
Smarter reviews is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This affiliate compensation may affect how and where products appear on the site, including the order in which they appear. This site does not rate all products in each category.
Go back to pageYour liver does a lot of heavy lifting to keep you healthy and thriving. It aids in the metabolic process, helps with digestion, naturally detoxes your body, and is vital for proper blood circulation.1
Many of us abuse our liver without even knowing it with things like drinking too much alcohol, eating processed or fried foods, or even being just a little overweight.
Typically, your liver does a good job filtering out all these toxins. But, with the number of toxins in today’s food and environment, your liver may have a hard time keeping up, and instead will store these toxins in fat cells.
This can put unnecessary strain on your liver and can cause occasional fatigue, brain fog, and bloating.
How To Pick A Good Liver Supplement From The Junk
Today, millions of people’s livers are under strain, so it’s no wonder the market is flooded with supplements promising to revive the liver and detox it from harmful chemicals and fat.
However, not all supplements are created equal. Many brands cut corners by adding harmful additives, and using ineffective ingredients or weak dosages.That's why Smarter Reviews has compiled months of research on this topic. We’ll show you what to look for, and what to avoid in a liver health supplement, and how it can help transform your whole body health.
Before we dive into what makes a liver supplement effective, it’s important to understand what exactly a liver supplement can do for your health.
What You Can Expect After 3 Months
With consistent use, taking the right liver supplement can improve liver and overall health.
Usually within the first week, an effective liver supplement will begin to reduce typical oxidative stress in the liver. At this stage, you can expect to feel some more mild physical improvements, such as less bloating.
But you can start really feeling improvements after 3 to 4 months of use. Benefits include a better metabolism, immune system, and energy.
So with all these amazing health benefits in mind, which ingredients should you look for in a liver supplement and what should you avoid?
What Ingredients Make A Good Liver Supplement?
Tocotrienols
Tocotrienols are a very potent form of vitamin E, or as we like to call them, supercharged vitamin E. This powerhouse ingredient can work to help cleanse your liver of excess fat buildup.
Milk Thistle
Recent research has shown that milk thistle can help reduce irritation caused by everyday oxidative stress and toxins. It can also help support liver function, thus helping your metabolic process run more efficiently and help healthy weight management.
Zinc
Various studies have shown that zinc can help protect your liver from future stress, by reducing the lipid (or fat) buildup in your liver.
Selenium
This powerful mineral is vital for helping your liver cleanse and detox itself. It’s able to help your liver detox from unhealthy buildup by encouraging the production of an antioxidant called glutathione, which can help support healthy liver tissue cells and promote elasticity.
Beware: Harmful Fillers
Magnesium Stearate
This cheap filler is used to help bind ingredients together and lubricate the supplement so it doesn’t gum up when it is run through the manufacturing machines. Magnesium stearate adds no nutritional value and can become toxic to your system in large amounts.
Titanium Dioxide
Widely relied upon in supplement manufacturing as a coloring agent and binding mineral, titanium dioxide can compromise the health of your immune system at high doses. Low-quality liver health supplements typically include this filler.
Top 5 Liver Health Supplements Of 2022
First, here's a side-by side comparison of how industry-leading liver health supplements stack up against each other.
Below are the final rankings from our editors, complete with detailed reviews of each liver health supplement:
.png?v=137260256292436415531653343380)
1. LiverMD®
9.7/10
TOTAL RANKING
A+
OVERALL GRADE
PROS
Formulated with 2 clinically studied ingredients: EvNolMax® and Siliphos®
Named Taste for Life’s Best Liver Support Supplement of 2021
Contains zinc and selenium
Powerful potency
Offers subscription plan
Doctor formulated
Zero artificial additives or fillers
90-day, risk-free, money-back, product guarantee
CONS
Out of stock frequently
The Bottom Line
We picked LiverMD® by 1MD Nutrition™ for our top spot because it’s the only supplement that meets our strict criteria.
LiverMD® contains two powerful, clinically studied ingredients: EvnolMax®, a clinical strength tocotrienol, and Siliphos®, the bioavailable active ingredient in milk thistle. LiverMD® is also formulated with zinc, selenium, and other essential minerals working together to help your liver detox and stay healthy. LiverMD® was recently named Taste for Life’s Best Liver Support Supplement of 2021.
Additionally, they offer an outstanding subscription plan; this ensures maximum savings and provides a convenient way to enjoy the long-term benefits of their products.
Their return policy is also topnotch — a comprehensive, 90-day, risk-free, money-back guarantee, proving the company stands behind its products.
All in all, 1MD Nutrition™ is our top pick.
*Results are based on users' personal experiences collected on this page and do not necessarily reflect typical results of using these products. Please see product website for more information.
2. LiverWell®
9.7/10
TOTAL RANKING
A+
OVERALL GRADE
PROS
800 mg of L-cysteine
Milk thistle
Selenium
Zinc
GMP compliant
365-day money-back guarantee
CONS
Sold only in the US
The Bottom Line
Its name might say "liver," but this formula provides excellent immune and respiratory support as well.
LiverWell is made with 800mg of L-cysteine, as well as milk thistle, zinc, selenium, and alpha lipoic acid. Like L-cysteine, these ingredients are known to aid in detoxification and help fortify the immune system.
This product is manufactured in GMP-compliant facilities to ensure safety and purity in every bottle.
To top things off, Live Conscious backs all of their products with comprehensive, 365-day return policy, zero questions asked.
*Results are based on users' personal experiences collected on this page and do not necessarily reflect typical results of using these products. Please see product website for more information.
3. LiverWise®
by HealthWise™
8.9/10
TOTAL RANKING
B+
OVERALL GRADE
PROS
Contains quality ingredients
No harmful additives or fillers
90-day money-back guarantee
CONS
No name brand recognition
The Bottom Line
Coming in at number 3 on our list is HealthWise.
LiverWise contains optimal liver health ingredients, including selenium, ALA, zinc, and milk thistle seed. They fell to number 3 on our list because they use generic ingredients and not the clinically studied versions.
Beyond that, LiverWise offers a stellar 90-day return policy, so everyone can try their products completely risk-free.
*Results are based on users' personal experiences collected on this page and do not necessarily reflect typical results of using these products. Please see product website for more information.
4. Liver Cleanse®
by Gaia Herbs™
8.7/10
TOTAL RANKING
B+
OVERALL GRADE
PROS
Contains milk thistle
Clean ingredients
CONS
Mixed customer reviews
The Bottom Line
Coming in at number 4 on our list is Liver Cleanse by Gaia Herbs. This product supports healthy liver function, involving both detoxification and elimination.
However, this formula is still missing some key ingredients, such as zinc and selenium and other important minerals that help detox and repair your liver in the long term.
*Results are based on users' personal experiences collected on this page and do not necessarily reflect typical results of using these products. Please see product website for more information.
7.9/10
TOTAL RANKING
C+
OVERALL GRADE
PROS
Contains a potent form of milk thistle
CONS
Lacks key ingredients like zinc
No money-back guarantee
Mixed customer reviews
The Bottom Line
Rounding off our list is Liver Support by Vital Nutrients. It’s formulated with lots of important nutrients and ingredients, such as Silybin, a potent form of milk thistle. But once again lacks some key components, such as zinc and tocotrienols, for it to be a truly top-notch liver support supplement.
It’s worth pointing out that some customers said they did not experience any of the desired results and were disappointed with the product.
Potential customers should also take into consideration that there is no money-back guarantee for Vital Nutrients products.
*Results are based on users' personal experiences collected on this page and do not necessarily reflect typical results of using these products. Please see product website for more information.
CITATIONS
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279393/
- http://www.tocotrienolresearch.org/liver-health/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27517806
- https://research.uncg.edu/spotlight/ctbr-zinc-a-potential-treatment-for-alcohol-induced-fatty-liver-disease/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22307488
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1500682
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27603810