Sour Tea for Your Liver
Apr 09, 2023
Ever heard of sour tea?
It’s probably not what you think. Sour tea goes by a variety of different names but refers to a plant with the botanical name of Hibiscus sabdariffa. It’s rich in vitamin C, beta carotene, quercetin, and many other antioxidant compounds.
The reason I bring it up is that a study published earlier this year found sour tea to improve multiple health markers in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is increasingly common and often accompanies diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.
How common is NAFLD and how would you know you have it? It is estimated that at least 30% of people world-wide have fatty liver. The only way to confirm a diagnosis is with a liver biopsy. However, a simple blood test is an excellent screening tool. If you have had a comprehensive metabolic panel on a blood draw, look for ALT which stands for alanine aminotransferase. Fatty liver is likely when this number is 24 or more. Unfortunately, many labs do not flag this test as abnormal until it is over 40.
The study, published in Phytotherapy Research, compared the effects of taking sour tea (450 mg capsules per day) to a placebo for 8 weeks. Results showed that sour tea:
➡️ Improved blood triglyceride levels
➡️ Improved liver enzymes
➡️ Improved blood pressure
➡️ Improved antioxidant status
The liver is central to detoxification and many other processes in the body. Even though this study looked at sour tea in people who had liver disease, I’d consider this herb for general liver support.
Reference
Izadi F, Farrokhzad A, Tamizifar B, Tarrahi MJ, Entezari MH. Effect of sour tea supplementation on liver enzymes, lipid profile, blood pressure, and antioxidant status in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2021; 35: 477-485.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32909326/
Martin-Rodriguez JL, Gonzalez-Cantero J, Gonzalez-Cantero A, Arrebola JP, Gonzalez-Calvin JL. Diagnostic accuracy of serum alanine aminotransferase as biomarker for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance in healthy subjects, using 3T MR spectroscopy. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Apr
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