7 Liver Detox Drinks To Get Alcohol Out of Your System

Last night was wild, and now you’re feeling crummy. Maybe it’s a hangover, or flashbacks of embarrassing moments. At times like these, we often have some clarity about our self-care. We may decide to counteract our overindulgence with a healthy boost to the system — a trip to the gym, a green smoothie for breakfast, or a commitment to take it a little easier next time.

One great way to get a health boost after heavy drinking is to give our liver a break. Indulging in a healthy liver detox drink is like giving a spa day to the hardworking organ that cleans up the alcohol from our system and gets us back to our sober selves.

Ready to learn the best detox drink for your liver? Read on for tips and recipes!

Liver Health 101

The liver is one of the largest organs in the human body, an essential player on the organ team that keeps our body running. Understanding what it does is a good place to start when thinking about how to take care of it.

Functions of the Liver

• Detoxification. The liver filters toxins from the blood, including alcohol, drugs, and environmental pollutants. A detox superhero, the liver takes out these bad guys and gets rid of them.
• Metabolism. Our liver plays a key role in metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins — the three building blocks of food — and converting them into energy and nutrients the body can use.
• Vital bile. The liver produces bile, which helps us digest fats. It also synthesizes essential proteins for blood plasma, enzymes, and hormones.

Challenges to Liver Health

• Alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the most common threats to liver health. It can lead to conditions such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and cancer.
• Diet and obesity. A diet high in unhealthy fats and sugars can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Obesity significantly increases this risk.
• Medications and toxins. Certain medications and environmental toxins can cause liver damage if used improperly.

A detox can help us keep our liver in tip-top shape.

Crafting a Detox Drink

The best detox cleanse drink for your liver is the one you’ll enjoy drinking! When you understand the ingredients that go into good detox drinks, you can start crafting one to your tastes.

When it comes to the mixology of liver detox drinks, there are two major categories to explore: teas and smoothies.

Teas

Teas allow us to take advantage of the many herbs and plants that boost liver health. You can make hot tea on a cold winter day or a cozy evening, or an iced tea to beat the heat in the dead of summer. Whichever you choose, there are a few key items to keep in your pantry.

• Milk thistle. Often touted as a liver superfood, milk thistle is a wild herb with deep roots in traditional medicine. The active compound in this herb, silymarin, is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. More research is needed to determine why silymarin is helpful to treat liver conditions, but when used as a complementary medicine, it has shown promising results. It has a mild, earthy, herbal flavor similar to turmeric and bay leaf. Brew it with other herbs for a variety of overall health benefits.
• Dandelion root. Dandelion root is well known for its liver-protecting qualities — it’s one of the most common ingredients in the liver detox teas you’ll find on supermarket shelves. Dandelion root has a strong, earthy flavor that some dislike. It’s commonly combined with warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and cloves.
• Turmeric. This bright yellow superfood is not just good for your liver, it’s a whole-body detox. The active ingredient in turmeric — curcumin — is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. It’s beneficial for inflammation-related conditions like arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and heart disease. It has a bright, earthy flavor and is a common ingredient in curries. It’s also wonderful when added to golden milk or in a turmeric latte!
• Green tea. Green tea is known for its many health benefits, from boosting memory to helping with weight loss. It’s rich in antioxidants called catechins, which have been shown to help with a wide array of inflammatory conditions.
• Ginger. Ginger is a bright, spicy root used to spice a variety of culinary dishes, from curries to cookies to pumpkin spice lattes. Ginger is famous for helping with digestive and stomach issues, but it’s also great for your liver. Try making ginger tea and combining it with a squeeze of lemon (more on that later), then sweeten the deal with some local honey. Yum!

Smoothies

Who doesn’t love a tasty smoothie? They’re an easy, refreshing way to blend up superfoods and pack a wellness punch. Let’s look at some delicious smoothie ingredients to inspire you:

• Citrus. Orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice make great additions to brighten up just about any fruit smoothie.
• Berries. Berries are known for their brain-boosting health benefits thanks to the antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries freeze really well, so they’ll keep a long time.
• Oats. These healthy grains aren’t just for oatmeal! You can add a scoop of oats to any smoothie to give it a stomach-filling boost. Plus, oats help lower cholesterol and keep it low.
• Avocado. Adding avocado makes a smoothie extra smooth, giving it a velvety texture and a boost of healthy fats. It works great in a green smoothie with a banana for a healthy, velvety treat.
• Beets. Veggies? You bet! Beets are bright red and known for their strong, earthy flavor. When paired with citrus, pineapple, bananas, carrots, and other sweet offerings, you can “beet” that strong flavor and get the health benefits of this superfood.
• Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are associated with longevity and brain health, and they’re an important part of the Mediterranean diet. But did you know they go great in smoothies? Add some flaxseed meal, hemp hearts, chia seeds, or pumpkin seeds to your smoothie, or consider a peanut butter and banana blend for a dessert-like nutritional powerhouse.

A Better Brew

The next time you’re enjoying your morning cup of joe, consider that it’s doing more for you than just giving you an energy boost. Coffee is known to help protect against liver cancer. Don’t think that’s a license to up your intake — the caffeine in coffee can interfere with sleep and cause gastrointestinal issues, and excessive coffee intake is associated with a higher risk of other types of cancer.

How To Flush Alcohol Out of Your System

Hopefully, these liver-detoxing ingredients have you excited and inspired. But before you run to the kitchen to concoct some cleansing drinks, let’s consider one more thing.

If you’re in a rush to detox, you may be out of luck. If you’re wondering how to get alcohol out of your system fast, a detox drink simply won’t do it. There’s no way to speed up the elimination of alcohol from your system. Your liver can only process alcohol so quickly, and it needs time and rest to do its job.

So what is the best drink to flush your liver? Water! Good old H2O is the antidote to alcohol’s dehydrating effects. To give your liver a chance to do its job, drink some water, get in a good veggie-filled meal, and have a restful day.

Recipes for Recovery

Now that you have some ideas of how to experiment with your own recipes, let’s look at a few to get you started and inspire you. Here are seven tasty recipes to set you on the road to recovery.

1. Lemon Ginger Detox Tea

• 1 cup of water
• ½ inch piece of ginger, grated or sliced
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 tsp of honey (or to taste)

Optional: cinnamon stick, fresh mint leaves, or turmeric

Boil the water and add all ingredients. Steep for 5-10 minutes, then strain. This drink is soothing when hot and refreshing when served over ice.

2. Creamy Turmeric Latte

• 1 cup warmed milk of your choice
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• A pinch of black pepper
• Honey or maple syrup to taste

Blend all the ingredients together well and serve while still warm.

3. Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

• 1 banana (fresh or frozen without the skin)
• 1 cup of milk of your choice
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• Optional: 1 tablespoons honey, or to taste
• 1 cup of ice cubes

Blend everything together very well and enjoy. It’s that simple!

4. Green Goodness Smoothie

• 1 cup leafy greens (spinach, kale, and chard are great!)
• ½ - 1 banana
• ½ avocado
• ½ cup orange juice, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon chia seeds and/or hemp hearts
• 1 cup almond milk, plus more as needed to blend
• Handful of ice

Toss everything into a blender and enjoy! You might also consider adding ingredients like spirulina, flaxseed meal, and frozen fruits (try pineapple or mango!).

5. Beet and Berry Blend

• ⅓ cup peeled + chopped raw beet (or ¼ cup beet juice)
• 1 ⅓ cup frozen strawberries 
• ½ frozen banana
• ⅔ cup apple juice or cider
• A handful of ice (more if using fresh fruit)

Blend everything together. Want to get experimental? Try adding a tablespoon of almond or sunflower seed butter for some extra creaminess or a carrot for an extra nutritional boost.

6. Semi-Homemade Dandelion Tea

If you have access to fresh dandelion root — amazing! It can be hard to find, so here are some suggestions for spicing up your plain, store-bought, dandelion tea. Experiment and find what works for you! Don’t go too crazy: try one or two of these things at a time to get an idea of what you do or don’t enjoy.

• Milk or cream of your choice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon of dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
• ⅛ tsp vanilla extract (or to taste)
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (or to taste)
• ⅛ tsp pumpkin spice
• ⅛ tsp cloves

7. Orange Dream Smoothie

• 1 large orange, peeled
• ½ banana (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• ½ cup milk of your choice
• ¼ cup vanilla extract

Blend everything together very well. Consider adding a carrot for an extra nutrient boost and a glowing orange color.

Tips for Liver Health

While these recipes are a great way to recover, the best way to protect your liver is to control your alcohol intake by quitting or cutting back on drinking. Let’s look at some tips to help you make a successful rebound on your liver recovery journey.

• Healthy diet and exercise. A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains supports liver health. Regular exercise helps maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Regular check-ups. Routine medical check-ups are important, and they give you an opportunity to discuss your health goals with your doctor. Blood tests can assess liver function and detect any early signs of trouble.
• Hydrate! Water is essential for most of the liver’s vital functions. Get your daily 8 glasses, and see the benefits in every area of health, from your liver to your skin.
• Moderate alcohol consumption. Limiting alcohol is crucial to prevent liver damage. Reframe can help you make a plan to quit or cut back on drinking so you can optimize your liver — and overall — health.