How to Do a Liver Flush

Co-authored by Raj Vuppalanchi, MD

Last Updated: September 19, 2024 Fact Checked

A liver flush is also known as a gallbladder flush or cleanse, and it's used to get rid of gallstones. While there's no scientific evidence that liver flushes are effective, there's anecdotal evidence that they are. In theory, the liver flush breaks up any existing gallstones or prevents the formation of new ones, then gets rid of them via stool. If your gallstones are bothering you, see your doctor and discuss your interest in doing a liver flush. Just keep in mind that cleanses can be harmful to your body if done incorrectly and enemas should only be performed by trained professionals.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Performing a Liver Flush with Olive Oil and Citrus Juice

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1
Consider fasting before your liver flush.^{[1]
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Research source
Hobbes, Christopher. Natural Healing For Your Liver. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2002.} Do this only if you have experience with fasting. The liver flush itself can cause nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. If you're not used to fasting, these effects may be amplified.
- If you are an experienced faster, consider doing a three to seven day juice fast before the liver flush.
- Apple juice is rich in malic acid and liminoid, which can help break down gallstones.
2
Make a mixture of citrus juices.^{[2]
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Hobbes, Christopher. Natural Healing For Your Liver. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2002.} You will drink a total of 1 cup of citrus juices. This mixture will be 50% grapefruit juice, 25% orange juice, and 25% lemon juice. Squeeze the grapefruits, oranges, and lemons separately and do not mix the juices at first. You will need 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice, 1/4 cup of orange juice, and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Mix them together well, then split the mixture up into separate glasses, each filled with 1/4 cup of juice.
- You will also need 1 cup of olive oil separated into four doses of ¼ cup each.
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^{[3]
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Hobbes, Christopher. Natural Healing For Your Liver. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2002.} Wait until about an hour before you plan to go to bed. Take 1/4 cup of the citrus mixture, followed by 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Repeat this process every 15 minutes, until it's time to go to bed.
^{[4]
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Research source
Hobbes, Christopher. Natural Healing For Your Liver. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2002.} Lay on your right side when you go to sleep. Although there's no evidence for it, the traditional belief is that this allows the cleanse to progress more easily.
To get to most out of your cleanse, make an appointment to have an enema the morning after you drink these fluids. Enemas should always be performed by trained professionals. Do not attempt to give yourself an enema.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Performing the Citrus and Olive Oil Flush Without an Enema

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Stop after the night of sleeping on your side, before you take the enema in the morning. You will replace the enema with another dietary treatment.
Dissolve two teaspoons of un-iodized sea salt into 4 cups of warm water. If you don't have sea salt, you can use the juice from half a lemon instead. Drink this mixture first thing in the morning.
For the rest of the day, eat only mild preparations of vegetables (no spices) and clear broth. You should eliminate the gallstones through your stool sometime during the day.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Flushing Your Liver with Apple

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This method will require you to drink large amounts of apple products. While apples are perfectly healthy in moderation, in excess they add a lot of sugar to your system. If you have cancer, a yeast infection, diabetes, hypoglycemia or a stomach ulcer, do not use this method.
2
Go on a two-day apple juice fast. For centuries, scientists have researched ways to treat gallstones without surgery. A liver flush is a "chemical contact" treatment, in which you consume chemicals that break up the gallstone from within.^{[5]
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Helmstadter, Axel. “Ether and the Chemical-Contact Dissolution of Gallstones.” Lancet (London, England) 354.9187 (1999): 1367. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 15 July 2015.} Many chemical contact treatments doctors tried throughout history had long-term negative side-effects on patients. The malic acid and liminoid found in apples, though, have relatively benign side effects that last a short amount of time.^{[6]
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Research source
Dekkers, R. "Apple Juice And The Chemical-Contact Softening Of Gallstones." Lancet (London, England) 354.9196 (1999): 2171. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 15 July 2015.}
- Don’t drink juices made from concentrate or that have added sugars. Look for natural apple products.
- Keep the juice at room temperature, and mix it with warm water to further raise the temperature when you drink it.
- Drink 16 oz. (2 cups) of organic apple juice or apple cider every 2 hours between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on both days
3
Take an olive oil and citrus juice mix on the second day. At 8:30 p.m. on the second day, mix ½ cup of olive oil with ½ cup of lemon juice or ¾ cup of grapefruit juice. The juices should be freshly squeezed, not processed.
- You may feel nauseous after drinking this mixture, but try to relax and see your way through it. You’ll feel better when the process is over!
It may feel too early to go to bed, but it’s important to keep to the schedule for this liver flush. You’ve taken the olive oil and citrus juice mixture after about 36 hours of fasting, and now you need to go to bed. Remember to lay on your side to help the cleansing process.
5
Drink a saltwater mixture in the morning of the third day. Dissolve two teaspoons of un-iodized sea salt into 4 cups of warm water. Again, you can substitute the juice from half a lemon if you don’t have sea salt.
- Eat only vegetables and clear broths for the rest of the day. The nausea you felt the night before should pass once you get some food in your stomach, and you should pass your gallstones sometime during the third or fourth day.

Expert Q&A

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Are liver cleanses good for the liver?

Raj Vuppalanchi, MD
Academic Hepatologist
Dr. Raj Vuppalanchi is an Academic Hepatologist, a Professor of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, and the Director of Clinical Hepatology at IU Health. With over ten years of experience, Dr. Vuppalanchi runs a clinical practice and provides care to patients with various liver disorders at the University Hospital in Indianapolis. He completed dual fellowships in Clinical Pharmacology and Gastroenterology-Hepatology at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Raj Vuppalanchi is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a member of the American Association for Study of Liver Diseases and the American College of Gastroenterology. His patient-oriented research is dedicated to finding new treatments for various liver disorders as well as the use of diagnostic tests for non-invasive estimation of liver fibrosis (transient elastography) and portal hypertension (spleen stiffness).

Raj Vuppalanchi, MD

Academic Hepatologist

Expert Answer

Liver cleanses aren't backed up by science, but there are dietary changes you can make to help your liver, like limiting high fructose corn syrup and refined carbohydrates.

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Can I do this when am pregnant or TTC?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Chris M. Matsko, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

If you are pregnant I would not recommend a liver flush. I would consult my OB/GYN before proceeding.

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This sounds extreme and dangerous. Is it safe?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Chris M. Matsko, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

You are right — great caution has to be taken when doing a liver flush. I would only do it under the care of a medical professional.

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Some studies suggest that caffeine can actually help your liver.^{[7]
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Raj Vuppalanchi, MD
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Expert Interview. 28 October 2020.}

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Warnings

Never cleanse when you are ill. Wait until you are healthy before fasting or significantly altering your diet.

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Remember that cleanses can be harmful to your body, so you should always talk to your doctor first.

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Always seek the help of trained professionals for enemas.

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Swallowing these large amounts of olive oil often results in nausea and diarrhea. Drink plenty of fluids to rehydrate yourself if you experience diarrhea.^{[8]
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