What's good for the liver

Of the medicines, she benefits from all those that contain bitterness, which opens blockages, or other power that opens them, combined with an astringent and liver-strengthening property, as well as incense that corresponds to the substance of pneuma and prevents decay, such as the incense of Chinese cinnamon, aromatic rush inflorescences , myrrh and the like. Suitable for the liver are also everything that washes, cleanses and removes malignant pus, unless the degree of relaxation of the liver substance reaches the degree of purification, as well as substances that cause ripening and softening, especially if they bind and strengthen, like saffron, are sweet, like raisins, and quickly penetrate the body, like fragrant wine. All of this is fine for most people's livers as long as there is no extreme heat in the liver. When a medicine combines sweetness with the properties mentioned, then it should all the more be a friend of the liver, kind to it, like raisins, figs, nuts, and bring great benefit. If it is not subject to spoilage and rotting, then it acts even more powerfully. Dandelion and chicory, garden and wild, are very suitable for the liver and benefit hot liver diseases both by their special property and by their opposite quality to warmth. However, some people believe that very bitter chicory works better: it helps by opening blockages with its bitterness and strengthening with its astringent property. And it helps against cold illness with its special property and ability to open blockages and strengthen. When the cold in the liver becomes excessive, either of these two medicines is mixed with honey or water sweetened with honey: honey counteracts some cooling effect, if any, and promotes their other effects. They are often dried and given to drink with honey, or water sweetened with honey, or boiled with honey; then this helps a lot and removes cold juice with urine.

The foods that open blockages and are suitable for the liver are those that produce good chyme. Sweets are suitable for the liver, which becomes fatter, larger and stronger from them, but they quickly create blockages, since the liver forcefully draws them in along with other juices. Therefore, sweets should be avoided by people who have a tumor in the liver, because they quickly turn into bile and also cause blockages. The most harmful of all sweets are thick ones, as they cause blockages, and spicy ones, as they turn into bile. Pistachios are beneficial because they smell good, bind, open blockages and clear pathways for nutrients, but they are very warming; nuts are suitable for any liver: they are not very hot and also open blockages and give good chyme. Wolf liver and snail meat are suitable for liver due to their special properties.