This Isn’t Just Another Pesto Recipe

It's a functional blend of nutrient-dense ingredients scientifically linked to better liver health. Each element has been carefully chosen to support detoxification, reduce inflammation, and promote metabolic balance.

Let’s dive into why this pesto deserves a regular spot on your plate.

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Recipe

Ingredients:

1 whole bunch of Tuscan kale (stems removed)
1/3 cup hemp seeds
1/3 cup raw buckwheat groats
1/3 cup sesame seeds
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup high-quality parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more to taste)
Juice of one lemon

Directions

1. Remove the stems from the kale and roughly chop the leaves.

2.Add kale and all remaining ingredients to a food processor or Thermomix

3.Blend to your desired consistency, add more olive oil if needed.

4.Season to taste

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How to Enjoy This Pesto:

- Spoon into roasted Portobello mushrooms as a vegetarian main

- Toss through warm potato salad or wholegrain pasta

- Serve with cheese and seeded crackers

- Spread onto toast with avocado or poached eggs

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Ingredient Spotlights

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Tuscan Kale: Cruciferous Detox Support

Tuscan kale is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, rich in sulforaphane, a powerful phytochemical shown to support liver health through multiple mechanisms. Sulforaphane helps activate the Nrf2 pathway, the body’s master switch for antioxidant and detoxification defenses. By enhancing the liver’s ability to neutralise oxidative stress and eliminate toxins, sulforaphane plays a protective role against liver inflammation and fat accumulation.

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Emerging evidence also suggests sulforaphane may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce lipid build-up in the liver, making it a promising nutrient in the fight against conditions like MASLD (Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease).

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Hemp Seeds: Essential Fats

Hemp seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients that support both metabolic and liver health. Rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in an ideal ratio, they help reduce inflammation and promote liver cell repair. Hemp seeds also contain all essential amino acids, including high levels of arginine, methionine, and cysteine, key players in detoxification and glutathione production. Their high vitamin E and tocopherol content provides potent antioxidant protection, helping neutralise free radicals and reduce oxidative stress.

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Oxidative stress is a key driver in liver conditions like MASLD, regularly including hemp seeds may support long-term liver function and resilience.

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Buckwheat: Liver-Protective Phytonutrients

‍Naturally gluten-free and rich in plant-based compounds, buckwheat offers more than just slow-releasing energy. It's a potent source of rutin, a flavonoid known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, especially its ability to protect liver cells from oxidative damage and inflammation. Buckwheat also contains choline, a nutrient that supports fat metabolism and helps prevent lipid accumulation in the liver, a key driver of MASLD.

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Buckwheat protein may help lower cholesterol by binding to bile acids in the gut, prompting the liver to use more cholesterol to make new bile, helping reduce overall cholesterol levels

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Sesame Seeds: Nutrient-dense functional seed

Sesame seeds are rich in sesamin, a lignan known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, particularly in relation to liver health. Sesamin has been shown to support the body’s natural detoxification processes by helping reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, two key drivers of liver dysfunction. It also plays a role in regulating fat metabolism and may help prevent fat accumulation in the liver.

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Emerging research suggests sesamin may support healthy cholesterol metabolism, improve liver enzyme levels,  and activate key metabolic pathways such as AMPK and PPAR, making sesame seeds a valuable addition to a liver-supportive diet.

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Garlic: Sulfur-Rich Cellular Defender

‍Garlic contains allicin, a sulfur-containing compound released when garlic is chopped or crushed. Allicin is known for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, which contribute to its therapeutic potential in liver health.

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Research suggests that allicin helps protect liver cells by reducing oxidative stress, modulating inflammatory pathways, and supporting immune regulation. It may also aid in lowering liver enzyme levels and improving lipid metabolism, both of which are key in the management of liver conditions like MASLD.

Garlic’s ability to influence gut microbiota and systemic inflammation further strengthens its role as a supportive food for liver and metabolic health.

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Parmesan Cheese: A Natural Source of Choline

Parmesan cheese provides a modest amount of choline, a nutrient essential for liver health. Choline plays a pivotal role in fat metabolism and the prevention of fat accumulation in the liver. It contributes to the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, a compound necessary for the export of fat from the liver. Although Parmesan contains less choline compared to other sources like eggs or liver, incorporating it into a balanced diet can contribute to overall choline intake.

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Ensuring adequate choline consumption is vital for liver health, with deficiencies being  linked to liver dysfunction and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

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Olive Oil: Anti-inflammatory Mediterranean Staple

Extra virgin olive oil a rich source of monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, compounds known to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Its antioxidant profile plays a protective role in liver function by modulating inflammatory pathways and enhancing metabolic balance.

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Studies suggest that oleic acid reduces inflammation and oxidative stress

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Regular use of high-quality olive oil may help reduce the risk of MASLD and other metabolic disorders.

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This pesto is more than just flavourful, it’s a therapeutic recipe backed by science. Whether you're managing early signs of metabolic dysfunction or simply looking to nourish your liver more intentionally, adding foods and dishes like this to your rotation is a smart step forward.

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Want a more personalised liver-support plan? Book a clarity call here.

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References

(1). Chen, X., Qiu, W., Ma, X., Ren, L., Feng, M., Hu, S., ... & Chen, R. (2024). Roles and Mechanisms of Choline Metabolism in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Cancers. Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark, 29(5), 182.

https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2905182

(2). El-Saadony, M. T., Saad, A. M., Korma, S. A., Salem, H. M., Abd El-Mageed, T. A., Alkafaas, S. S., ... & Ibrahim, S. A. (2024). Garlic bioactive substances and their therapeutic applications for improving human health: A comprehensive review. Frontiers in immunology, 15, 1277074.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1277074

(3). Kamle, M., Mahato, D. K., Sharma, B., Gupta, A., Shah, A. K., Mahmud, M. C., ... & Kumar, P. (2024). Nutraceutical potential, phytochemistry of hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) and its application in food and feed: A review. Food Chemistry Advances, 4, 100671.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focha.2024.100671

(4). Parsa, E., Javadi, B., & Sahebkar, A. (2024). The protective effects of sesamin against metabolic syndrome: A mechanistic review. Phytomedicine Plus, 100625.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phyplu.2024.100625

(5). Sofi, S. A., Ahmed, N., Farooq, A., Rafiq, S., Zargar, S. M., Kamran, F., ... & Mousavi Khaneghah, A. (2023). Nutritional and bioactive characteristics of buckwheat, and its potential for developing gluten‐free products: An updated overview. Food Science & Nutrition, 11(5), 2256-2276.

https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3166

(6). Yan, L., & Yan, Y. (2023). Therapeutic potential of sulforaphane in liver diseases: A review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 14, 1256029.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1256029

(7).Zhou, M., Lv, J., Chen, X., Shi, Y., Chao, G., & Zhang, S. (2025). From gut to liver: Exploring the crosstalk between gut-liver axis and oxidative stress in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Annals of Hepatology, 101777.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aohep.2025.101777

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