For the past three years I’ve been obsessed with keeping my liver happy.
Too many late nights, too much wine, and a decade of “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” caught up with me: ALT hovering between 55–92, early fatty liver, and that constant low-grade brain fog that makes you feel ten years older. Doctors told me to change my lifestyle; I tried, but slowly. What actually moved the needle were two herbs from completely different traditions that turned out to be perfect teammates: Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis). Here’s how they compare when it comes to liver enzyme induction, antioxidant protection, and real-world recovery.

Why These Two?

I needed something that

1. calms the stress that was inflaming my liver in the first place,
2. actively protects and repairs hepatocytes, and
3. doesn’t leave me groggy or wired the next day.

Milk thistle, dandelion, and artichoke all helped a bit, but never fixed the root problem: chronic cortisol overload. Ashwagandha and Schisandra together finally did.

Ashwagandha: The Cortisol-Killer That Gives the Liver Breathing Room

Everyone knows Ashwagandha drops cortisol, but most people stop there. What they miss is that chronically high cortisol drives Phase I liver enzymes (CYP3A4, CYP1A2) into overdrive while simultaneously depleting Phase II conjugation pathways. The result? Toxic intermediates pile up, oxidative stress skyrockets, and ALT/AST creep upward.

When I added 300–400 mg of good root extract (standardized, not the cheap leaf stuff) every evening, two things happened within 6–8 weeks:

• My morning cortisol (saliva test) fell from the high-normal range into the sweet spot.
• ALT dropped from 78 → 41 → 29 over four months and has stayed there.

The liver suddenly wasn’t fighting a daily cortisol fire. It could focus on real detox instead of damage control.

Schisandra: The Liver’s Personal Bodyguard

Schisandra is the only herb I’ve found that simultaneously

• induces Phase I detoxification (so nothing gets stuck half-metabolized),
• dramatically up-regulates Phase II conjugation (glutathione, glucuronidation, sulfation), and
• floods the liver with unique lignans (schizandrins, gomisin A, etc.) that are some of the strongest antioxidants on the planet.

I take 1–1.5 g of berry powder (or 15–20 drops of a good tincture) in the morning. Within two weeks my AST (which never budged with anything else) started falling, and the foggy, heavy feeling after meals disappeared. My last bloodwork showed AST 22, ALT 29 — numbers I hadn’t seen since university.

Head-to-Head: What Each One Does Best

Area	Ashwagandha wins because…	Schisandra wins because…
Cortisol-driven inflammation	Directly lowers HPA overdrive	Indirectly helps, but not its main talent
Phase I induction	Mild	Strong, balanced, prevents reactive intermediates
Phase II conjugation	Moderate (via Nrf2)	Extremely strong (UDPGT, GST upregulation)
Direct antioxidant power	Good (withanolides)	Exceptional (lignans outperform most berries)
Morning energy & clarity	Calming, can make some people sleepy	Noticeably sharper focus, no sedation
Evening wind-down	Perfect — promotes deep sleep	Neutral to mildly stimulating if taken late
Taste in tea	Earthy, needs milk + honey	Sour-sweet, actually pleasant on its own

How I Use Them Together (My Current Routine)

Morning (liver “on” mode)

• 1.2 g Schisandra berry powder in warm water with lemon
• or 15 drops 1:2 tincture under the tongue

Evening (liver “repair & rest” mode)

• 350 mg Ashwagandha root extract (5–8% withanolides) in warm milk with turmeric, cinnamon, and honey

Result: ALT/AST stay in the low 20s, energy is steady all day, sleep is deep, and even the occasional glass of wine doesn’t derail me like it used to.

The Little Things I Noticed

• Schisandra alone: skin looks brighter, hangovers are 70% milder, but I still feel background stress.
• Ashwagandha alone: calmer mind, great sleep, but if I drink or eat junk, the liver still complains a bit.
• Both together: it’s like the liver finally has a bodyguard AND a therapist.

Who Should Pick Which?

• If your liver enzymes go up every time life gets crazy → start with Ashwagandha (stress is the root).
• If you already manage stress but still have sluggish detox, chemical sensitivity, or high oxidative markers → Schisandra is the heavyweight.
• If you’re like me and want both → morning Schisandra, evening Ashwagandha is stupidly effective.

I’m not saying these two herbs are magic, but for the first time in years my liver tests are consistently perfect, I wake up clear-headed, and I can enjoy life without feeling like I’m slowly poisoning myself. That’s more than enough for me.