General Health | 8 min read
Best Foods For Liver Health And Ways to Keep Your Liver Healthy
Medically reviewed by
Table of Content
Key Takeaways
- The liver is an essential organ that regulates several key functions and is the largest internal organ in the body
- You can reduce the risk of fat build-up by including some liver-friendly drinks and foods in your daily routine.
- If you’re experiencing health issues due to your liver, the smartest approach is to visit a specialist
The liver is an essential organ that regulates several key functions and is the largest internal organ in the body. It manufactures proteins, cholesterol, and triglycerides and produces bile. Naturally, improper care, by means of diet or medication, is bad for you and can leave you with a damaged liver. In fact, liver diseases include cancers and can cause liver failure. Among these, a particularly important one is Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and which occurs when abnormal amounts of fat accumulate in the liver. Some of the reasons for a fatty liver are:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood sugar
- Hepatitis C
The fact that you can have a fatty liver even if you do not drink alcohol may seem worrisome. Thankfully, you can reduce the risk of fat build-up by incorporating a few drinks and foods good for the liver into your everyday routine. Read on to know more.
Ways to Keep Your Liver Healthy
The liver is one of the body's most vital organs; hence, you must try every way possible to keep it healthy. Various factors contribute to the normal functioning of the liver, such as:
- Maintaining a healthy diet and consuming organic foods
- Drinking a lot of water
- Avoiding alcohol and medicines that cause toxic effects on your liver
- Cutting down the portion of protein
- Detoxing your liver at frequent intervals
Best Foods For Liver Health
Avocado
Avocado is an all-powerful fruit that contains different types of vitamins and minerals and thus contributes to the complete well-being of the liver. It has anti-oxidant properties called glutathione, which flush out harmful toxins from the body.
Garlic
Garlic causes liver enzymes to work properly, eliminating toxins and other unnecessary elements from the body. It also contains selenium, a major component of liver enzymes and thus prevents liver damage.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables, for example, spinach, are a super food for liver as they are loaded with all the important vitamins and antioxidants that cleanse your blood.
Turmeric
Turmeric safeguards your liver and also helps in the regeneration of healthy liver cells. It also helps in the production of bile, a liquid that helps in digestion. Turmeric is also good for various liver conditions, such as fatty liver or liver cirrhosis.
Fatty fish
Fatty fish is an important component of omega-3 fatty acids that prevent inflammation in the liver. They prevent extra protein from building up in the liver and normalize the enzyme level.
Apples
Apples are helpful for releasing toxins from the body as they contain fibre. It also nurtures your digestive tract.
Almonds
Almonds serve as an incredible protective food against liver problems that you may be vulnerable to. These nuts are packed with protein, making them a great snack, and are also high in vitamin E content. This can protect you against liver damage while the healthy fats and fibres in almonds detoxify the body.
Blueberries and Cranberries
Rich in anthocyanins and antioxidants, both cranberries and blueberries have been linked to improved liver health. They protect you against liver damage and blueberries were also found to boost antioxidant enzymes and immune cell response. One study even found that blueberry extract inhibited the growth of liver cancer cells in a controlled environment.
Grapefruit
Grapefruits are among the many fruits good for liver health because of their high antioxidant content. Grapefruit helps reduce inflammation and protects the cells too. Further, the antioxidants founds in grapefruit also help control excessive build-up of connective tissue within the liver. This can cause much damage if left unchecked.
Walnuts
Walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which are key to maintaining liver health. This is especially important to those with NAFLD as omega-3 fatty acids help reduce liver fat and inflammation. Walnuts also boost overall health, which is why they should be part of your diet.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is an all-rounder when it comes to improving and maintaining liver health. It is high in soluble fibre, which reduces cholesterol levels in the liver and blood vessels. It is also rich in protein, which is an important nutrient for repairing damaged tissues, while preventing fat build-up and damage to liver cells.
Tea
Widely known for its health benefits, tea is also quite popular for boosting liver health. This is especially the case with green tea, which is high in antioxidants. A study found that green tea helped improve liver enzymes levels. Moreover, the study also concluded that green tea reduces oxidative stress in patients with NAFLD and in doing so improves liver fat content. Green tea may also lessen the risk of liver cancer.
Olive oil
Known to improve heart and metabolic health, olive oil is a healthy fat that has numerous health benefits, even for the liver. As per a study, even as much as one teaspoon of olive oil per day improves liver enzymes and proteins linked to positive metabolism. Another study found that olive oil also betters the blood levels of liver enzymes, improves insulin sensitivity, and helps reduce fat accumulation in the liver.
Beetroot
Beetroot, especially its juice, is high in nitrates and antioxidants called betalains, which may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver. Beetroot juice also increases the natural detoxification enzymes. These properties help beetroot earn its place among the best foods for liver health..Prickly pear
A common type of edible cactus, the prickly pear or Opuntia Ficus Indica is an age-old remedy for treating liver disease. It helps reduce inflammation, decreases oxidative damage in the liver, and stabilises antioxidant levels.
Coffee
Studies have found that moderate coffee consumption has value in protecting the liver against disease. This is because it lowers the risk of cirrhosis, which is the scarring of the liver caused by liver damage. Moreover, it is also known to decrease inflammation, prevent the build-up of fat and collagen, and minimise the risk of liver cancer.
Grapes
Exposure to toxins can increase the risk of liver damage and grapes help counteract this. Grapes are among the fruits good for liver health because they lower inflammation and increase antioxidant levels in the body. Moreover, grape also contains the plant compound, resveratrol, which is known to have numerous health-benefits, making it a liver-friendly food.
With a clear understanding of what the right food for fatty liver treatment looks like, you should also know what foods can damage your liver. To give you an idea, here is a list you can refer to.
Additional Read: Low Cholesterol diet planFoods That Damage The Liver
- Added sugar
- Excess supplement vitamin A
- Soft drinks
- Trans fat
- Alcohol
- Fried foods
- Red meat
- Fructose-rich fruits
Which Foods are Bad for Liver Health?
Maintaining a balanced diet is the first step toward a healthy liver. The food listed below can have a harmful effect on the liver:
- Fatty foods: They refer to fast foods, fried foods, packaged chips, and snacks that contain high fats. So, you must avoid these foods to keep your liver healthy
- Starchy foods: They refer to processed foods such as cakes, pasta, bread, and baked products that are also low in fibre and hence not good for the liver
- Sugar: Reducing sugar intake and sugar-based foods such as baked products, candies, and cereals will minimize the strain on the liver
- Salt: You should avoid meats and vegetables that are preserved in cans, eat out in restaurants in fewer amounts, and avoid eating salted beacons and meats
- Alcohol: If you want to protect your liver from damage, you should cut down your alcohol consumption. Anyone who is looking to give their liver a break should consider reducing their intake of alcohol or giving up altogether
If you’re experiencing health issues due to your liver, the smartest approach is to visit a specialist. To counteract a fatty liver, diet changes are usually the first suggestions, followed by medication. Here, the best food for liver health is recommended in the right serving sizes, thereby ensuring controlled recovery. To get the best results this way, it is important that you find a good hematologist or a gastroenterologist for treatment.
Additional Read: How to prevent liver cirrhosisFind the best doctor for the job on Bajaj Finserv Health. Locate a specialist near you in minutes, view doctors’ years of experience, consulting hours, fees and more before booking an e-consult or in-person appointment. Apart from facilitating appointment booking, the Bajaj Finserv Health also offers health plans for your family, medicine reminders, healthcare information and discounts from select hospitals and clinics.
FAQ
What foods are good for liver repair?
Grapes, coffee, tea, nuts, apples, fatty fish, nuts, beans, and berries can do wonders for your liver. They repair tissues of the liver.
What are the best foods for liver?
Oatmeal, is one of the best foods for your liver. As you consume oil every day, you can replace your old cooking oil with olive oil.
How can I strengthen my liver?
By eating healthy and maintaining a proper weight, you can protect your liver.
What can I drink to flush my liver?
Green tea, ginger and lemon drink, grapefruit drink, turmeric drink and oatmeal drinks are some of the drinks that flush out harmful toxins from your liver.
Which fruit is best for the liver?
Oranges, lemons and apples are the best foods for your liver.
Which vegetable is good for the liver?
Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprout etc., are good for the liver as they contain fibre.
References
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- https://www.healthline.com/health/fatty-liver#causes
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- https://www.manipalhospitals.com/blog/14-best-and-worst-foods-for-your-liver
- https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/ss/slideshow-surprising-liver-damage
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