Introduction
Having a healthy liver is essential for overall health and wellbeing. The liver is responsible for filtering toxins from the body, producing bile to help digest food, and storing energy for later use. Unfortunately, many of us don’t pay enough attention to our liver health. Fortunately, there are some proven ways to have the healthiest liver, say experts. Eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones can make a big difference in your liver health. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best foods to eat and the worst foods to avoid for optimal liver health. So, if you’re looking to improve your liver health, read on to learn more about the Eat This Not That approach to liver health.
Proven Ways to Have the Healthiest Liver, Say Experts — Eat This Not That
Having a healthy liver is essential for overall health and wellbeing. But with so many different foods and drinks out there, it can be hard to know what to eat and what to avoid. Fortunately, experts have identified some key foods and drinks that can help keep your liver in tip-top shape.
Eat This
- Leafy greens: Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients that can help protect your liver from damage.
- Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes are rich in vitamin C, which can help reduce inflammation and protect your liver from damage.
- Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, and flaxseeds are high in healthy fats and antioxidants that can help keep your liver healthy.
- Beans and legumes: Beans and legumes like black beans, lentils, and chickpeas are high in fiber and protein, which can help reduce inflammation and protect your liver from damage.
- Fatty fish: Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and protect your liver from damage.
Not That
- Processed meats: Processed meats like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs are high in saturated fat and sodium, which can increase inflammation and damage your liver.
- Sugary drinks: Sugary drinks like soda, energy drinks, and fruit juices are high in sugar, which can increase inflammation and damage your liver.
- Fried foods: Fried foods like French fries, chicken nuggets, and onion rings are high in unhealthy fats, which can increase inflammation and damage your liver.
- Alcohol: Alcohol is high in calories and can increase inflammation and damage your liver.
- Refined carbs: Refined carbs like white bread, pasta, and pastries are high in sugar and can increase inflammation and damage your liver.
By following these simple tips, you can help keep your liver healthy and functioning properly. Eating a balanced diet and avoiding unhealthy foods and drinks can go a long way in keeping your liver healthy and strong.
Your liver is essential to your life—so it’s important to take good care of it. “Recent research shows a dramatic uptick in the number of people suffering or dying from conditions like liver cancer or liver disease,” says Robin Kim, MD, surgical director of liver transplantation at University of Utah Health’s Transplant Services. “There is evidence this increase could be due to people not paying attention to keeping their liver healthy.” Here are five proven ways to have the healthiest liver, according to experts. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
If you want to keep your liver in tip-top shape, limit alcohol or eliminate it completely. “Even if you think your liver is healthy, those who drink at least moderately and regularly for years are advised to take a break from alcohol in order to allow [for] healing whatever damage that may have occurred in the liver,” says Cleveland Clinic hepatologist Jamile Wakim-Fleming, MD. “We tell our patients who are presenting for liver transplant from alcoholic liver disease that they should be sober for two years at least.”
Hepatitis literally means inflammation of the liver. “Prevention is key,” says Moises Ilan Nevah, MD, a transplant hepatologist/gastroenterologist and medical director of the Liver Transplant Program at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. “In addition to getting vaccinated, practicing good hygiene (such as handwashing after using the restroom) is very important to preventing hepatitis A. In addition, hepatitis B and C can be transmitted by sex or sharing needles, razors, or toothbrushes with someone who has the disease.”
Eating a healthy diet can be beneficial to liver health, experts say. “We recommend patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease drink three cups of coffee per day, eat four tablespoons of olive oil a day and follow a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes eating primarily plant-based foods and healthy fats,” says Annie Guinane, RD, LDN.
Aerobic exercise may help protect the liver from alcohol-related inflammation, researchers claim. “Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the most common causes of chronic liver failure,” said Jamal Ibdah, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, Raymond E. and Vaona H. Peck Chair in Cancer Research at the MU School of Medicine. “We know from previous research that chronic and binge drinking causes modifications to protein structures within the liver, resulting in irreversible damage. In our current study we wanted to see whether increased levels of aerobic fitness could prevent alcohol-related liver damage… Higher physical activity levels seemed to protect against the metabolic dysfunction that eventually leads to irreversible liver damage.”
Over-the-counter supplements can be incredibly harmful to liver health, doctors warn. One study found that bodybuilding supplements containing androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) are particularly dangerous. “Bodybuilding supplements that contain AAS can lead to liver damage, including severe cholestatic hepatitis, which can take months to resolve,” says Robert Fontana, MD, University of Michigan’s medical director of liver transplantation. “Additionally, various multi-ingredient nutritional supplements taken to enhance energy, increase performance and facilitate weight loss can lead to potentially severe, or even fatal, liver damage.”
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