Introduction
Eating healthy is essential for overall health and wellbeing, but it is especially important for the health of your liver. Eating the right foods can help keep your liver functioning properly and reduce the risk of developing liver disease. Dietitian and nutritionist, Eat This Not That, has identified the #1 best eating habit for your liver. In this article, we will discuss what this habit is and how it can benefit your liver health. We will also provide tips on how to incorporate this habit into your daily diet.
The #1 Best Eating Habit for Your Liver, Says Dietitian — Eat This Not That
If you’re looking to keep your liver healthy, dietitians recommend following one simple eating habit: Eat This Not That. This simple phrase is a reminder to choose healthy foods over unhealthy ones. Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats is the best way to keep your liver functioning optimally.
When it comes to eating for your liver, it’s important to avoid processed foods, fried foods, and foods high in saturated fat. These foods can be hard on your liver and can lead to fatty liver disease. Instead, focus on eating foods that are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients that can help support liver health.
Some of the best foods for your liver include:
- Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard
- Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts
- Berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
- Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, and flaxseeds
- Fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel
- Beans and legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and black beans
- Whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice
- Healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, and nuts
In addition to eating a healthy diet, it’s important to stay hydrated and get regular exercise. Both of these can help support liver health and reduce the risk of fatty liver disease. So, remember to Eat This Not That and your liver will thank you!
Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body, and performs over 500 functions in the human body, according to Brittany Michels, MS, RDN, LDN, with The Vitamin Shoppe. But one of its main functions is removing both internal and external contaminants our bodies come in contact with on a daily basis.
“These include air, water and food contaminants, drugs, alcohol, micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, as well as internally produced toxins created by essential body processes,” says Michels. “Our liver is the primary organ responsible for detox and does so by converting toxins into compounds that can be easily eliminated by the body. The liver filters about one liter of blood per minute.”
She notes that when your liver is not working at optimal levels, it will have decreased detox efficiency, putting added stress on the body.
“The liver also produces bile, which helps with both fat absorption and carrying waste (including those converted toxins) out of the body via the digestive tract,” says Michels.
What you eat can have a big impact on your liver’s health. According to Michels, the best eating habit for your liver is limiting environmental toxin exposure through dietary sources, especially insecticides, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium).
“Exposure to these three environmental toxins is associated with elevated liver enzymes, fatty liver disease and liver cancer risk,” says Michels. “It’s estimated that over 30% of the U.S. population has the most common form of liver disease, called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.”
So how exactly can you do this? By being mindful of dietary and supplemental choices.
Sign up for our newsletter!
She explains that animal and fatty foods contain the highest levels of PCBs and pesticides because these contaminants are stored in fat, which becomes more concentrated as they move up the food chain.
“PCBs and pesticides also accumulate in rivers, lakes, and coastal area sediments then build up in fish,” explains Michels. “The FDA monitors food and drinking water levels; however, it would be a beneficial, proactive step to be aware of heavy metal food exposures. Fish, bone broth, rice, vegetable oils, peanuts, some root vegetables (like potatoes), food colors, corn syrups, and preservatives (such as sodium benzoate) are the biggest heavy metal culprits.”
Michels points to Consumer Reports data that suggests limiting rice food intake to less than seven points per week. Michels also suggests that it may also help to choose low-fat and/or organic dairy options, as well as whole foods versus processed.
Here are a couple more tips for limiting environmental food exposures when it comes to proteins.
Choose fish wisely.
“Choose fish wisely and be aware of fish containing high levels of PCBs, pesticides, and heavy metals,” says Michels. “Common commercial fish that are high in PCBs and pesticides include Atlantic or farmed salmon, bluefish, wild striped bass, flounder and blue crab. Fish highest in mercury and other heavy metals include bluefish, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, tilefish, ahi, and bigeye tuna. Remove the skin and trim the fat when preparing fish to reduce exposure.”
Choose lean protein.
“Choose lean animal protein sources and buy organic when possible because environmental toxins can accumulate in fat,” says Michels. “It’s a great idea to know your farmer and be aware of potential exposures.”
Michels also notes to be wary of fish oil supplements.
“Buy fish oil that has been third-party tested and that is guaranteed to be free of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and other environmental toxins, like PCBs and pesticides,” says Michels. “Buy fish oil made from sardines, anchovy, mackerel, whiting, or pollock. And buy brands that disclose the source of oil.”