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There are 15 Liver Healthy Foods that can boost your immunity and detoxify your liver naturally. Want to know how? Just keep reading this article.
What you eat directly affects your liver. Fried foods, preserved foods, and fast foods have a high amount of saturated fats1. Saturated fat, if consumed regularly, leads to putting stress on the liver, making it weak. Moreover, our lifestyle also decides the health of the liver.
- Obesity
- Blood Sugar
- Alcoholism
- Exposure to toxins
- Shared needles
These are some common reasons for an unhealthy liver. An unhealthy liver may lead to hepatitis, immune system abnormalities, chronic fatigue2, and several other complications, including liver cancer. Hence, it becomes essential to keep the liver healthy.
Liver: A Natural Detoxifier
The liver is the largest, multifunctional organ of our body that helps blood clotting, breaks down alcohol and other chemicals, and produces glucose. Its main function is purifying the blood. It is a natural detoxifier3.
An unhealthy liver can harm your overall health leading to serious complications. The 15 Liver Healthy Foods are part of a balanced diet that includes foods from every food group. Please take a look at them.
15 Liver Healthy Foods You Should Include In Your Diet
1. Avocado
Researchers have found that avocado contains chemicals that help slow liver damage. It contains healthy fats, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients that protect the liver cells. It is high in fiber that helps reduce fatty liver and also controls weight gain.
Avocados have nearly 20 essential vitamins and nutrients that absorb the high fatty nutrients. Vitamin B6 improves our liver immunity by producing antibodies. The presence of Vitamin C repairs the damaged tissues of the liver. It fights inflammation and detoxifies the liver. Avocado is an ideal food in the category of liver-healthy foods.
2. Olive Oil
Olive oil is a mixture of several oils and phytochemicals4 which reduce inflammation and keep the liver healthy. The benefits of olive oil are:
- It lowers the level of fat in the liver.
- Improves the level of blood flow.
- Protects against oxidative damage of hepatic tissues.
In a study published in Nutrition and Metabolism, olive oil was found to protect against oxidative stress and repair liver damage.
Extra virgin olive oil is even more effective for a healthy liver. It helps remarkably in insulin resistance, preventing inflammation. It has hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol with high antioxidant properties that protect the liver. It also reverses the properties of fatty liver disease.
3. Broccoli & Other Cruciferous Vegetables
The University of Illinois published a study based on the connection between cruciferous vegetables and liver cancer. It is found that the inclusion of broccoli in the diet protects against liver cancer and fights nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Broccoli contains sulforaphane, a powerful phytochemical known for its antioxidant properties. Broccoli and broccoli sprouts are equally useful for their anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Medical experts advise including broccoli nutrition diet in the liver healthy foods plan.
To know more about Broccoli Sprouts Nutrition’s benefits, read Broccoli Sprouts Nutrition: 7 Proven Advantages.
Other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, and kale also prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver cancer.
4. Almonds
Eating nuts improves levels of liver enzymes that fight against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Almonds are rich in vitamin E and unsaturated fat. They help obliterate the bad cholesterol from the body. Almond oil is also useful for the healthy liver as it has powerful hepatoprotective effects.
Almonds have rich antioxidant properties. They also protect against oxidative stress. Almonds also protect against liver inflammation. To improve your liver health, a bunch of nuts like almonds will surely work. Almond is a prominent inclusion in the healthy liver foods list.
5. Green Tea
We all know about green tea’s nutritional benefits, like being low in calories and its antioxidant properties. Green tea reduces the risk of many diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and others. Now, you will be amazed to know that green tea has protective effects on the liver too.
Green tea is an essential inclusion in the liver healthy foods list. It contains antioxidants like catechins, which help in protecting the liver. Its protective effects bring down the chances of liver cancer.
The habit of drinking green tea also reduces blood sugar and protects the liver. Green tea scrubs toxins from the liver, improving its functionality.
6. Oats
Oats are highly popular among households. They are easily cooked and contain a high nutrient value. The fiber-rich property of oats makes them easily digestible. You may be pleased to know that oats and oatmeal are also suitable for liver health.
Oats have an immense amount of beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are biologically active compounds present in the body that fight against inflammation and prevent liver cancer.
Whole oats and steel-cut oats are much better than prepackaged oatmeals as the latter contains filler, which is not healthy.
7. Beetroot
The next inclusion in the Liver Healthy Foods list is the beetroot. Raw beetroot, beet juice, and beetroot powder are equally health beneficial. Beetroot contains folic acid, magnesium, and potassium and has a rich source of fiber.
Some distinguishing features of beetroot for liver health are:
- Beetroot keeps away fat deposits in the liver effectively.
- It contains antioxidants that protect the liver from inflammation and oxidative stress.
- The presence of vitamin A and vitamin B-6 enhances the liver’s ability to detoxify.
- Beetroot contains betaine which improves liver function in fatty liver.
8. Berries
Berries are remarkable for their nutrient value. They contain organic acids that burn fat, lower blood sugar levels, and cleanse the liver. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are equally beneficial for liver health.
Berries are high in oxidants, which protect the liver from any damage. Blueberries contain polyphenols that fight against fatty liver. They also have fat-fighting ketones 5that control obesity and liver diseases.
9. Papaya
Papaya is the next important contender in the Healthy Liver Foods list. Some interesting liver health benefits of papaya are:
- Papaya has antioxidant properties that prevent the progression of fatty liver.
- It has an anti-proliferative effect on liver cells that slows down the growth of cancer cells.
- Papaya seeds are also useful in healing liver cirrhosis.
10. Walnut
It is quite interesting to know that the main purpose of the liver is blood purification. Drastically, due to our unhealthy food habits, the liver gets intoxicated. It halts the liver’s work.
Walnuts help combat fatty liver disease. Some unique liver health benefits of walnut are listed below:
- Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids that cleanse the liver by detoxifying ammonia.
- They contain arginine, which is also an effective detoxifying agent.
- Omega-3 fatty acids present in walnuts also lower fatty acid disease symptoms.
11. Coffee
Studies confirm that regular drinking of coffee lowers the risk of liver disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver patients are advised to include coffee in their diets as a remedy. It lowers the risk of liver cancer and fatty liver to a great extent. Coffee is also effective in liver cirrhosis.
12. Brown Rice
Adding brown rice to the Liver Healthy Foods list has the following reasons:
- Brown rice has a powerful antioxidant property that protects the liver.
- The hepaprotective effect of brown rice saves the liver from any damage.
- Medical experts suggest it in fatty liver disease.
13. Oily Fish
Another inclusion in the Liver Healthy Foods list is oily fish. Oily fish like salmon, tuna, and trout are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids improve liver fat levels and also protect from inflammation. They are also a good alternative to unhealthy meat products.
14. Watermelon
Watermelon is an ideal entry in the Liver Healthy Foods list as it has various health benefits. Watermelon is rich in potassium and is considered a beneficial body-healing food. The health benefits of watermelon for the liver are:
- Watermelon helps the liver to process ammonia after protein digestion.
- It also helps in fighting Hepatitis C and Liver Cirrhosi6s.
- Rich in Vitamin C with antioxidant properties, it is also useful for fatty liver disease.
15. Banana
The final inclusion in the Liver Healthy Foods list is banana. Banana is a certified source of potassium. Potassium is essential to fight against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- It removes unwanted chemicals from the liver.
- Banana is the most common fruit having essential nutrients in supporting the liver to be healthy.
Conclusion
A balanced diet 7is vital to a healthy liver. We must include foods from all food groups in our diet. Cruciferous vegetables, nuts, cereals, fruits, and fish make a balanced diet to make the liver healthy. The 15 Liver Healthy Foods mentioned making an ideal dietary chart to keep the liver healthy.
Note: You must consult a dietician before taking these foods if you have allergies or liver-related complications.
- German, J. Bruce, and Cora J. Dillard. “Saturated fats: what dietary intake?.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 80.3 (2004): 550-559. ↩︎
- Afari, Niloofar, and Dedra Buchwald. “Chronic fatigue syndrome: a review.” American Journal of Psychiatry 160.2 (2003): 221-236. ↩︎
- Ozougwu, Jevas C. “Physiology of the liver.” International Journal of Research in Pharmacy and Biosciences 4.8 (2017): 13-24. ↩︎
- Craig, Winston J. “Phytochemicals: guardians of our health.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 97.10 (1997): S199-S204. ↩︎
- Mitchinson, Wendy. Fighting Fat: Canada, 1920-1980. University of Toronto Press, 2018. ↩︎
- Tsochatzis, Emmanuel A., Jaime Bosch, and Andrew K. Burroughs. “Liver cirrhosis.” The Lancet 383.9930 (2014): 1749-1761. ↩︎
- Price, Susan. “Understanding the importance to health of a balanced diet.” Nursing times 101.1 (2005): 30-31. ↩︎
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