Liver health is vital to proper body functioning as it keeps your blood sugar healthy. However, this organ can be negatively affected by the food you eat. This article covers foods that can keep your liver healthy and those to avoid altogether.
Foods That Are Good for Liver Health
The following foods can provide multiple health benefits for your liver:
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is loaded with fiber that can help your liver function properly. Research also shows it can help you lose weight and reduce belly fat, an effective way to prevent liver disease.
Broccoli
Some studies suggest that broccoli can protect you from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It also contains phytochemicals and antioxidants that can prevent liver cancer.
Coffee
Studies show that drinking two to three cups of coffee daily can protect your liver from damage caused by an unhealthy diet or too much alcohol. It could also reduce your liver cancer risk.
Green Tea
Green tea contains an antioxidant called catechins, which can protect you from liver cancer. It can also reduce liver enzyme levels in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Water
Drinking enough water prevents constipation and reduces stress on your liver by flushing waste from your body.
Almonds
Almonds contain vitamin E, which can protect you from fatty liver disease.
Spinach
Spinach is rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that helps your liver function properly.
Blueberries
Blueberries contain polyphenols that can protect you from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices like rosemary, sage, and oregano are excellent sources of healthy polyphenols. They are also a good alternative to salt in many recipes.
Grapes
Grapes contain resveratrol, which can prevent liver damage in people suffering from NAFLD. Studies also show that people with NAFLD who take resveratrol supplements from grape extracts could have less inflammation.
Foods to Avoid
You need to manage or stay away from the following foods to keep your liver healthy:
Fatty Foods
Eating foods that are high in saturated fat can result in inflammation and cirrhosis.
Sugar
Too much sugar can result in fatty liver disease as your liver makes too much fat that can’t be properly used.
Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol can damage your liver and result in fatty liver disease and alcoholic hepatitis.
Packaged Snack Foods
Packaged snacks are loaded with sugar, salt, and fat. You can replace these with healthy snacks like apples with a single-serve packet of nut butter.
Conclusion
You can boost your liver health by eating oatmeal, broccoli, almonds, and spinach. However, you must cut back on fatty foods, sugar, and alcohol.
