Your liver performs a multitude of functions that play a huge role in metabolism and digestion. Therefore, keeping your liver in top shape with a healthy liver diet is one of the smartest things you can do for your personal wellbeing.
Happily, a healthy liver diet contains a lot of the same food that also keeps your heart healthy - and keeps you living longer.
Low-fat, low cholesterol foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and fish are all contributors to a healthy liver. But there are also some foods that are particularly good for the liver and you ought to make sure some get into each of your meals.
High fiber foods are among the best: cereals, rice and whole grain breads. There are also many foods that are believed to detoxify the liver naturally. Cabbage, cauliflower, dandelion greens, mustard greens and romaine lettuce are among the most popular.
Many foods are high in antioxidants which promote health at the cellular level. Foods that contain beta-carotene lead this list. Beets and carrots have high levels of this strong antioxidant. You should also work garlic into your meals when you can because it contains selenium and glutathione, which are both very potent antioxidants.
Foods with vitamins A, B, B12, C, and E are important parts of a healthy liver diet. Vitamin B is abundant in broccoli, eggs and spinach. You can find B12 in fish, eggs, certain types of meat and milk.
Many different foods have high yields of vitamin C, including Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, papaya, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos. Vitamin E is present in certain varieties of nuts, especially almonds and walnuts. You can also find vitamin E in avocado, asparagus, and tomatoes.
Once again, eating several servings of fish per week is among the best things you can do - not just for liver health, but also for overall wellbeing. Many types of fish contain high levels of a fatty acid called omega-3 which is especially good for your liver and heart. Fish that have a lot of omega-3 are mackerel, salmon, sardines, and tuna.
That's the short list of foods that make up a healthy liver diet. There are, of course, some foods you should avoid - or at least keep to a minimum - for your liver's sake.
Foods that contain a lot of high-cholesterol animal fats can wear down your liver and gallbladder. The liver and gallbladder work together to process fats from the food you eat, and they usually do a great job. But sometimes there's a limit. Year after year of feeding them a steady flow of cholesterol is likely to take a toll someday. A high fat, high cholesterol diet is one of the major reasons for gallbladder attacks. Cholesterol also contributes to a less-well-known condition called fatty liver disease. Fatty liver occurs when fat deposits begin to accumulate in the liver, which compromises liver function and has a big ripple effect on overall metabolism. Fatty liver disease can ultimately destroy liver cells and lead to the scarring of liver tissue. This process of liver scarring is known as cirrhosis, which is a leading cause of liver failure.
Which foods contain high levels of cholesterol from animal fats? You probably know the list by now: red meat and fried foods - especially the type you find in most fast-food restaurants. Burgers and fries anyone? You'd better not consume these in mass quantities for years on end if you want to keep your liver healthy.
Some types of baked goods like donuts, cookies and cake are just as bad for you, as are many so-called convenience foods. When you're shopping, take a few seconds to read the labels on prepackaged foods that come in boxes or wraps, and look for the words trans fat and saturated fat. These are both bad news. Trans fat is typically found in food that is manufactured artificially. Foods with a lot of trans fats include frozen foods, margarine, Ramen noodles and soup cups.
Saturated fat is the type that's in animal-based foods. But it can also be found in certain oils, nuts, seeds, and avocados. Remember, most vegetables and nuts contain no cholesterol. But this is not universally true. That's why it's important to read labels.
It appears the nutritional jury is still out on both alcohol and caffeine. There's no question that alcohol is toxic to the liver. But some studies suggest that modest amounts of red wine, consumed regularly, can be heart healthy. As with all things, moderation is the key.
Caffeine has also done well in recent research. For a long time, coffee was considered to be bad for the liver. But there's now reason to believe coffee may actually be good for liver health. More research is needed on this topic. Meanwhile, some varieties of tea contain caffeine but are also have high antioxidant content, which boosts the immune system - a good thing for your liver. Green tea is generally considered to be one of the best in the tea category.
Nutrition research is being done constantly, and more news is coming out almost every day. Still, where liver health is concerned, your doctor is your best source of information. Talk to him or her if you have questions about a healthy liver diet.
To learn more on this and related topics, click on liverhealtharticles.info/fat-around-the-liver.html fat around the liver and liverhealtharticles.info/liver-diet.html a healthy liver diet.
Neal Kennedy is a former TV news anchor and medical reporter with a special interest in health-related subjects.
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