Liver Diet

What Is A Healthy Liver Diet?

A healthy liver diet, designed and maintained with the goal of keeping your liver healthy and functioning at peak efficiency, need not be mysterious. A liver diet is not much different - if different at all - from the diet any doctor will tell you to follow: low-fat, low cholesterol foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and fish instead of large amounts of animal fats (or foods fried or baked with animal fats).

That said, there are foods that are especially good for the liver and should be included in a healthy liver diet. There are also foods that are bad for your liver and should not be included. The goal of this article is to provide information about both. The food you eat - or don't eat - as part of a healthy liver diet will influence how your liver performs its many critical functions.

Foods that contain a lot of fiber are beneficial to your liver. Cereals, rice and whole grain breads are on this list. Some foods are natural detoxifiers and liver cleansers, including cabbage and cauliflower, dandelion greens, mustard greens and romaine lettuce.

As mentioned above, fish is a great food to make part of your liver diet. Many kinds of fish contain a fatty acid known as omega-3 which has multiple benefits heart and liver health. Fish that are high in omega-3 content include mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna.

Foods that are rich in antioxidants should also be part of a healthy liver diet. There are many. One of the best is anything with beta-carotine. Beets and carrots have high levels of this strong antioxidant. Garlic contains selenium and glutathione, which are powerful antioxidants too.

Foods with vitamins A, B, B12, C, and E are also liver friendly. Vitamin B is present in broccoli, eggs and spinach. You can find B12 in fish, eggs, certain types of meat and milk. You'll find vitamin C in many different foods, including Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, papaya, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos.
 
Vitamin E is plentiful in walnuts and almonds, avocado, asparagus, and tomatoes.

There are certain foods you should limit or avoid to keep your liver as healthy as possible. Anything that is high in animal fats and cholesterol can strain the liver and gallbladder. Excessive cholesterol is a major cause of a condition called fatty liver disease, which has become a major health concern in many developed countries. Fat around the liver causes liver inflammation, which destroys liver cells and replaces healthy tissue with scar tissue. Scarring of the liver is known as cirrhosis, and it can eventually lead to liver failure, which is a life-threatening event. Cholesterol can also build up in the gallbladder, which works with the liver to process fats during digestion. If gallbladder function is impaired, it could have an impact on liver performance as well.

Everyone knows that many forms of red meats and fried foods are high in animals fats, so keeping hamburgers and fries to a minimum is a good way to maintain liver health. But many people are unaware that a lot of baked goods contain fats that are bad for your liver or heart.

The story regarding alcohol and coffee is somewhat mixed. Alcohol is toxic to the liver - there's no doubt about that. On the other hand, some studies have shown that a moderate amount of red wine, consumed regularly, raises good cholesterol (HDL) and is therefore heart healthy. As with so many other things, moderation and balance are important.

For years, doctors assumed that caffeine was bad for your liver. However, there's been some research lately indicating that coffee may actually be beneficial. These studies say that even 3-4 cups of coffee a day are not harmful and might even be helpful to the liver. Meanwhile, some varieties of tea contain caffeine but are also high in antioxidants, which boost the immune system and promote liver health. Green tea is regarded as one of the best in this category.

There is still much research being done on foods that make up a healthy liver diet. Fortunately, with the coming of the Internet, it's not hard to keep up with the latest developments in nutritional news. Doing so can keep your liver - and your entire body - healthy and operating at its best. 

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