Your diet plays a major role in how healthy your liver is. Learn how to treat your liver better with healthy meals using these five easy-to-find ingredients
Continuing the conversation on how diet affects our bodies and health, we bring your attention now to liver health. The liver is absolutely essential to your life, with it being the largest internal organ with over 500 vital functions. Two of its more known functions are that it filters the blood in our bodies, as well as breaks down poisonous substances like alcohol and drugs.
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To maintain a healthy liver, you’ll need to develop healthy habits, such as exercising regularly, avoiding illicit drugs, limiting your alcohol intake, and having a healthy diet. While we are free to eat the most delicious yet not-so-nutritious foods in our lives, we must still choose to eat healthy foods that would support our bodies. That’s because—among other health conditions—eating excessive fats can result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
As mentioned, one step you can take to protect your liver is by having a healthy diet. This could mean eating fewer meals that are high in fat and cholesterol, salt, sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup, all while eating more of certain vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods. And while you could be far from being at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, it wouldn’t hurt to already take preventative measures. With that, here are just five examples of foods that are healthy for your liver.
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Okra
Besides promoting kidney function, okra is full of antioxidants that help the body get rid of toxins as well as combat liver inflammation.
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Cabbage
Even in juice form, cabbage is good for your liver because it’s rich in vitamin C and sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate found commonly in cruciferous vegetables, and it has antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties.
Broccoli
Like cabbage, broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that can counter the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease due to its powerful health benefits.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another cruciferous vegetable we recommend because, aside from its health benefits and role in combating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, it’s a versatile ingredient that can be used for a multitude of healthy and meatless alternatives.
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Grapefruit
Lastly, grapefruit is one example of a fruit that’s beneficial for your liver health because it’s rich in antioxidants that can help you combat viruses and bacteria. There’s also research that supports the notion that grapefruit juice can protect against liver DNA damage.
While this is the end of our list, remember that there are plenty more foods out there that you could eat to support your liver health, such as nuts, berries, and fatty fish. There are also beverages you can drink, from coffee to tea. However, it’s still ideal to talk to your doctor about what would work best for you, your body, and your lifestyle. This way, you’ll know exactly what your next steps should be.
