Healthy liver diet – A healthy functioning liver is pivotal for or a healthy life in general.
That's because your liver has a significant hand in the health of most of your other vital organs.
All our vital organs are necessary for life, but the liver is the one that is necessary for these organs.
For example, your liver manufactures bile which is essential for your digestive system.
It detoxifies the blood, which is necessary for healthy circulation.
It helps with glucose absorption and breaks down fats, necessary for optimal brain health.
The liver is also the manufacturing hub for many hormones.
Its metabolic importance can’t be emphasized enough. That being said, what exactly makes or breaks the healthy function of the liver.
Well aside from protecting it from physical damage, the liver is mainly affected by what you eat.
How Your Diet Affects Your Liver
Your diet has a direct impact on what work your liver needs to do and how it is affected by this work.
It also affects how healthy the tissues are based on the essential nutrient profile of the food you eat.
Your liver is the body’s cleaning service. It breaks down and helps eliminate toxins from your body.
You might be thinking, well, if that's the case, I can eat what I want and my liver will take care of it.
If that really was the case, you wouldn’t be reading this.
That's because clearing out toxins takes quite a toll on the liver.
There needs to be a balance between having to deal with toxins and receiving nourishing nutrients otherwise the liver will collapse.
A diet high in antioxidants and dietary fiber has been proven to be the most effective protection for the liver.
Knowing what to eat is one thing. Knowing what to avoid is also important.
What To Avoid For Liver Health
Toxic compounds will enter our body whether we like it or not.
Even the most die-hard orthorexic (someone with an unhealthy obsession for healthy food) is introducing toxins to their bodies.
Toxins are a natural occurrence, although we are now exposed to above normal levels.
This is due to environmental pollution, modern agricultural practices and the profile of the modern diet, especially where processed foods are concerned.
The most common liver toxin is completely avoidable, but has become so intertwined and attached to human culture.
That is alcohol.
Alcohol in consistent high quantities causes serious damage to the liver. It can lead to liver cirrhosis and increase the risk of liver cancer dramatically.
In severe cases, a liver transplant might be required.
Sugar is another culprit.
Common table sugar contains fructose. This sugar molecule causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in high quantities.
This is basically the same disease caused by alcohol abuse, just without the good times and hangovers.
Other things to avoid include recreational substances and narcotics due to their toxic profile.
This article won’t focus on the bad things to avoid. Rather, we are going to look at good foods you can introduce to your diet for healthy liver function.
Top 6 Liver-healthy Foods
Grapefruit
Grapefruit is healthy liver diet. That's because it contains two citrus flavonoid compounds that have a beneficial effect on protecting the liver.
These compounds are naringenin and naringin, two powerful antioxidants is shown to have an effect on protecting liver cells from oxidative stress.
They also have great anti-inflammatory properties helping to keep the liver in a healthy state.
Olive Oil
Olive oil healthy liver diet and it's contains oleic acid, a fatty acid with profound health benefits.
This oil is the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, which partially explains the unique health profile of this population group.
Its effects on liver health are numerous but include regulation of cholesterol and improved circulation to and from the liver.
Cruciferous Vegetables
These vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale to name a few.
Cruciferous vegetables have been reputed for their health benefits towards many aspects of human health.
In the case of the liver, these vegetables contain an enzyme called myrosinase.
This enzyme protects the liver and has antioxidant effects on liver cells.
Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the most amazing foods when it comes to antioxidant qualities.
Their skins are packed to the brim with beneficial flavonoids that have a profound effect on many aspects of our health, including liver function.
Known as anthocyanins, these antioxidants also have immune-boosting qualities.
Nuts
Nuts are healthy liver diet and great way to boost liver health. They are a low carb food and are high in healthy fats, a key resource in having a healthy liver.
That's because healthy fats help balance cholesterol levels, shifting the scale from more unhealthy LDL Cholesterol to healthier HDL Cholesterol.
This not only protects the liver from damage and inflammation but also provides it with more raw ingredients it needs to perform one of its many essential functions, the manufacturing of bile
Conclusion
Your liver is the cornerstone of your health. This versatile machine is constantly working hard.
Its working to give you what you need and at the same time removing what you don’t need.
So try and be mindful of what you eat. After all, life depends on the liver.
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