10 Best Foods for Boosting your liver Health
Nov 10, 2022
The Liver serves many vital roles in the human body, it facilitates various metabolic processes and also helps in nutrition absorption and detoxification of the body. Without a healthy liver, a lot of crucial processes in the body like the production of bile juice for digestion, regulation of blood composition (the removal of old blood cells), removal of bacteria from blood, etc, would be interrupted. Given the importance of the liver, it becomes essential to take proper care of it.
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However, liver diseases have become a significant problem in India, according to the National Library of MedicineIndia alone contributed to 18.3% of Deaths globally caused because of liver-related problems in 2015. These stats are terrifying but you would be pleased to know that you can protect your liver from harm by just maintaining a healthy diet. In this blog, we will understand the causes of liver-related diseases and discover 10 healthy foods that will help you boost your liver health.
Understanding Liver diseases and their Causes
There are many liver diseases prevalent in India. Some of the most common and dangerous ones are hepatitis B and C, alcoholic liver disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hepatitis B and C when not treated properly can lead to liver cancer, chronic liver inflammation, and cirrhosis. NAFLD can heavily increase the chances of major problems like liver failure. Now that you understand the severity of these problems let’s discuss their causes.
Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol works as a slow poison for your liver. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to various liver problems like fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.
Autoimmune Disorders
Liver diseases like primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune liver disease. In this condition, the immune system attacks the healthy liver cells which causes damage and inflammation in the liver.
Poor Diet
A poor diet severely affects our liver. Excessive consumption of processed foods, unhealthy fats, and sugar can lead to fatty liver disease.
Excessive Consumption of Drugs
The life-saving medicines used by us can lead to life-threatening liver diseases. It’s essential to make sure not to misuse or overuse chemical medicines to maintain a healthy liver.
Genetic Factors
Some liver diseases like hemochromatosis (excessive iron absorption leading to liver damage) are hereditary. Regular screening tests are required to identify them at an early stage and minimise the damage to the liver.
10 Foods to Boost Liver Health
1) Green tea
Green Tea is rich in antioxidants and helps reduce inflammation, fat accumulation, and oxidative stress. It can also help in the regulation of lipid metabolism which reduces the accumulation of lipids in the liver.
2) Fatty fish
Incorporate fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines into your diet. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which support liver function and health by reducing the fat build-up and inflammation in the liver.
3) Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous Vegetables are green and leafy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and radish. They are filled with vitamins C E and k, folate, and fibre which help remove harmful toxins and promote the overall health of the liver.
4) Turmeric
Turmeric commonly known as haldi in India possess many health benefits. Turmeric is filled with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver.
5) Garlic
Garlic, an ingredient used in various Indian delicacies, is rich in sulfur compounds that promote the activation of liver enzymes which helps in the cleansing and detoxification of the liver.
6) Beetroot
Beetroot is rich in antioxidants and betalains which improves the detoxification process. They also help reduce inflammation and oxidative damage.
7) Walnuts
Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that promote the health of the liver. They also facilitate the detoxification processes.
8) Olive Oil
Olive oil is used and known for its many medicinal benefits. It contains healthy fats that reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver and support the overall function of the liver.
9) Berries
Incorporating blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries i n our diets is very beneficial for our liver health. They are loaded with antioxidants that protect the liver from oxidative damage.
10) Grapefruit
Grapefruit is a delicious citrus-rich fruit that is very beneficial for our liver. It contains two main antioxidants naringin and naringenin which support cleansing and detoxification of the liver.
Conclusion
The liver supports many crucial roles in our body like digestion and nutrition absorption. Nevertheless, we should make it our absolute priority to maintain a healthy liver. However, our poor lifestyle, unhealthy diet, and excessive alcohol consumption are causing liver problems in many individuals. Luckily by including healthy foods in our diet and doing regular exercise, we can protect our liver from various diseases.
