14 Best And Worst Foods For Your Liver (2024)

14 Best And Worst Foods For Your Liver (1)

The liver performs many essential tasks such as secreting bile juice to help in digestion and breaking down toxins resulting from alcohol, medications and metabolism. A healthy liver is essential for our overall well-being. Let us have a look at what to take and what to avoid to keep our liver in optimal health:

Green Leafy Vegetables

Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Spinach, Dandelion and a host of other greens contain sulphur, which helps the liver detoxify the body. A omponent known as Taraxacin which is found in dandelions helps in stimulating bile juice secretion, which boosts digestion.

Coffee

Coffee lovers have a reason to cheer! Studies have shown that drinking coffee in moderation can protect the liver by preventing the build-up of fat and collagen and reducing the risk of liver cancer.

Grapes

Red and purple grapes contain many beneficial plant compounds, a notable example being resveratrol which boosts the level of antioxidants and lowers inflammation.

Almonds

Nuts in general and almonds, in particular, are rich in Vitamin E and unsaturatedfats. These help the liver in eliminating bad cholesterol from the body and lowering blood pressure, besides protecting against fatty liver disease.

Eggs

These are some of the healthiest foods found in nature. Eggs are rich in all the eight essential amino acids and choline, which is also a vital nutrient. The amino acids and choline help the liver in the detoxification process and improve the metabolism rate.

Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, you name it; any kind of berry is a superfood. Berries contain phytochemicals which help your liver from the free radicals. Anthocyanin and polyphenols have been shown to reduce the risk of liver cancer.

Green Tea

It is full of antioxidant compounds called Catechins, which when taken in moderation, assist liver function and protect the liver from the damaging effects of toxins such as alcohol. Regular consumption of green tea blocks the amount of fat stored in the liver thereby reducing the risk of fatty liver disease.

The worst foods for the liver are as follows:

Alcohol

This ranks first in the list of foods harmful to the liver. When the liver breaks down alcohol, the resulting chemical reaction can damage its cells leading to inflammation and scarring. Chronic alcoholism blocks the proper absorption of nutrients, forcing the liver to become toxic.

Fatty Foods

Burgers, French fries, pizzas etc. are high in saturated fats which can lead to inflammation over time, cause cirrhosis and make it harder for the liver to do its job. They also elevate bad cholesterol and reduce the levels of good cholesterol.

Sugary foods

The liver converts sugar into fat. Excessive fat storage in the liver can cause fatty liver disease.

Soda and Whitebread

This is a deadly combination of refined carbohydrates and sugar overdose that isn’t doing your liver any favours. These also increase the risk of fatty liver disease.

Salty items

Canned soups and packaged foods are loaded with sodium lead to the retention of excess fluid in the liver and inhibiting its functioning.

Red Meat

This may be rich in protein, but it is also taxing on the liver as it cannot break down this protein easily. The excess protein build-up becomes toxic and adversely affects the liver and the brain.

Excess fruits

This may be hard to believe, but consuming large amounts of fructose-rich fruits like raisins, and dry fruits can result in inflammation and fatty liver. This is because the sugar present in fruits, known as fructose, can cause abnormal amounts of fat in the blood when consumed in large amounts.

Your liver does a lot for you, like filtering your blood and breaking down food. By monitoring your diet, you can return the favour and live life with a healthy, properly functioning liver.

Consult our liver specialists if you need to learn more about the best foods for liver.

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14 Best And Worst Foods For Your Liver (2024)

FAQs

14 Best And Worst Foods For Your Liver? ›

Red meat and processed meats

Red meat and processed meats are high in saturated fat. Eating a lot of these foods is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and risk of fat in the liver. They're also associated with some forms of cancer, especially colorectal cancer.

What is the number one food that damages your liver? ›

Red meat and processed meats

Red meat and processed meats are high in saturated fat. Eating a lot of these foods is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and risk of fat in the liver. They're also associated with some forms of cancer, especially colorectal cancer.

What foods repair the liver? ›

What foods should I eat with liver problems? Many foods contain specific compounds or antioxidants that have been shown to support liver function. A few examples include grapefruit, blueberries, cranberries, fatty fish, olive oil, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or Brussels sprouts.

What are the 5 liver super foods? ›

Top foods and drinks for liver health
  • Coffee. A 2021 study analyzed data from 494,585 people in the United Kingdom to learn how different types of coffee might affect the risk of chronic liver disease, including decaffeinated, instant, and ground coffee. ...
  • Oatmeal. ...
  • Green tea. ...
  • Garlic. ...
  • Berries. ...
  • Grapes. ...
  • Grapefruit. ...
  • Prickly pear.

What destroys the liver the most? ›

Here are ten common habits that increase your risks for liver damage.
  1. Excessive Alcohol Drinking. ...
  2. Frequent Dining Out. ...
  3. Irregular Eating Schedules. ...
  4. Eating Fast Foods Regularly. ...
  5. Staying Indoors Often. ...
  6. Taking Herbal and Dietary Supplements (HDS) ...
  7. Engaging in Unprotected Sex. ...
  8. Intravenous Drug Abuse.

Are eggs bad for the liver? ›

Eggs. These are some of the healthiest foods found in nature. Eggs are rich in all the eight essential amino acids and choline, which is also a vital nutrient. The amino acids and choline help the liver in the detoxification process and improve the metabolism rate.

Is banana good for the liver? ›

​​Bananas​

Vitamins B6, C, and A are abundant in bananas. Additionally, it has a lot of resistant starch, which is excellent for the health of the liver. These nutrients guarantee that the liver operates properly.

Is peanut good for the liver? ›

Foods rich in vitamin E, including red bell peppers, spinach, peanuts, and nuts: Dr. Delgado-Borrego recommends these types of foods, rich in vitamin E, as a great addition to fatty liver diets.

Is watermelon good for the liver? ›

Rich in antioxidants like lycopene and vitamin C, watermelon helps protect liver cells from damage caused by free radicals. Additionally, its high water content aids in flushing toxins out of the body and promoting optimal liver function.

What is the hardest food for the liver to process? ›

Stay Away From Fatty Foods

French fries and burgers are a poor choice to keep your liver healthy. Eat too many foods that are high in saturated fat and it can make it harder for your liver to do its job. Over time it may lead to inflammation, which in turn could cause scarring of the liver that's known as cirrhosis.

What foods shrink your liver fast? ›

It is a low-carbohydrate diet that reduces glycogen (energy stored in the liver), water and fat in the liver. The diet consists of proteins such as beef, pork, eggs, seafood or chicken, and non-starchy carbohydrates including foods like broccoli, cauliflower, leafy green vegetables.

Is yogurt good for the liver? ›

Regular consumption of yogurt is beneficial for your liver for the following reasons: It helps reduce weight, body mass index, and serum levels of fasting insulin. These are some of the main risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It reduces cholesterol and sugar levels in your body.

Which one is toxic for liver? ›

Some medications linked to serious liver injury include the statin drugs used to treat high cholesterol, the combination drug amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin), phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek), azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran), niacin (Niaspan), ketoconazole, certain antivirals and anabolic steroids.

What's hard on your liver? ›

Factors that can increase the risk of liver disease include: Ongoing moderate or heavy alcohol use. Obesity. Type 2 diabetes.

What is the enemy of liver? ›

Oil and alcohol are two biggest enemies of liver as both of them make it work harder. Liver is the largest gland of the body. Conventionally speaking, most diseases take a long-time to destroy it and it also takes very long to heal. Oil and alcohol are two biggest enemies of liver as both of them make it work harder.

What is most toxic to the liver? ›

In North America and Europe, the most common cause of toxic hepatitis is acetaminophen (Tylenol). Acetaminophen is harmless at low doses but can cause life threatening liver damage in high amounts.

What is the fastest way to repair your liver? ›

All alcohol consumption should cease in order to allow the liver the best chance for recovery. The liver has an amazing ability to regenerate and heal once active injury has been stopped.

What is the number one cause of liver damage? ›

Overview. Acute liver failure is loss of liver function that occurs quickly — in days or weeks — usually in a person who has no preexisting liver disease. It's most commonly caused by a hepatitis virus or drugs, such as acetaminophen.

Are bananas good for your liver? ›

Bananas: Bharadwaj also suggests bananas for fatty liver disease patients. They are a storehouse f vitamin B6, C and A and also high in resistant starch, which is good for liver health. 5. Cranberries: Just like blueberries, you need to also add cranberries to the diet.

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