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How to Have a Healthy Liver

By Diane Hanson

Okay, when it comes to heart health, you’re an expert – you know what to eat and what not to eat for a strong healthy heart. But here’s my question, what about liver health? Do you know the importance of a healthy liver and what constitutes a liver-friendly diet? I believe many of us are stumped.

Your liver is the largest gland is the body. It holds about one pint of your total blood supply at any given moment and is estimated to have over 500 functions.

The liver is a major organ for detoxification. It removes toxins, drugs and hormones from your bloodstream. Toxins can come from the environment, the air you breath, the food you eat, the water you drink, and the contents of your bowels.

If your diet is deficient in certain nutrients, it will make it difficult for your liver to eliminate toxins from your body. An accumulation of toxins causes poor liver function. When your liver is inefficient, you’ll feel sluggish, possibly nauseous, experience indigestion, have yellowed skin and eyes.

A healthy liver plays a critical role in determining your overall health. To maintain a healthy liver and prevent toxic build up, you’ve to make some simple positive lifestyle changes and improve your diet.

How Can I Protect My Liver?

1. Eat a healthy high fiber diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables that contain Vitamin C (tomatoes, peppers, cabbage) and sulfur (garlic, onions, legumes).

Fiber binds to the bile in your large intestines, which facilitates excretion. This is one of the ways which your body eliminates fat-soluble toxins from the body.

2. Avoid foods that are high in fat/sugar and increase your intake of quality foods which are rich in B-Vitamins, Vitamin E, beta carotene, calcium, and trace minerals.

Make sure to have adequate amounts of choline, betaine, methionine, folic acid, Vitamins B6 and 12, all of which are essential to promote liver decongestion, improve liver function and metabolize fat.

B-Vitamins are often depleted when the liver is overworked from alcohol consumption or toxic exposure. Good sources of B-Vitamins include brewer's yeast, pulses, nuts and seeds, brown rice, white rice and buckwheat.

3. Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse is the most damaging to the liver. Alcohol can increase iron absorption, and an excess of iron can, by itself, lead to liver damage and cirrhosis.

4. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Water helps remove toxins that accumulated in your body which may damage your health. Also, avoid eating heavily processed foods or foods that contain additives such as artificial colorings, flavorings and MSG as much as possible. Consuming too much of these chemicals can overwork your liver and interfere with its natural detoxification mechanisim.

5. At all costs, avoid cigarette smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke. If you can, live in an area that reduces your exposure to pollution from cars and industry.

6. Practice safe sex. Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C viruses live in all body fluids, including blood and seminal fluids, and can cause significant liver damage.

With these simple liver care tips in mind, you can have a healthy liver for life!

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