Your liver works hard. Give it a boost by avoiding foods that tax your liver and eating these foods that support liver health.

We often think of our livers as the organ that suffers when we drink too much booze, but it’s actually responsible for metabolizing our food and filtering out all of the toxins that we eat or drink. That could mean alcohol, salt, excess fat, pesticide residues – pretty much anything you ingest that can harm your body taxes your liver.

A lot of the discussion about food for liver health surrounds what you should not eat and drink. These include:

alcohol – I bet you remember this one from health class!
fried foods – Your body can only process so much, and when you eat high fat foods it’s hard on your liver.
salt – Just like with fat and alcohol, your body can only use so much salt. After that, it starts to damage your liver.
conventional produce – The more pesticides you ingest, the harder your liver has to work to detoxify your diet.
Remember: it’s all about moderation when it comes to your liver. One or two drinks a few times a week probably isn’t going to damage a healthy liver, but regular binge drinking is definitely problematic. Your body actually needs fat and salt to function. It’s when you’re over-indulging in fatty or salty foods on a regular basis that your liver is in trouble. That means the occasional order of fries isn’t going to hurt you, if you have a healthy liver, but a daily dose of fries could do some damage.

Food For Liver Health

So, you know what not to eat and drink, but what foods can help protect your liver?

Sulfur-rich foods – Sulfur supports liver function. Sulfer-rich foods include onions and garlic.

Cruciferous vegetables – Cruciferous vegetables – like broccoli, kale, bok choy, and collard greens – are loaded with health benefits, and they are also rich in sulphur and micronutrients that support liver health.

Turmeric – Turmeric is kind of a wonder spice, isn’t it? A 2001 study found that turmeric can help offset the damage that a high fat diet can do to your liver.

Licorice – Licorice can help protect a healthy liver and is even used to treat some liver disorders, but if you are taking certain medications, you’ll want to check with your doctor before adding more licorice to your diet.

Carbohydrates – A carbohydrate-rich diet is easier on your liver than one that’s high in fat or in protein.

B Vitamins – The B vitamins also support liver function, so eating more foods rich in vitamin B or taking a B-complex supplement can help your liver. B vitamin-rich foods include: broccoli, parsley, red peppers, beets, turnips, bell peppers, turnip greens, asparagus, and lentils.

Source: GO MEDIA: Written by Becky Striepe - Image credit: Creative Commons photo by Cookthinker