World Liver Day 2018: Know all about the foods and drinks which can contribute to a healthy liver.
World Liver Day 2018: The day is meant to spread awareness about liver related diseases
HIGHLIGHTS
- Foods rich in fibre are good for your liver
- Avoid alcohol in order to keep your liver healthy
- Leafy green veggies can help in maintaining a healthy liver
World Liver Day 2018 is celebrated today across the world. Every year on April 19, various efforts are made to raise awareness about liver and liver-related disease. Liver is considered to be the second most complex and largest organ in the body after brain. It is the most important organ in the body's digestive system. Everything that you eat or drink passes through the liver and then through the intestines for digestion. If not taken care properly, liver can be easily damaged, thus causing many diseases.
Liver performs some important functions in the body. These include regulating blood sugar, fighting infections and illness, warding off toxic substances from the body, controlling cholesterol levels and releasing bile. To maintain a healthy liver and ensure that it performs all its functions, it is important to eat foods that are healthy and nutritious.
Following is a list of best and worst foods for your liver:
1. Oatmeal
Eating fibrous foods or foods rich in fibre enables the liver to work in the best and most efficient way. Oats are rich in fibre and having oatmeal as part of breakfast can make up for a sufficient portion of your daily intake of fibre. Oatmeal can also help in weight loss. It helps in keeping liver related disease at bay.
Photo Credit: iStockWorld Liver Day 2018: Oatmeal is rich in fibre
2. Broccoli
Broccoli is considered to be great for your liver health. It can help in preventing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. You can either have it steamed or you can include in your salad. Broccoli is known to be healthy and nutritious.
Photo Credit: iStockWorld Liver Day 2018: Broccoli is great for liver health
Also read: Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): Top 5 Causes You Must Know
3. Coffee
When consumed in limited amounts, coffee can offer protection to liver from the damage caused by alcohol or unhealthy diet. However, you have to be careful of caffeine and its effect on blood pressure. Coffee should be consumed in moderate quantities only.
Photo Credit: iStockWorld Liver Day 2018: Coffee can protect liver from damage caused by alcohol and unhealthy food
4. Green tea
Green tea is a widely popular beverage because of the antioxidant that it contains - catechins. Green tea is known to have positive effects on the liver. Drinking hot green tea will give you more antioxidants than drinking it in the cold form.
Photo Credit: iStock
World Liver Day 2018: Green tea is beneficial for liver
5. Water
Drinking lots of water will benefit you in many ways. It will help in flushing out harmful toxins from the body, losing weight and maintaining a healthy liver. Drinking water helps in maintaining weight - which is one of the most important requirements for a healthy liver.
Photo Credit: iStock
World Liver Day 2018: Drinking lots of water helps in maintaining weight
6. Blueberries
Polyphenols in blueberries can be helpful in offering protection against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can further lead to obesity and contribute to high cholesterol in the body. Other foods with polyphenols are olives, plums and dark chocolate.
Photo Credit: iStockWorld Liver Day 2018: Blueberries are good for liver
7. Almonds
Nuts, especially almonds are a good source of Vitamin E. Sufficient Vitamin E levels in the body offers protection against fatty liver disease. Apart from being good for your heart, almonds are great for your eyes and your heart. Include them in your diet daily in order to grab maximum benefits from them.
Photo Credit: iStockWorld Liver Day 2018: Almonds are good for liver
8. Leafy greens
Health benefits of eating leafy green veggies are many. One of the important health benefits of leafy greens is maintaining health of the liver. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant in leady greens which ensures proper functioning of the liver. Include lots of leafy greens in your diet for your overall health and well-being.
Photo Credit: iStockWorld Liver Day 2018: Include lots of leafy greens in your diet
Also read: Fatty Liver Disease: 7 Best Natural Treatments
9. Herbs and spices
Herbs and spices contain good amounts of polyphenols. Adding lots of herbs and spices to your food also helps in cutting back on the salt that you add to food. Spices like black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, etc are good for your liver and overall health.
Photo Credit: iStock
World Liver Day 2018: Spices have polyphenols which are good for health
10. Avoid fatty foods
Junk and fried foods will not contribute to keeping your liver healthy in anyway. They are high in saturated fat and make it difficult for the liver tow work properly. Consuming too much of junk and fatty foods can cause inflammation. Inflammation can cause cirrhosis, a condition which scars the liver.
Photo Credit: iStock
World Liver Day 2018: Avoid junk food for a healthy liver
11. Eat less sugar
Eating too much of sweet foods can have an adverse impact on your liver. This is because liver converts sugar to fat. Consuming too much of sugar can increase your risk of developing fatty liver disease. Consumption of sugary and sweet foods should be minimised in order to protect your liver and overall health.
Photo Credit: iStock
World Liver Day 2018: Eat less sugar for a healthy liver
Also read: World Liver Day: 7 Ways You Can Keep Your Liver In A Good State Of Health
12. Less salt
Salt consumption is something that you all must keep a check on, on a daily basis. Excessive consumption of salt means high intake of sodium. This can lead fibrosis, which is the first stage of liver scarring. Excessive consumption of salt can be avoided by avoiding eating processed and packaged foods. Include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet for a healthy liver.
Photo Credit: iStock
World Liver Day 2018: Limit salt consumption for healthy liver
13. Consume less alcohol
Excessive consumption of alcohol or alcohol abuse can damage your liver. It can lead to cirrhosis in the long-term. Even occasional binge drinking can be harmful for your liver and overall health.
Photo Credit: iStockWorld Liver Day 2018: Alcohol can damage your liver
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
