World Hepatitis Day: All it takes is a few simple steps to promote your liver health. Read on to know ways to keep your liver in good shape.
World Hepatitis Day: A healthy balanced diet helps keep our liver in good shape
HIGHLIGHTS
- Liver filters the blood from the digestive system and passes it on
- It is located on the upper right side of the abdomen
- Liver is important for blood clotting
Damage to your liver can be costly for your life. This big brown organ sits in the right side of our belly and filters blood coming from the digestive system before passing it on to other parts of the body. Good health of your liver is important for blood clotting to happen whenever you have a bleeding wound. Unfortunately, your liver is also prone to a lot of threats. Infection, heavy alcohol drinking, obesity, allergic reactions and certain other genetic factors can disrupt your liver's good health, leading to liver failure, hepatitis, gallstones and even cancer. But simple lifestyle changes, like including some particular foods in your diet can help you in maintaining your liver's health in the long run.
Ahead of World Hepatitis Day, here are 10 diet changes you should make to save your liver.
1. Oatmeal
Food with lots of fiber can help your liver work at its best. Research shows that oatmeal can help you shed some extra pounds and belly fat, which is a good way to keep away liver disease.
2. Non-fried food
French fries and burgers are a poor choice if you want to your liver alive. Eating too many foods that are high in saturated fat and can make it harder for your liver to metabolize. Over time it may lead to inflammation, which in turn could cause scarring of the liver, a condition that's known as cirrhosis.
Photo Credit: iStockAlso read: World Hepatitis Day: Liver Damage From Hepatitis A; Diet Tips To Prevent It
3. Broccoli
Add lots of cruciferous veggies to your diet to keep your liver healthy. Studies suggest that this crunchy food can protect you from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. You can also steam broccoli or toss it in a tangy salad dressing to eat more of it in a day.
4. Coffee
If you can't make it through the day without a cup of coffee, you'll be glad to hear that coffee may have some benefits for your liver. Certain researches show that drinking two to three cups a day can protect your liver by reversing the damage caused by too much alcohol or an unhealthy diet.
5. Non-sugary foods
Too much sweet stuff can take a toll on your liver. This is because part of the liver's job is to convert sugar into fat. If you overdo it, your liver makes too much fat, which ends up hanging around where it doesn't belong. In the long run, you could get a condition like hepatitis.
6. Green Tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants, particularly the catechins. Research suggests that eating antioxidant-rich food can protect you from some forms of cancer, including liver. This happens because antioxidants fight off the damage causing radicals and stop tissue inflammation. Substitutes like iced tea and ready-to-drink green teas have much lower levels than organic green tea leaves.
Photo Credit: iStockAlso read: World Hepatitis Day: 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Ignore Your Liver
7. Water
One of the most important changes to make to your diet for a healthy liver is to keep a healthy weight. Drink water instead of sweetened drinks like sodas or sports drinks. You can add lemon and honey to the water to make it more easy to drink larger quantities of water.
8. Almonds
Nuts, especially almonds are good sources of vitamin E, a nutrient that research suggests may help protect against fatty liver disease or hepatic steatosis. Almonds are good for your heart too. You can eat them as it is or try them in salads.
9. Less Salty Food
A diet high in sodium may lead to fibrosis, which is the first stage of liver scarring. Some easy things you can do to cut back on salt include avoiding processed foods and choosing fresh vegetables instead of canned ones.
10. Spinach
Leafy greens have a powerful antioxidant called glutathione, which can help keep your liver working right. And spinach couldn't be easier to prepare. It makes a great base for a dinner salad, and it's also delicious sauteed with garlic and olive oil. The Indian palak paneer and kofta are also healthy options.
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.
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