The Best & Worst Foods for Your Liver

Oatmeal

This has lots of fiber and makes your liver work better.  Starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal has shown to shed pounds and belly fat plus it’s a good way to keep liver disease at bay.

Keep Fatty Foods Out of Your Diet

You may like French fries and burgers, but it’s not a good way to keep your liver healthy.  Foods high in saturated fats make it harder for your liver to do its job and over time can lead to inflammation that causes scarring known as cirrhosis.  So if you do go through that drive-thru, try to pick a healthier option.

Broccoli

Vegetables are a good way to keep your liver healthy and broccoli is one of the better choices.  Research has shown that crunchy foods help fight off nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.  But if steamed broccoli doesn’t tempt your taste buds, try shredding it into some coleslaw with some sliced almonds, dried cranberries and tossed with a tangy vinaigrette.  It is also delicious roasted with garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Coffee

You just can’t start your day without a cup of joe?  Studies say it is a benefit for your liver.  Drinking just 2-3 cups every day can protect your liver from damage that is caused by too much alcohol or an unhealthy diet.

Ease Up on Sugar

If you have a sweet tooth, too much sugar can take its toll on your liver.  The liver’s job is to convert sugar into fat, but if you take into too much, the liver will make too much and it ends up where it doesn’t belong, and you can get a fatty liver disease.  So do your liver a favor and makes sugary sweets an occasional treat.

Green Tea

Packed with an anti-oxidant called catechins, it protects against some cancers, especially liver.  You can get more catechins if you brew the tea and drink it hot.  Iced tea is a good choice, but the catechins are at lower levels.

Water

This is probably the best thing you can do for your liver to keep it healthy.  It is better to make a habit of drinking water instead of those sweetened drinks like sodas and sports drinks.  And you save calories every day.

Almonds

A good source of vitamin E, nuts, like almonds, help protect against fatty liver disease.  So grab a handful of almonds—they’re good for the heart as well.  And try adding to salads for some crunch!

Put a Cap on Salt

While your body needs salt, you don’t need that much.  Research suggests that a diet high in sodium leads to fibrosis—the first stage in liver scarring.  Some foods to cut back on are processed foods like bacon and deli meats.  And it is better to eat fresh instead of canned veggies.  If you need to fight the temptation of added salt—remove the salt shaker from your table.

Spinach

Leafy greens like spinach have a powerful antioxidant called glutathione that helps your liver work properly.  It is easy to make and makes a great base for a dinner salad.  Garnish it with sautéed garlic or olive oil.  If it is wilted, dust it with Parmesan cheese.

Blueberries

Packed with nutrients called polyphenols, blueberries protect your liver from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as well as obesity and high cholesterol.  If you don’t care for blueberries, try other foods like dark chocolate, olives and plums.

Drink Alcohol in Moderation

Drinking too much alcohol can have a huge impact on your liver and over time you can develop cirrhosis.  If you binge drink—four drinks for women and fiver for men can be harmful for your liver.  It is best to limit drinking to one drink for women and two for men every day.

Herbs and Spices

Good for your liver and heart, sprinkle some oregano, sage or rosemary on your foods as it also is a good source of healthy polyphenols.  And for an extra benefit, you can cut back on the salt in a lot of recipes.  Cinnamon, curry powder and cumin are also good sources too.

Limit Packaged Snack Foods

Get the tempting urge to buy one of those snacks when you walk by a vending machine?  One problem is that potato chips and baked goods are loaded with sugar, salt and fat.  Cutting back is easy if you plan better.  An excellent strategy is to bring  a stash of healthy snacks to work or school.  One suggestion is an apple with nutbutter, sugar snap peas with mini-cup hummus.