When you think of major organs, you probably think of your heart and lungs, but your liver is both huge and essential, and doesn't often get the credit it deserves. With a proper diet, we can give our liver a boost to help it do its job properly.
The liver weighs, on average, just over a kilogram — making it our largest internal organ — and it performs more than 500 life-giving functions in our bodies. The liver is important for functions as varied and important as removing harmful and poisonous substances from our blood, storing and exporting fat, regulating hormones, and producing bile for digestion.
"The liver is a key organ for detoxifying our bodies, ridding them of anything that could be considered harmful," says Selene Vakharia, a holistic nutritionist and living consultant. "If our livers aren't healthy or functioning properly, the toxins that should be eliminated could end up staying in our bodies and cause damage."
What's especially amazing about the liver is that it can regenerate itself, which is why living liver donations are possible. When a portion of a living person's liver is donated, the donor liver will regrow to the original size and the transplanted liver will grow to the right size for the recipient.
Here are a dozen tips for supporting your liver heath — and as a result, the health of the rest of your body — through your diet.
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Start The Day Off Right
"My favourite liver support tip is starting off your day with a glass of room temperature water with fresh lemon squeezed in it," says Selene Vakharia, owner of <a href="http://www.makelifebeautiful.ca/" target="_blank">La Belle Vie Holistic Living</a>. Citrus fruits like lemons are high in vitamin C, which some believe can help flush toxins, lightening the load for the liver. She suggests having this drink about an hour before you eat your first food of the day.
Eat Your Broccoli
Vakharia suggests eating cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts to give your liver a boost. These foods up the amount of glucosinlate in your body, which helps your liver's enzyme production. These veggies contain sulphur as well, which aids detoxification.
Go Beyond Lettuce
Don't stick with a boring salad — adding some different greens to your salad can make your meal more liver friendly. "Bitter greens, such as alfalfa and dandelion, are great liver foods," Vakharia says. Bitter foods are thought to stimulate bile creation, which helps to remove waste from the body.
Get Those Antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that help the body get rid of harmful free radicals, and they're found in a variety of foods, including berries. Their boost to your liver is just one reason to get antioxidant-rich foods into your diet, Vakharia says. A note: though antioxidant supplements are available, some research has shown that they may actually have the opposite of the desired effect. Get the real thing through food!
Milk It
"Milk thistle is an herb that is known for its liver-friendly properties and can be enjoyed in a tea alone or blended with other herbs," Vakharia says. There is some preliminary research showing that milk thistle may help people with <a href="http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/milk-thistle-benefits-and-side-effects" target="_blank">alcohol-related liver diseases, or those with liver damage due to industrial toxins.</a>
Water, Water Everywhere
Your liver helps you flush the nasty stuff out of your body — give it an assist by getting in a good daily amount of fresh water, as <a href="http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/much-water-supposed-drink-healthy-liver-3649.html" target="_blank">dehydration can make it harder for the organ to do its job properly.</a>
Season With Garlic
Garlic contains both <a href="http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/liver-cleanse-foods/" target="_blank">selenium and allicin,</a> two compounds found in foods that are good for your liver. It also contains sulfur, which helps your liver detoxify; sulphur is also found in onions.
Brew A Pot Of Green Tea
Green tea has many health benefits, and they don't exclude your liver. This tea contains catechins, a type of antioxidant. One study found that <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0020635" target="_blank">catechins improved liver injury related to alcohol in rats, for example </a>
Make Some Guac
Avocados a great source of healthy fats, but they also <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/glutathione-the-mother-of_b_530494.html" target="_blank">contain glutathione,</a> a sulphur-containing compound that helps your liver cleanse your body.
Whole Grains
<a href="http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/vitamin-b-regenerate-liver-4602.html" target="_blank">Whole grains are rich in B vitamins</a>, which are important for a healthy liver, among other key functions in your body. These vitamins can improve the nutritional deficiencies that often come from liver disease.
Is Your Liver Healthy?
What if you suspect you've got a problem with your liver? "When our livers aren't functioning optimally, we can experience a variety of symptoms from feeling tired and unrested, to sluggish digestion--especially when fats are consumed," Vakharia says. "To acne and breakouts, to mood swings and irritability." If you have any reason to suspect you may have health issues related to liver functioning, see a health-care professional for evaluation and advice.
Some Cautions
If you know you have liver issues — because of liver diseases, hepatatis, or some other condition — you'll want to keep a few things in mind. "Those with compromised livers should steer clear of vitamin A and iron supplements," Vakharia advises. "They should also avoid alcohol and limit their exposure to chemicals and toxins including those in household cleaning products." Of course, if you have a liver condition, or suspect you might, see your healthcare professional before making any changes to diet, supplements, or medication.
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