8 Foods To Avoid For A Healthy Liver
Having a clean, healthy liver is necessary for good health. An intoxicated liver causes headaches, abdominal distension and skin problems.
To have a healthy liver, it is essential to maintain a good lifestyle at all times and not only when we want to obtain a specific benefit. In this sense, it should be taken into account that proper nutrition is becoming essential as part of what a healthy lifestyle entails.
This gives the body all the ingredients it needs to function properly. Therefore, healthy eating is not just about “taking care of your figure” but investing in health.
Regarding this particular point, below we will comment in more detail on which foods to avoid if we want to have a healthy liver.
The liver, a multifunctional organ
The liver performs more arious function s in the body . So health suffers noticeably when it is not functioning properly. Basically, it is the great “distributor” of nutrients and energy in the body: it processes them, stores them, transforms them and transmits them to various parts of the body.
It is also the largest solid organ in the body. It sits in the upper right part of the abdomen and is about the size of a soccer ball.
Liver functions
- Detoxify the blood.
- Helps in blood clotting.
- Stores vitamins and minerals.
- Healthy liver converts stored sugar into usable energy for the body.
- Produce bile, which helps digest fat.
- Store energy in the form of sugar, called glycogen.
- Participate in the production of cholesterol, which the body needs.
Symptoms of liver disease
Poor diet contributes to the development of liver diseases, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver disease.
Some of the signs and symptoms that can warn of liver disease are:
- Chronic fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dark-colored urine.
- Bloating and abdominal pain.
- Swelling of the legs and ankles.
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).
- Pale colored stools or bloody or tar-colored stools.
Why can the liver get sick?
The causes are many, but there are two that we must highlight:
- A poor diet. Committing excesses of all kinds, not prioritizing the consumption of healthy and fresh foods (such as vegetables, greens, legumes and vegetables), consuming excessively saturated fats, cold meats and products industrial and ultra-processed, etc.
- Excessive consumption of alcohol.
Foods you should cut down on or avoid for a healthy liver
It is important to know which foods to avoid overeating in order to have a healthy liver.
1. Sugar
Consuming desserts, sugary drinks, candies and all types of sweets made from refined sugars is a risk factor because excess sugar turns into fat.
In other words, fatty liver or what is popularly known as fatty liver.
2. Salt
Excessive salt consumption thus raises blood pressure and therefore increases the risk of suffering from fatty liver disease (or fatty liver disease). This is why it is important to read the labels of the products we consume to control the amount of added sodium.
3. Very spicy food
While the focus is usually on moderate salt intake, as recommended by the World Health Organization, the importance of moderating the intake of spices and other condiments should also be emphasized.
Spicy foods or highly seasoned can indeed cause diver to s discomfort and damage the digestive system. So it is very important to exercise moderation when using them in the kitchen.
4. Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages interfere with the normal functions of the liver. A chemical imbalance then occurs, and liver cells are destroyed, which can lead to hepatitis or cirrhosis.
Also discover: Liver metabolism: antibiotics and alcohol
5. Saturated fat
Fatty foods are high in calories and therefore increase triglyceride levels (which damage the liver). It is therefore important to reduce the consumption of butter, fatty meats, mayonnaise, sour cream and also cold meats.
6. White and refined flour
Excessive carbohydrate consumption can prevent fat from being used for energy. And if the fats are not burned, they are stored in the liver, which can lead to the development of health problems such as overweight and obesity.
7. Frying
L is excessive consumption of fat or of lipids is noci ve health because they can be deposited in the fat cells, particularly in abdominal adiposity.
It is also a risk factor for the development of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
8. Medication
Some medicines can have side effects if taken incorrectly or if mixed with alcohol. One of these side effects is liver damage.
You should therefore consult your doctor to assess the medicine and the dose you are taking.
How to have a healthy liver?
Experts from the Catalan Association of Hepatitis Diseases (ASSCAT) recommend the following:
“Given the different functions of each organ, we are made of what we eat. So make sure you choose the right fuel for the body, the most valuable tool to meet all the challenges that inspire it ”.
The ideal is therefore to maintain a balanced diet, good hydration and, in general, a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, it is advisable to avoid the consumption of alcohol, industrial and ultra-processed foods, as well as tobacco.
