Health & Fitness

Top Ways to Help Your Liver Function Efficiently

Our livers are exposed to a variety of foods every day. Some of the foods that we take have a profound negative impact on the liver. Varying levels of toxin in the food, water, air and other products render the liver unhealthy and consequently, lead to a horde of problems.

Approximately 1 in every 10 Americans suffer from liver and biliary diseases. And the surprising part is that, 50% of the patients show no symptoms.

While excessive intake of alcohol is one of the primary reasons for liver disease, nowadays obesity and other metabolic syndromes have surpassed it in huge proportions.

The liver functions in a number of ways, some of which include the following:

  • The liver produces bile, which helps in breaking down the fat from food during the digestion process.
  • It cleanses the blood off toxins that could affect your body.
  • It also produces certain proteins for blood plasma.

The liver is one of those organs of the body, which can be easily harmed if you do not take good care of it. Therefore, it is imperative to resort to ways that can help improve the liver function and detoxify it.

  1. Incorporate Proper Eating Habits

With the liver playing a major role in metabolism, the least we can do is incorporate the right eating habits.

Here is how.

  • It is always recommended to indulge in smaller and lighter meals at proper intervals instead of stuffing up every time. Salads, smoothies, soups and so on work well to catalyze the liver detoxification process.
  • Opt for fresh fruit instead of juices. This is because the fruit juices that are available for consumption are high on the fructose level, which leads to fatty liver.
  • Fatty liver is also caused by excessive intake of carbohydrates. Resort to a low sugar and low carb diet to help maintain healthy liver functions.
  • Add a few bitter food in your diet chart since this increases the production of bile, helping the liver to function better. Bitter gourd, dandelions, fenugreek would be a wise addition.
  • You can also include avocados, walnuts, coconut kefir, green leafy vegetables, onions, artichoke, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds in your diet list. They play a major role in detoxifying and nourishing the liver.
  • Include plenty of fluids in your diet.

Taking proper food for cleansing the liver can improve the liver function considerably.

  1. Cut Down on Food That Harm Your Liver

We are already aware of the damage that an excessive intake of alcohol can hurl upon the liver. The liver is responsible for excreting the toxins from the food that we eat. And alcohol makes this work twice as hard. However, wine is a healthier choice.

In fact, alcohol is not the only culprit that harms the liver considerably. We have already established the damaging consequences of carbohydrates and sugar on the liver. Other foods that you would need to stay away from include the following:

  • Fast food is a no-brainer. It has high levels of calories and fats rendering it to be quite damaging for the liver in the long run. Fried and processed food are high on saturated fats, which are unhealthy and hard to digest.
  • Excess salt in food not only leads to high blood pressure, but is also a cause of fatty liver. The little amount used for seasoning food isn’t harmful. But the amount of salt present in canned soups and other such convenience products can cause a lot of damage to the liver.
  • Dietary supplements can be quite harmful to the liver if taken in high doses for long durations. In addition, body building and weight loss supplements are equally harmful, since small levels of toxins are added while processing these products.
  • Intake of excessive protein without balancing it with vegetables can result in liver malfunction as well.

  1. Keep a Check on Your Weight

If your daily diet is high on fat and sugar containing food, then your liver would not be able to handle the excess fat that is being thrown at it. And this results in fat deposition in the body. This, in turn, leads to hardening of arteries, resulting in a number of problems. Therefore, to ensure that the liver functions properly, it is crucial to keep a check on your weight. Regular exercise can help immensely.

  1. Indulge in Sauna Sessions

Saunas have been found to be a great way of mobilizing toxins that are stored in the body. Sauna sessions help in releasing sweat, which carries the toxins out of the body, decreasing the liver’s burden. This helps the liver to function better.

In addition, you would need to keep your bowels clear and drink plenty of water to enhance the liver function considerably.