Your liver undergoes damage from high-fat, refined foods, alcohol, and medicines. Broccoli, beetroot, amla, berries, omega-3 fish, ginger, garlic, and coffee are some of the most potent liver-detoxifying foods. While tuna and berries lower fat deposition in the liver, treating NAFLD, garlic and coffee protect against alcohol-related liver damage.
Did you know that your liver is the most important detox center in the body? Harmful chemicals from everything you ingest or inhale – food, drinks, medicine, or smoke – transform into less harmful, water-soluble substances in the liver in a 2-phase process and are then excreted. But the first phase of the detoxification process also generates free radicals, which then go on to damage cells and cause inflammation. If the free radicals and their damage are not countered and repaired, over time, they affect the liver’s health and functioning. This is why antioxidants are a must in a liver detox diet. Just as important are foods that lower cholesterol, especially the harmful LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, a type of fat. Here are the 13 foods, herbs, drinks, and spices that help the liver carry out its detox functions and protect it from damage.
1. Broccoli And Brussels Sprouts
There’s wisdom in eating your greens, especially cruciferous ones like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and watercress. Cauliflower is also part of this family. These contain helpful chemicals like sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol, and 1-cyano-2-hydroxy-3-butene (CHB) which block cancer-causing chemicals – such as NNK in cigarette smoke. These also increase the levels of natural antioxidant enzymes essential for the detoxification process.2 When the body is overloaded with toxins, the levels of natural antioxidants go down, thereby slowing down the detoxification process in the liver.
Eating too much refined and sugary foods also increases harmful LDL cholesterol and a type of fat called triglycerides in the body. And since the liver helps remove excess LDLs from the body, an LDL overload can strain it. Triglycerides, on the other hand, collect in the liver, causing fatty liver or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This raises your risk for liver inflammation (steatohepatitis), which leads to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Cruciferous vegetables contain cholesterol-like compounds called phytosterols which can lower both high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.3
How much should you have? Have 1.5–2.5 cups of dark green veggies, including cruciferous ones, every week.4 If you suffer from hypothyroidism, cook these vegetables well before consuming them.
2. Beetroot
Best as a preventive against oxidative stress in the liver
Here’s what the violet on your rainbow plate of veggies can do for your liver. Betalains, the antioxidant pigments in beetroot, along with flavonoids, phenolic acids, and vitamin C, protect the liver against oxidative stress from carcinogens or cancer-causing agents.
If you have beetroots regularly, it could modify your body’s metabolism (by reducing the activity of the enzymes that increase free radicals during detoxification) in such a way that your liver would be protected from toxic compounds.
How much should you have? Beet juice made from 1 large beetroot is safe for daily consumption. Drink the juice 2–3 days a week.
3. Fish Like Tuna And Salmon
Omega-3 (polyunsaturated) fats found in marine fish like tuna, salmon, trout, or mackerel, to name only a few, are good for the liver. They are known preventives (medicines or foods that prevent illness and disease) and inhibit triglyceride synthesis in the liver. But they can also reduce liver fat in people with NAFLD, who also have high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Omega-3 fats also increase the levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.6
Best for NAFLD patients
Other sources of omega-3 fats are fortified eggs, walnuts, and avocados. But it’s not enough to include these in your diet; you also need to cut down on omega-6 fats like vegetable oils.
How much should you have? The American Heart Association recommends at least 2 servings (3.5 oz per serving) of fatty fish per week if you don’t have a heart condition. You could also have fish oil in a daily dose of 2–4 g if you have high triglyceride levels.[ref]Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. American Heart Association.[/ref]
4. Amla Or Indian Gooseberry
Amla or the Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis) is a natural liver revitalizer. It is commonly used in ayurveda for treating enlarged livers.7
Best for those with jaundice, enlarged livers, and NAFLD
Researchers have found that this fruit, which is rich in vitamin C, can be used to treat liver problems like jaundice. Remember, vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. Since it also lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, amla is also good for anyone with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.8
How much should you have? You can have the fresh fruit or dried fruit powder. The standard dose used in experiments is 1–3 g fruit powder. You can also have 1 fruit a day, raw or in a juice form, preferably spread through the day.
5. Berries
Cleanse your body naturally by giving it plenty of berries rich in polyphenols and anthocyanins, the antioxidant pigments that give them their unique colors. These nutrients are potent anti-inflammatory agents.
One study found that lingonberries, black currants, and bilberries were especially effective in preventing the accumulation of fat in the liver. Lingonberries, in particular, decreased body fat significantly in animals that were on a high-fat diet.9
How much should you have? The standard serving size for berries is 1/2 cup frozen or fresh fruit or 4 oz juice daily. There’s no strict upper limit; however, too many berries might have side effects on people on medicines for blood-thinning and diabetes.
6. Grapefruit And Grapes
Best for smooth functioning of the liver
You may also want to pick up a grapefruit or grapes to cleanse your liver. Grapefruit contains naringenin and naringin, antioxidants that keep the liver healthy by effectively metabolizing alcohol and preventing any negative effects that it might have on the liver. Red and purple grapes, meanwhile, contain another antioxidant called resveratrol which ensures smooth functioning of the liver.10 11
How much should you have? There is no recommended dosage for either grapes or grapefruit, but be sure to restrict yourself to a cup every day. Avoid grapefruit if you’re taking medications to lower cholesterol, high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, and allergic reactions. Neurological and psychiatric medications might interact with grapefruit as well.12
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