As a detoxifying organ, the liver works hard for us every day. And to keep it that way, we should do something good for her as often as possible through nutrition. These seven foods are true liver favorites…
As an organ heavyweight of almost one and a half kilograms, the liver does a remarkable job in the body. She breaks down alcohol and drugs, puts away fatty foods and sugar, and even acts as a “doorman” for unknown substances by testing them first. If you want to support your liver in its strenuous work, you can do so by eating certain foods.
7 foods that are healthy for the liver
Beetroot can prevent fatty liver
Until a few years ago, the beetroot was a stale vegetable that only grandma used to cook with. But then it experienced a brilliant comeback in the hip superfood kitchens. Rightly so, because the substance betanin, which is responsible for the intense red color, is a welcome help for the liver. With its anti-inflammatory properties, betanine literally helps the liver cells in their detoxification work and even manages to get rid of heavy metals.
A study by the Indian Babu Banarasi Das University revealed how significantly these effects affect fatty liver in particular.1 Scientists administered beetroot powder daily to 40 obese test persons over a period of three months. As a result, all of them had lower cholesterol levels (the “bad” LDL decreased, the “good” HDL increased). Some even had a reduced fatty liver. Polish scientists from the University of Poznań found out in 2013 that a glass of beetroot juice in the morning can be proven to protect against liver damage because of the betanin it contains.2
Also interesting: Why beetroot is a legal doping agent
Quinoa can improve liver values
Quinoa, a staple food of the Incas 6000 years ago, is said to promote liver health. As US researchers found out in 2019, the liver values including cholesterol and the associated inflammation in obese mice improved suddenly after a cure with the South American food.3 The «American Liver Foundation» recommends regularly including quinoa in the diet for liver health. Like amaranth, the seeds of the foxtail plant (quinoa is not a grain) also contain the amino acid L-tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin in the body. And that’s what we need to be happy.
Blueberries can inhibit liver cancer cell growth
The polyphenols found in blueberries act as a protective coating for the liver, slowing down scarring in cirrhosis, researchers found in a comprehensive 2014 study. Another test-tube experiment even found that blueberry extract inhibited the growth of human liver cancer cells.4 All evidence that this popular food is a liver supporter.
Betanin in prickly pears «cleans» the liver
The same study also examined the prickly pear, which grows in Europe in the Mediterranean region. This fruit has also been proven to help reduce harmful blood fats, remove bile juices and unclog arteries clogged with fat and cholesterol. However, most research work focuses on extracts from fruits, so it has not yet been fully scientifically clarified whether the liver-protecting properties also apply to the whole fruit or juice. But there are clues. The indigenous peoples of America use the prickly pear as an effective medicinal plant. Like beetroot, it also contains betanin, the liver cleaning effect of which is now considered to be sufficiently proven.5
Garlic activates liver enzymes
The fact that people in the Mediterranean have a particularly high life expectancy may also be due to the large amount of garlic, which is a must in almost every dish. The tuber contains the sulfur-like substances S-allyl mercapto cysteine (SAMC) and diallyl disulfide (DADS), which activate liver enzymes. So, thanks to their help, the organ can work more efficiently. In 2016, researchers at the Iranian University of Isfahan found out how this is physically noticeable.6 They administered garlic extract to 110 people suffering from fatty liver for over 15 weeks. In the end, it turned out that they all lost weight and body fat mass – while hardly anything changed in the control group. Garlic should therefore not be missing from the menu as a food for a healthy liver.
Also interesting: That’s what it takes to abstain from alcohol for a month
Nuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids
Nuts, especially walnuts, contain plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. Interestingly, there are many studies on the subject of omega-3 and fatty liver. A study by the Tongji University in Shanghai proves to be outstanding.7 In this study, 66 patients suffering from fatty liver were administered two grams of omega-3 acids obtained from seal oil daily for 24 weeks. 13 of them are said to have emerged from the experiment with a completely healed liver.
Note: Even if seal oil is said to provide the highest quality omega-3 according to medical experts, trading in seal products is fortunately banned in Europe. For non-vegetarians, herring is a great source of the valuable fatty acid. Incidentally, one of the few fish that you can eat with a clear conscience – in terms of sustainability when catching it.
Also interesting: Omega 3: what fish oil capsules really do for your health
Artichokes trigger bile acid production in the liver
Even in ancient times people swore by the power of the artichoke, which the rich Romans used to relieve their livers, which had been damaged by numerous feasts. The bitter substances contained in the artichoke, including cynaropicrin, ensure that more stomach acid is formed. This stimulates the liver’s bile acid production, which in turn means that the fat has no chance of settling in the liver. Instead, it is digested in a pleasant way. There are masses of studies that want to have the effect, which has been known for thousands of years, scientifically proven for the sake of completeness. These include this study from 2018.8 After eight weeks of treatment with artichoke extract, the liver enzyme levels improved significantly in around 80 percent of the 41 participants.
Which liver values are normal?
Important note from the editors at the end: A single food can never ensure that you stay healthy across the board or guarantee liver health. The balanced mixture makes it, together with sufficient exercise, enough sleep, little alcohol and a positive attitude towards life. Luckily, that’s now common knowledge.
Sources
- 1. Srivastava S, Siddiqi Z, Singh T et al. (2019). Beetroot Supplementation on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients. Current Research in Nutrition and Food Sciences.
- 2. Krajka-Kuźniak V, Paluszczak J, Szaefer H, Baer-Dubowska W (2013). Betanin, a beetroot component, induces nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2-mediated expression of detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes in human liver cell lines. Br J Nutr.
- 3. Noratto, GD, Murphy, K, Chew, BP (2019). Quinoa intake reduces plasma and liver cholesterol, lessens obesity-associated inflammation, and helps to prevent hepatic steatosis in obese db/db mouse. Food Chem.
- 4. Wang H, Guo X, Hu X, Li T, Fu X, Liu RH (2017). Comparison of phytochemical profiles, antioxidant and cellular antioxidant activities of different varieties of blueberry (Vaccinium spp.). Food Chem.
- 5. Clifford T, Howatson G, West DJ, Stevenson EJ (2015). The potential benefits of red beet root supplementation in health and disease. nutrients.
- 6. Soleimani D, Paknahad Z, Askari G, Iraj B, Feizi A (2016). Effect of garlic powder consumption on body composition in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Advanced biomedical research.
- 7. Zhu FS, Liu S, Chen XM, Huang ZG, Zhang DW (2008). Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from seal oils on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease associated with hyperlipidemia. World J Gastroenterol.
- 8. Panahi Y, Kianpour P, Mohtashami R, Atkin SL, Butler AE, Jafari R, Badeli R, Sahebkar A (2018). Efficacy of artichoke leaf extract in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res.