The liver has a crucial role to play in maintaining your overall health and lifespan. In fact, it operates continuously without rest to ensure that your body is free from toxins, damaged cells, and burn fat. Liver problems arise due to different reasons. These problems affect the functionality of the liver, making you vulnerable to diseases. The important ones include hepatitis, cirrhosis, and infections. Many of the difficulties occur due to the food that you consume and the portions. You can prevent damage to the organ by eliminating certain foods from your diet.
The Function of the Liver
The liver acts as a mechanical filter, produces bile that burns fat and aids digestion, distributes the burned fat to other tissues of the body, and supports in the production of the proteins. The prominent examples of the proteins include those that prevent blood clot and those that are responsible for fluid transport. Additionally, the liver is responsible for processing and metabolizing vitamins such as vitamin D and A, and iron.
What Not To Eat If You Have Liver Problems?
The following is the list of the foods that you have to avoid to ensure that there is no liver damage or scarring that reduces the functionality of the organ.
Added Sugar – keeping away from foods that are rich in sugar is a healthy procedure. Do not include fruit juices, candy, sodas, energy drinks, cold drinks, and cookies. The buildup of sugar increases blood pressure and fat content in the liver.
Fried Foods – fried foods use oils that are rich in calories and fat. Consuming fried foods increases the fat content in the liver and develops cholesterol that is responsible for diseases related to the heart.
Salt – excess intake of salt makes the body to hold onto water content in the body. Keep away from processed foods, as they have excess salt content to prolong the shelf life of the product. Your body requires only 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Plan your diet such that you are not exceeding the value.
Pasta, Rice, and White Bread – all the three products fall under processed food category. They are responsible for increasing the blood sugar than whole grain because of the absence of fiber. Limiting the intake is essential to keep the liver in good health.
Red Meat – deli and beef are rich in saturated fats. Limit the intake or eliminate it if you are suffering from severe damage.
Alcohol – Alcohol is the primary cause of scarring the tissue of the liver. It is also responsible for other diseases. Continuous consumption leads to cell damage beyond regeneration, making it difficult for the liver to heal itself. It thus reduces the enzymes required by the digestive system to break the food and fat. It also reduces the production of chemical responsible for cleansing the bloodstream.
Assessment of the Condition
Before you can change the diet plan, it is necessary to assess the status of the liver. Make sure that you seek medical assistance in this regard. Upon receiving the reports, you can head to a nutritionist to chalk out a diet plan that will help in boosting the self-heal characteristic of the liver. Remember that the organ is the only part of the body with self-heal technology.
Making changes to your lifestyle also supports the cause of improving the functionality of the liver. Foods that you can include green leafy vegetables, fresh vegetable and fruit juices, fish, oatmeal, walnuts, avocado, seeds rich in antioxidants, and using olive oil for cooking, as it helps in weight control.
Protecting the health of the liver is vital. It defines how long you live and how well.
Also Read:
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- What Happens To The Body During A Liver Failure?
- What Foods Can You Eat With Fatty Liver Disease?
- What Are The Signs That Your Liver Is Not Functioning Properly?
- Can a Damaged Liver Heal Itself?