The liver has more than 500 functions in our body. Chinese medicine states that it is one of the organs that we must take care of the most for our body to function in the best possible way.
It produces bile, proteins and cholesterol, regulates coagulation and is the great purifier of the body. It is where toxins and drugs are eliminated from the body. For this reason, a healthy liver helps to maintain a good general condition.
What foods to eat to keep the liver in good condition?
There are many foods that help the liver to fulfill its functions. It is in the liver where the immune system also acts, in addition, as already mentioned, all the depurative functions are found there.
Foods with depurative, diuretic, antioxidant properties, with a considerable amount of amino acids, vitamins and proteins, are ideal to take care of the liver. In this list of 15 foods you will find several options to integrate into your diet.
1. Broccoli
Broccoli is rich in sulfur, useful for liver detoxification. Among the many properties of broccoli for our body, is the function of detoxifying the body by strengthening the liver. In addition, it contains selenium, which is essential for the correct metabolization of estrogens, contains selenium, which is essential for the correct metabolization of estrogens, a process that occurs in the liver..
This vegetable can be consumed continuously without any problem. It is recommended at least twice a week, so that the liver benefits from the properties of broccoli.
2. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are an important source of amino acids. Amino acids are essential to take care of the liver, for this reason it is recommended to consume chickpeas. Amino acids form enzymes, which are directly related to liver cleansing, so to maintain a healthy liver, they must be included in our diet.
Chickpeas, along with other legumes, can be consumed regularly. Ideally, at least once a week, they should appear in one of our meals.
3. Cucumber
Cucumber is a diuretic food that helps the purification process. This fruit contains a lot of water and minerals, so one of its main properties is to function as a diuretic.. This in turn helps in the whole process of detoxification of the body, by eliminating through urine the toxins that enter the body for various situations.
Cucumber can be consumed without any restriction, preferably eliminating the seeds. It also has the advantage of being a low-calorie food.
- You may want to read: “Lentils: 15 benefits and properties of these legumes”.
4. Spinach
Spinach is an ideal food to take care of the liver. In addition to its high content of chlorophyll, (hence the intense color) spinach has the great property of neutralizing toxins that enter the body. For this reason spinach is the ideal complement in a diet that seeks to take care of the liver.
Spinach is a very complete food that should be included on a daily basis in the diet, either in salads or in a salad.It is a very complete food that should be included daily in our diet, either in salads or in any other form of preparation.
5. Avocado
Avocado is another food that helps the liver to fulfill its function. Among the properties of avocado is its Omega 3 content. Its oleic acid reduces bad cholesterol in the blood, and this directly affects the amount of toxins. In this way the liver is benefited by receiving a “support” from this food.
It is best to consume it without cooking in any way. By including this fruit in our diet, we will be helping to reduce the overload of the liver in the purification process.
6. Red fruits
All red fruits are an important source of antioxidants. These antioxidant compounds help cellular regeneration, and therefore the functions of the organism are not altered. For this reason red fruits are part of the good foods to take care of the liver.
They also contain enzymes, which help the liver purification, compounds that help to break down fatty acids and pectin that helps in the elimination of metals.
7. Green tea
Green tea is an excellent ally to protect the liver. To help maintain the proper functioning of this vital organ, drink plenty of water. On the other hand, it is necessary to eliminate sugary and fizzy drinks, and be careful with the amount of infusions. However, green tea can be an ally because it has been proven to help accelerate liver function.
Although the consumption of green tea should not be abused, it is recommended to drink a cup a day.. In addition, this tea helps burn fat, which is also a benefit for the liver.
8. Daikon turnip
This vegetable is a food that should not be missed to improve liver function. Chinese medicine talks a lot about the importance of the liver. It is one of the organs to which it pays more attention. And among the most common recommendations is to regularly ingest daikon turnip. It helps to eliminate the toxins that the liver discards and also helps the kidneys in this process.
Turnip daikon can be added to the diet, consumed twice a week. Although in some regions it is not a common ingredient, it is actually not that difficult to find.
9. Artichokes
Artichoke is one of the best foods to take care of the liver. Foods that have a bitter taste are good for liver health.. Artichokes have this characteristic in their flavor, besides containing silymarin, an antioxidant that acts directly on liver functions.
Undoubtedly one of the foods that should be integrated into the daily diet to take care of the liver is the artichoke, so it can be consumed up to 4 times a week.
10. Warm water with lemon
Drinking warm water with lemon on an empty stomach is excellent to help liver function. To enjoy its benefits, just drink a glass of warm water with the juice of a lemon. This should be upon waking up and without having consumed any other food. This drink helps the correct production of bile that allows to process fats and thus purify the liver..
For a detoxifying diet, drinking a glass of warm water with lemon is a great help. However, this should not replace drinking enough water throughout the day.
11. Pineapple
Pineapple can be used for a depurative diet.An alternative to take care of the liver, is to perform at least once a year a diet with the sole purpose of detoxifying the body.. Pineapple can be used for this purpose. It simply consists of eating for a whole day, only and exclusively this fruit.
It is not recommended to do it too often, however carrying out this diet for a single day, on sporadic occasions, will greatly help the detoxifying function of the liver.
- You might also be interested in: “Tomato: all the properties and benefits for your health”.
12. Carrot
Carrot contains flavonoids and beta-carotene. These two compounds help purify the blood. They are also antioxidants, which helps strengthen the liver and also help to dispose of metals from the blood. The property of the carrot to intervene in the purification of the blood is what makes it an excellent vegetable to take care of the liver..
It is recommended to be consumed in combination with some of the other foods that help strengthen the liver. In addition, there is no restriction on its consumption.
13. Olive oil
Olive oil is also an ingredient that helps to take care of the liver. It is advisable to add this element to meals on a regular basis. This oil is auxiliary to help process fats, which helps the liver not to have an excessive load due to a high consumption of high-fat foods.
In addition, in the case that the amount of fat that the liver can tolerate is not being exceeded, olive oil helps to process fats.
14. Apple
The apple is a very good fruit to take care of the liver. This is because the apple has an important content of pectin and antioxidants. In this way it helps to fight free radicals and thus decreases the load of toxins in the liver. On the other hand, pectin is an element that helps to a good intestinal function.
For this reason is that the most recommended fruit to consume to take care of the liver is the apple.
15. Boldo tea
Boldo is a plant that contains a large amount of silymarin. Silymarin is a flavonoid compound that, among other things, helps the liver to function properly.. Boldo can be consumed as an infusion, and is highly recommended to treat liver difficulties or to strengthen the liver and improve its functions.
Silymarin is found in high amounts in the boldo plant, so it is not advisable to consume it in excess.
- Want to know more about boldo: “Boldo: what it is, properties, benefits and contraindications”.