Tips to Protect Your Liver
1. Healthy Eating Habit
Try eating organic foods as much as possible. Your diet represents one of the biggest potential burdens on your liver, as many foods are contaminated with pesticides, growth hormones and chemical additives.
By eating organic you are opting for the purest foods possible, which means you’re saving your liver from a slew of toxins. By definition, organic foods must be free from genetically modified organisms, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones and other drugs.
Consume sulfur-rich foods, such as onions, garlic and all the veggies in the cruciferous family (broccoli, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.) are known to help your liver detoxify environmental toxins, including prescription drugs and pesticides.
Vegetables are also an excellent source of fiber, which helps toxins to move through your digestive tract, reducing stress on your liver. Turmeric, cinnamon and licorice are also known to support healthy liver function.
2. Drinking Moderately, Avoid Smoking
Drink alcohol only in moderation. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver in many ways.
When alcohol enters liver, liver cells try to break down alcohol.
This chemical reaction creates reactive oxygen species, and an intermediate in this reaction Acetaldehyde is a known carcinogen. Exact mechanism by which this contributes to alcohol toxicity is still under discussion; scientists believe that the oxidative stress promotes cell death in liver.
Smoking may not directly harm liver cells. However, liver cells are the cells that try to break down chemicals from smoking. This also puts oxidative stress on liver cells, and when exposed to chemicals for extended period of time, liver cells will eventually become damaged and less efficient at processing and removing toxins from our body.
3. Liver Health Supportive Supplements
There are many herbs, foods, and health supplements which could promote and/or protect liver health. It is important to note that these are not a cure-all for liver problems and should be paired with a healthy diet and exercise.
Common ingredients used in Liver Health supplements include: N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Milk Thistle, Artichoke, Burdock, Broccoli and Dandelion Root, which detoxify the liver, increase bile production, and/or protects liver cells from damage.
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