Located under your ribcage and to the right of your abdomen, the liver is about the size of a football. The second-largest organ and biggest gland in your body, the liver helps digest food, absorb nutrients and detoxify the impurities in your system. Since the liver plays such a large role in our body's functions, eating food to support it is critical. According to the American Liver Association, one in five Americans has a condition called fatty liver, in which diet plays a key role.
Identification
Signs of liver problems include the following: abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, nausea, loss of appetite, mottled skin, itchy skin, yellowish eyes, dark urine, pale stools, bloody stools, tar-like stools and fatigue. Liver problems can be temporary and disappear on their own or they can turn into a long-lasting, severe condition. Liver problems may be inherited, caused by toxic conditions, diseases, alcoholism, or poor diet says MayoClinic.com. If you think you have liver problems, call your doctor.
Food as Medicine
According to Dr. Sandra Cabot, author of "The Liver Cleanse Diet," eating a diet rich in rainbow -raw vegetables and fruits will enrich and fortify the liver. She says to try and include them with each meal, ideally in 30 to 40 percent of the diet. Leafy green and bright red, purple and orange vegetables and fruit contain living enzymes, vitamin C, natural antibiotic substances and anti-cancer phyto-nutrients. Dr. Cabot says to think of food as medicine. You should get your food from these natural sources and avoid artificial sweeteners and colorants.
Olive Oil/Mediterranean Diet
A clinical study posted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, PubMed.Gov examined consuming olive oil and its effect on fatty livers. The study found that the monounsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil decreased inflammation and improved conditions in these diseased livers. It appears olive oil, frequently added to tomato sauces with fresh basil, garlic, oregano, and chili peppers in many Mediterranean dishes, is a soothing tonic to the liver.
Fluids
Dr. Cabot counsels filtered water, tea and raw fruit juices for the liver. Two liters of filtered water daily will keep the body from being constipated and help the kidneys and skin to detoxify your system through sweat and urine. The kidneys and skin assist the liver in the detoxification process. Plenty of fluids will keep the system hydrated. Green and black tea contain additional antioxidants. Find a good filter for your kitchen tap to save some wear and tear on your liver.
Milk Thistle
Man has been using milk thistle as a liver tonic for centuries. Milk thistle contains silymarin and benefits the liver, says liversociety.org. Clinical studies show it effective in treating cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis and fatty liver from alcohol intake. With long-term use of silymarin, severely damaged livers were restored to normal cell structure. Milk thistle is a good supplement for the ex-drinker and supplements of 70 to 210mg taken three times a day could protect and restore damaged liver cells.
