Liver cleanse diets and theories abound -- you might run across a diet that claims good results from eating only raw fruits and vegetables, while another program might use herbs along with a vegan-based diet to help clear "toxins" out of your liver. The truth is, there's little science behind these claims. However, if you're overweight and especially if you're diabetic, you may suffer from a condition called fatty liver disease -- and it is possible to cleanse your liver of these excess fat deposits through diet, according to the Veterans Health Administration.
Significance
Fatty liver disease -- a condition linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome and especially diabetes -- may affect one in every five Americans, according to the Veterans Health Administration. When you have fatty liver disease, deposits of fat build up in your liver, and the condition eventually can progress to a more serious disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and potentially even liver failure, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. While highly hyped liver cleanses won't clear this excess fat from your liver, diet changes can.
Function
According to the University of Virginia Health System, even small amounts of weight loss can help the liver lose this excess fat, which may also reduce toxins stored in the liver. You'll need to lose at least 5 percent of your total weight, and perhaps 10 percent, to have this effect, and you should use a combination of diet and exercise to reach your goals.
Features
According to the Mayo Clinic website, you should focus on eating healthy, fresh foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fish, and healthy oils such as olive oil, to cleanse your liver of this added fat. Many of the liver cleanse diets touted on the Internet also recommend this type of diet. Count calories and eat less in order to lose weight.
Theories/Speculation
Although researchers haven't studied the issue in humans, there's evidence from research in mice that indicates a diet high in fiber and low in simple sugars can help to cleanse your liver of this extra fat. According to the article "Diet Change Can Curb Fatty Liver Disease" published in September 2007 in "U.S. News and World Report," a diet that falls low on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly carbohydrates are absorbed, can help with excess fat in the liver.
Warning
Whether you decide to follow a low-glycemic index diet or simply choose to cut calories and add healthier foods to your diet in an effort to cleanse your liver of its excess fat, be careful not to lose weight too quickly. According to the University of Virginia Medical Center, very rapid weight loss from ultra-low calorie diets can cause more liver damage.
References
- Department of Veterans Affairs: Fatty Liver Disease
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
- University of Virginia Health System: Nutritional Recommendations for Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- U.S. News and World Report: Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
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