Your liver is the largest organ in your body and serves as your detoxifying system, removing harmful particles in your food and helping digest what you eat into usable substances for your body. Compromised liver function can cause health problems and illness, but you often do not know the liver is damaged until your condition has progressed. For this reason, it's important to follow a liver-friendly diet to maintain function and good health.
Monitor Your Protein Intake
Your body uses proteins to build muscle fibers and for energy, among other things. Eating excess protein can lead to a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy, which leads to mental confusion. To calculate the amount of protein you should eat, divide your weight in pounds by two. This number is the amount -- in grams -- of protein you should eat each day. Maintain a healthy balance of your protein intake and monitor your intake closely if your physician has recommended restricting your intake.
Creating a Healthy Balance
A diet that is healthy for the liver is one that involves eating adequate amounts of calories and fat. Feeding your body with nutritious foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains and lean proteins can help your liver stay healthy. Eating too many calories per day can tax your liver because it has to work harder to process foods eaten. While your caloric intake depends upon you age, sex, health and activity level, a moderately active female that's 31 to 50 years old should eat 2,000 calories per day while a male the same age and activity level should eat 2,400 to 2,600 calories, according to the American Heart Association. Processed foods like packaged cookies, cakes and fast food can take longer for the liver to process.
Limit Salts
While few foods are restricted for a healthy liver, you should take steps to limit sodium intake. This is because if your liver is not functioning at its best, you may retain more fluid. Thus, ingesting excess sodium can lead to increased swelling in the body. Instead of salt, use fresh spices or lemon juice to flavor foods.
Avoid Alcohol
Certain foods and drinks place greater strain on the liver and can damage liver tissue. The chief example is alcohol. The liver is capable of filtering a little more than one drink per day for women and two drinks for men. If you drink more than this, the liver can become damaged over time. This condition is called liver cirrhosis, and it can severely affect your health.
