Your liver is one of your largest organs and one of the most resilient. An injured liver can even repair itself, regenerating new liver cells. But there's also a long list of things that can go wrong, including more than 100 liver diseases. Maintaining a healthy diet is one way you can help to keep your liver in good shape.
Your Liver
About the size of a football, your liver is tucked under your ribcage on the upper right side of your body. The liver is vital to healthy digestion, helping your body absorb nutrients from food and get rid of toxic substances. It also makes bile, which helps break down fats in the small intestine. According to the American Liver Foundation, 10 percent of Americans suffer from liver disorders, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver enlargement.
Diet Benefits and Risks
Eating foods that help you maintain a healthy weight is one way to limit the risks of liver disease. That's because obesity can cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a group of ailments that may include fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis. You also can protect your liver -- or prevent liver disease from getting worse -- by limiting or avoiding alcohol. That means no more than one drink daily for women and no more than two for men. Alcohol damage can make your liver fatty, inflamed or swollen.
Healthy Food Choices
The American Liver Foundation recommends that you choose foods from all food groups but avoid those that are high in fat, sugar and salt. Lower-fat proteins, such as lean meats, fish and legumes, will help keep your weight under control. Try reduced-fat or nonfat dairy products, including yogurt and cheeses. Also eat plenty of plant-based and fiber-rich foods, including whole-grain breads and cereals. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good choices, adding nutrients and fiber.
Additional Tips
Your doctor can provide diet tips if you already have a liver disease. For example, you must avoid iron-rich foods if you have hemochromatosis -- excess iron in your liver. As for alternative-health remedies, dandelions and milk thistle are options you might hear about. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there's no evidence that dandelions help your liver. Supplements derived from milk thistle might be more promising to promote liver health, but the center advises that more study is needed and that research so far has been mixed.
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