The liver is one of the largest and most important organs in the body. Although it has many important jobs that work to keep the body healthy, perhaps its most important are processing and storing energy from foods and removing toxins and waste from the body. There’s a good reason that this organ is nicknamed the body’s “natural filter.”
The liver plays an essential role in digestion. After the stomach and intestines finish their job of digesting food, what's leftover travels through the bloodstream and to the liver to be filtered. Many different breakdown and filter processes happen here, as well as the creation of bile which is stored in the gallbladder until it is needed to digest fats, help absorb fat soluble vitamins, and eliminate toxins.
The liver also helps to support sugar metabolism and blood sugar regulation by pulling glucose from the blood and storing it in the form of glycogen. It then taps into these stores when blood sugar levels dip (if we go too long without eating for example) and releases glycogen to stabilize blood sugar levels.
Importantly, the liver is also involved in processing substances like alcohol, medications, and potential toxins that are ingested. The liver pulls them from your blood, detoxifies them, and excretes them from the body through urine or stool.
Supporting Your Liver
Although the liver does a pretty good job filtering substances from the body, it is important that we consume the right foods and beneficial supplementation if indicated to really set it up for success!
Foods to Limit
Deep fried foods, desserts, industrial oils (canola, soybean, margarine, etc.) and fast food have been associated with poor health outcomes and are often difficult for the liver to process efficiently. Overconsumption of these foods can increase the load on the liver which could interfere with its ability to fulfill its other important roles like creating bile or making critical enzymes.
Foods to Consume
- Coffee - fortunately for coffee lovers, this drink is great for promoting liver health. Studies have shown that drinking coffee lowers the risk of permanent liver damage in those who have chronic liver disease. It may also reduce the risk of inflammation and increase glutathione which is a potent antioxidant.
- Green or black tea - for those who might not tolerate coffee well, tea is another great option for liver health. For example, one study demonstrated that those who drank green tea saw an improvement in liver function and enzyme levels. The same does not apply to poor quality supplements advertising green tea extract, as those may negatively impact liver function for some people.
- Beet and beetroot juice - both beets and beetroot juice are high sources of nitrates and antioxidants called betalains. These antioxidants may support heart health and reduce inflammation and oxidative damage.
- Cruciferous vegetables - cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are high in fiber and a common recommendation for liver health. They may increase the liver’s detoxification enzymes and help to protect it against oxidative damage.
- Cold Pressed Olive Oil - a well known superfood with many health benefits, olive oil also boasts many benefits for the liver. Research has found that olive oil may help to decrease fat accumulation and improve blood flow in the liver, improve enzyme levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
- Fatty fish - wild caught fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines) contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation, decrease fat build-up, and normalize enzyme levels.
Supplementation for Liver Support
In addition to dietary changes, supplementation may be beneficial for supporting healthy liver functioning.
An amino acid that is naturally occurring in many foods and protects your liver cells against damage from free radicals or toxins. It also is heavily involved in forming bile salts which are important for healthy digestion.
A nutrient composed of a phospholipid attached to a choline particle, phosphatidylcholine supports the liver by improving fat metabolism and breakdown. It may also help to prevent accumulation of fat in the liver, something detrimental to overall health.
One of the body’s most powerful detoxifiers and antioxidants, glutathione works to bind to unwanted substances and eliminate them from the body, directly supporting the liver’s main role. It may also support a healthy immune system due to its antioxidant function.
Supporting your liver is important to the vitality of so many essential functions. Incorporating liver healthy foods, supplementation, and decreasing harmful inflammatory triggers is a natural way to keep your liver functioning to the best of its ability.
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About the Author
Emily Alexander, M.Ed, FNTP—Emily is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with Curated Wellness. She is passionate about supporting others in their journey to improve their relationship with food and their body through gentle nutrition, and is a firm believer that understanding the bio-individual components of nutrition is one of the best ways to do so. Emily completed her Master’s of education in health education and promotion with a concentration in eating disorders, and draws from both her educational background and life experience to help her clients improve their energy, understand their bodies, boost their athletic potential, and break down diet myths one at a time. Read more about Emily.
The information presented on this website is intended for educational purposes only. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any specific condition or disease, nor is it medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health conditions or concerns. One should always consult a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary and/or lifestyle change or new health program. Curated Wellness does not take responsibility for any health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content.
References
1. Morisco, F., Lembo, V., Mazzone, G., Camera, S., & Caporaso, N. (2014). Coffee and liver health. Journal of clinical gastroenterology, 48 Suppl 1, S87–S90. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCG.0000000000000240
2. Clifford, T., Howatson, G., West, D. J., & Stevenson, E. J. (2015). The potential benefits of red beetroot supplementation in health and disease. Nutrients, 7(4), 2801–2822. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7042801
3. Gupta, V., Mah, X. J., Garcia, M. C., Antonypillai, C., & van der Poorten, D. (2015). Oily fish, coffee and walnuts: Dietary treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. World journal of gastroenterology, 21(37), 10621–10635. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v21.i37.10621
