15 foods that are good for taking care of the liver

The liver fulfills more than 500 functions in our body. Chinese medicine establishes that it is one of the organs that must be cared for more so that our body works in the best way.

It produces bile, proteins and cholesterol, regulates blood clotting and is the great cleanser of the body. This is where toxins and drugs are eliminated from the body. For this reason, a healthy liver helps maintain a good general health.

What foods to consume to keep the liver in good condition?

There are many foods that help the liver perform its functions. It is in the liver where the immune system also acts, in addition, as already mentioned, all the purifying functions are found there.

Foods with cleansing, diuretic and antioxidant properties, with a considerable amount of amino acids, vitamins and proteins, are ideal for caring for the liver. In this list of 15 foods you will find various options to integrate into your diet.

1. Broccoli

Broccoli is rich in sulfur, useful for liver detoxification. Among the many properties of broccoli for our body, is the function of detoxifying the body by strengthening the liver. What's more,

contains selenium, which is essential for the proper metabolism of estrogens, a process that occurs in the liver.

This vegetable can be consumed without problem continuously. It is recommended that it be at least twice a week, so that the liver benefits from the properties of broccoli.

2. Garbanzo beans

Chickpeas are an important source of amino acids. Amino acids are essential to take care of the liver, for this reason it is recommended to consume chickpeas. Amino acids form enzymes, which have to do directly with liver cleansing, so to maintain a healthy liver, we must include them in our diet.

Chickpeas, along with other legumes, can be consumed regularly. Ideally, at least once a week, they appear in one of our meals.

3. Cucumber

Cucumber is a diuretic food that helps the purification process. This fruit contains a lot of water and minerals, so one of its main properties is to function as a diuretic. This in turn helps in the entire detoxification process of the body, by eliminating toxins that enter the body through various situations through the urine.

The cucumber can be consumed without any restriction, preferably by removing the seeds. It also has the advantage of being a low calorie food.

• Maybe you want to read: "Lentils: 15 benefits and properties of these legumes"

4. Spinach

Spinach is an ideal food to take care of the liver. In addition to its high chlorophyll content, (hence its intense color), spinach has the great property of neutralizing toxins that enter the body. For this reason, spinach is the ideal complement in a diet that seeks to take care of the liver.

Spinach is a very complete food that should be included in the diet on a daily basis, either in salad or in another way of preparation.

5. Avocado

Avocado is another food that helps the liver fulfill its function. Among the properties of avocado is its content of Omega 3. Its oleic acid reduces bad cholesterol in the blood, and this directly affects the amount of toxins. In this way, the liver is benefited by receiving a "support" from this food.

It is best to consume it without cooking in any way. By including this fruit in our diet, we will be helping to reduce the overload of the liver in the purification process.

6. Berries

All red fruits are an important source of antioxidants. These antioxidant compounds help cell regeneration, and therefore the functions of organisms are not altered. For this reason, red fruits are part of the good foods to take care of the liver.

They also contain enzymes that help cleanse the liver, compounds that help break down fatty acids and pectin that helps remove metals.

7. Green Tea

Green tea is an excellent ally to protect the liver. To help maintain the proper functioning of this vital organ, drink plenty of water. On the other hand, you have to eliminate sugary and carbonated drinks, and be careful with the amount of infusions. However, green tea can be an ally as it has been shown to help accelerate liver function.

Although the consumption of green tea should not be abused, if it is recommended to drink one cup a day. In addition, this tea helps burn fat, which is also a benefit for the liver.

8. Turnip daikon

This vegetable is a food that should not be missed to improve liver function. Chinese medicine talks a lot about the importance of the liver. It is one of the organs that you pay the most attention to. And among the most common recommendations, is to eat daikon turnip regularly. It helps eliminate toxins that the liver discards and also helps the kidneys in this process.

Daikon turnip can be added to food, consumed twice a week. Although in some regions it is not a common ingredient, it is actually not that difficult to find.

9. Artichokes

The artichoke is one of the best foods to take care of the liver. Those foods that have a bitter taste are suitable for liver health. Artichokes have this characteristic in their flavor, in addition to containing silymarin, an antioxidant that acts directly on the functions of the liver.

Without a doubt, one of the foods that should be integrated into the daily diet to take care of the liver is the artichoke, so it can be consumed up to 4 times a week.

10. Warm water with lemon

Drinking warm water with lemon on an empty stomach is excellent for helping liver function. To enjoy its benefits, just drink a glass of warm water with the juice of a lemon. This must be when waking up and without having consumed another food. This drink helps the correct production of bile that allows to process fats and in this way purify the liver.

For a detoxifying diet, drinking a glass of warm lemon water is helpful. However, this should not replace drinking enough water throughout the day.

11. Pineapple

Pineapple can be used to make a cleansing diet.An alternative to take care of the liver is to carry out a diet at least once a year with the sole objective of detoxifying the body. For this purpose you can use pineapple. It simply consists of eating for a whole day, only and exclusively this fruit.

It is not recommended to do it too often, however, following this diet for a single day, sometimes sporadically, will greatly help the detoxifying function of the liver.

• You might also be interested in: "Tomato: all the properties and benefits for your health"

12. Carrot

Carrot contains flavonoids and beta carotenes. These two compounds help purify the blood. They are also antioxidants, which helps to strengthen the liver and also help to remove metals from the blood. The property of carrot to intervene in the purification of the blood is what makes it an excellent vegetable to take care of the liver.

It is recommended to consume in combination with some of the other foods that help strengthen the liver. In addition, there is no restriction on its consumption.

13. Olive oil

Olive oil is also an ingredient that helps to take care of the liver. It is advisable to add this element to meals on a regular basis. This oil is auxiliary to help process fats, which helps the liver not to have an excessive load due to a high consumption of foods high in fat.

In addition, in the case where the amount of fat that can be borne by the liver is not being exceeded, olive oil helps process fats.

14. Apple

The apple is a very good fruit to take care of the liver. This is because the apple has a significant pectin and antioxidant content. In this way it helps to fight free radicals and in this way reduces the load of toxins in the liver. On the other hand, pectin is an element that helps a good intestinal function.

For this reason, the fruit that is most recommended to be consumed to take care of the liver is the apple.

15. Bold tea

Boldo is a plant that contains a large amount of silymarin. Silymarin is a flavonoid compound that among other things helps the proper functioning of the liver. Boldo can be consumed as an infusion, and is highly recommended to treat liver problems or strengthen the liver and improve its functions.

Silymarin is found in high amounts in the boldo plant, so it is not advisable to consume it in excess.

• Do you want to know more about boldo?: "Boldo: what is it, properties, benefits and contraindications"

Bibliographic references

• Takato Ueno, et al. (1997) Therapeutic effects of restricted diet and exercise in obese patients with fatty liver, Journal of Hepatology, Volume 27, Issue 1
• Murase et al., (2002) "Beneficial Effects of Tea Catechins on Diet-Induced Obesity: Stimulation of Lipid Catabolism in the Liver." International Journal of Obesity