Foods you need to eat for a healthy liver

Fruits like apples act as natural cleansers for the liver. Source: poppy/Flickr

When it comes to digestion and detoxification of foods consumed by the body, the liver plays a vital role. During detoxification, it is the liver that converts fat soluble compounds to water soluble form, so that they be flushed out of the system as waste.

The liver also aids digestion, supports overall immunity and helps in keeping the body fit. When the liver is unable to filter and release toxins effectively, they get stored as fat reserves which can result in low energy levels, a weak  digestive system and also weight gain.

Given the amount of work the liver does on a daily basis, ensuring its health is top-notch should become a priority. One way to do so is to ensure your diet has ample foods that help the liver’s natural detoxification process and lessen the work that the organ needs to put in during metabolisation. “Almost all natural foods help keep the liver healthy and functioning optimally. Foods that are fried or heavily processed, high in calories, or food with a lot of chemicals and additives should be avoided, as they only pressure the liver’s natural ability to metabolise foods,” says dietitian and nutrition educator Neha Chandna. Here are Chandna’s top picks of foods that help keep the liver healthy and functioning optimally:

Natural juices like sugarcane help reduce the overall load of detoxification on liver and kidneys. Source: david weekly/Flickr

Coconut water, sugarcane juice contain a host of natural sugars and nutrients that are readily absorbed by the body. Since these juices are completely natural, they do not contain any toxins, thereby reducing the load on the liver and kidneys during the metabolisation process.

Coconut oil is a great food, as it gets metabolised easily and also gives energy.

Green and leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and bitter gourd must be a part of your diet for a healthy liver. The high chlorophyll content helps remove toxins from the blood, and make processing foods easier for the liver.

Fruits are also vital to keep the liver healthy they act like cleansers. Apples especially, as they are high in pectin, and other chemical compounds that naturally aid in the release of toxins from the digestive tract, which helps reduce the overall toxic load for the liver.

Pumpkin seeds are also easy on the liver, because of their high selenium content. Source: annstheclaf/Flickr

Natural green tea has a host of antioxidants that aid with liver functioning and flushing out toxins effectively.

Nuts like almonds, pistachio, cashew, walnut have essential amino acids that help the liver flush out ammonia. Walnuts are a rich source of natural, plant-based omega-3 fatty acids which further help the liver’s cleansing process.

Seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds,  pack in a good amount of selenium and minerals that contribute to the detoxification process carried out by the liver. Rightly called super-seeds, these also play a part in providing energy and enhancing overall well-being.