Alcohol & Health
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Your liver is an important organ responsible for over 500 vital functions.15 The liver regulates your blood’s chemical levels and excretes bile to remove waste from your body. It also processes and breaks down the blood from your stomach and intestines to create nutrients.
Other liver functions include:15
Keeping your liver healthy is important. But alcohol and unhealthy foods can take a toll on your liver.
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Here are some of the best foods to help keep your liver healthy:
Tofu is good for your liver because it is made of soy. Soy can help reduce fat buildup in the liver.24
The liver works to process fats. Soy can make this process more efficient. Soy is also linked to a reduced risk of alcoholic fatty liver disease.24
Soy is a healthy protein alternative for people with plant-based diets. Other soy foods include edamame, tempeh, miso, soybean sprouts, soy nuts, and some non-dairy yogurts.
In moderation, fruits can help keep your liver healthy. Vitamin C in oranges can help prevent fat buildup in the liver.22 Meanwhile, the antioxidants in grapefruits (naringin and naringenin) have been shown to protect the liver.
In some animal studies, Naringenin has also been shown to reduce the amount of fat in the liver. Other fruits like cranberries and blueberries have antioxidants like anthocyanins. These have been shown to help protect the liver from damage and slow the development of scar tissue in the liver.
Blueberry extract may even slow the growth of liver cancer cells. Grape seed extract is also linked to improved liver function. However, more research is needed to determine the benefits of these fruits.13, 26, 27, 28
Fiber is known to speed up a healthy liver recovery. It has also been shown to slow down the death of damaged liver cells.14
Oats are good for your liver because they are high in fiber. Plus, they’re antioxidant-rich.14
Many high-fiber foods benefit the liver. These include:
Coffee can have some health benefits for your liver. Avoid drinking too much because excess caffeine can have adverse health effects.
Moderate coffee consumption is linked to a reduced risk of liver disease. Coffee drinkers are less likely to develop cirrhosis than those who don’t drink coffee.15
Turmeric is a popular supplement, and for good reason. It has anti-inflammatory properties and may improve some stages of liver disease. The spice also reduces elevated liver enzymes.11
Beets are another antioxidant-rich food you may want to incorporate into your diet. In some animal studies, beets have been shown to limit liver enzymes and reduce inflammation.5, 8
More research needs to be done to replicate these studies in humans, but beets are a superfood.5, 8 They also benefit your heart health.
It’s no secret that vegetables have many health benefits. They can:
Cruciferous vegetables are especially beneficial for liver health. They can also help detoxify the liver and balance enzymes.20, 23
Cruciferous vegetables include:
A compound called indole2, found in cruciferous vegetables, can help prevent and fight nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Leafy greens like spinach are also packed with glutathione antioxidant. This can improve liver function.
Nuts are an easy snack that can help keep your liver healthy. They are rich in vitamin E and plant compounds.
They are also linked to a reduced risk of alcoholic liver disease.6 Nuts like almonds are considered healthy fats that are also good for your heart.
Green tea has substantial health benefits. For one, it is linked to better liver health.
Green tea has the following benefits:12
People who drink green tea consistently also have a lower risk of developing liver cancer.21
Unhealthy fats (like saturated and trans fats) are not good for the liver, but fatty fish are. Wild-caught salmon and sardines are some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating two to three servings a week can help prevent deficiencies.
Omega-3 fatty acids, in moderation, can contribute to improved liver function. People with cirrhosis damage tend to have lower levels of it. But getting more of it can aid in recovery. Omega-3 fatty acids also have anti-inflammatory properties.17
Here are some foods you should avoid to keep your liver healthy:
Heavy alcohol use is linked to liver disease. Alcohol misuse impairs liver functioning over time and even causes irreversible damage.9
Greasy and fatty foods can damage the liver. This includes foods that are high in saturated and trans fats. Your liver has to break down and process these fats, which takes more time and effort.18
Avoid fast foods like:
Candy and other sweets high in sugar can also hurt your liver. High-fructose foods are linked to fatty liver disease. These include:
Part of the liver’s function is to turn sugar into fat. So giving your liver too much sugar to convert makes its job harder.
Stick to healthy foods instead of candy. And remember the sugar in fruit is not the same as in candy.
Consuming too much salt is bad for your liver. High-salt diets are linked to liver damage in adults and developing embryos.25 If you are going to snack, stick to healthy, low-salt options.
Processed meats like bacon and hot dogs are high in saturated fats, preservatives, and salt. Lean meats are a much better option. You can also swap for plant-based proteins like soy.
Soda is often loaded with sugar, which your liver has to work harder to convert to fat. Drinking too much soda is hard on your liver.
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Regular binge drinking, heavy alcohol use, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) can significantly damage the liver. Alcohol-induced liver damage is linked to liver cancer. It can also lead to alcoholic liver disease.2
Alcoholic liver disease happens in three stages:2
Alcoholic liver disease is common in people between 40 and 50 years old. But men are more likely to have it than women.4 While some liver damage can be repaired, severe damage may be irreversible.
AUD is a serious health condition that refers to alcohol dependence.1 Some signs of alcoholism include:
Binge drinking and heavy alcohol use are different. Binge drinking is a drinking pattern that raises blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent or more.7
Heavy drinking refers to consuming more than 4 drinks per day (more than 14 per week) for men. For women, it refers to drinking more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day (more than 7 per week).7
About 61 million Americans are considered binge drinkers. Meanwhile, 16 million were classified as heavy alcohol users in 2014.3
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Here are some other simple ways to heal your liver and keep it healthy:
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