A Healthy Body The Liver
It’s amazing when we think of all the wonderful things that our body does for us, but for some reason we do not often think of the importance of the liver. We hear about the liver being damaged by too much alcohol or from Hepatitis but we do not realize its role in our daily lives for helping filter and detoxify all the toxins we encounter through the environment and what we put into our bodies. I have taken most of this information from the NaturalNews website. It is very good information.
(NaturalNews) “The liver is one of the most important of all our vital organs. The liver is responsible for filtering and detoxifying environmental toxins and pathogenic organisms. The liver is a vital digestive organ that converts nutrients from the food we eat into essential blood components. It helps to store vitamins and minerals and produces key proteins and enzymes that maintain hormonal balance in the body. The liver helps the immune system fight infections and removes microorganisms from the blood stream. It also produces bile which is essential for digesting fats in our diet.”
Ten Foods Your Body Loves You To Consume (from Natural News website)
- Dark, leafy vegetables – Dark leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and collard greens are packed with antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamin C, and carotenoids that are essential in maintaining a healthy liver. These vegetables are capable of neutralizing metals, pesticides and chemicals that may be present in the food, which in turn provides protection to the liver, Suri said.
- Broccoli – Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts help inhibit fat uptake and increase lipid output. According to Suri, these vegetables help increase the levels of glucosinolate — an organic compound responsible for creating digestive enzymes.
- Blueberries – While most fruits and berries are healthy for the liver, blueberries contain the highest amounts of flavonoids and anthocyanins, both of which are touted as powerful anti-inflammatory compounds.
- Garlic – Garlic contains antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties that are essential for liver health. This spice is known to curb inflammation, and activate enzymes that eliminate toxins. Garlic is also packed with allicin and selenium. These two compounds help cleanse the liver, Suri noted.
- Pineapple – Pineapple contains anti-inflammatory digestive enzymes that expedite food metabolism. The fruit is high in magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin B1, and potassium.
- Turmeric – Turmeric is rich in curcuminoids. These beneficial compounds help relieve inflammation and boost kidney, liver, and bile production to improve digestion. The spice is also known to promote fat metabolism and is touted as a natural form of liver detox.
- Green tea – Green tea is best known for its antioxidant properties. It also helps prevent fat accumulation in the body. Green tea is packed with catechins, which help improve liver functions.
- Citrus fruits – Citrus fruits such as lemon and grapefruit contain high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. Grapefruit helps the liver eliminate carcinogens and toxins from the body, while lemons facilitate digestion.
- Avocados – According to Canadian holistic nutritionist Hermeet Suri, eating avocados can help the body to generate an essential antioxidant called glutathione. This is an important antioxidant that helps the liver filter out potentially harmful materials.
- Walnuts – Walnuts contain high levels of glutathione, and are packed with omega-3 fatty acids that assist the liver in its cleansing process.
A great juicing recipe for liver and kidney health is spinach, celery, cucumber, lemon and ginger. Another favorite is kale, cucumber, parsley, celery and lime.
I have also read that some of the foods that the liver has problems with are refined and processed foods, such as soy, peanuts, pasteurized dairy products and corn. I would also include all GMO foods in this list of foods that are hard on the liver, as they can be so harmful to the body.
In these difficult times in which we live, it is important we try and do all we can to stay healthy. I believe trying to keep your liver healthy is a most important step to a healthy body.
