Support Your Liver to Support Your Health

Your liver is your body’s primary filtration system. It is responsible for processing everything you eat, drink, breathe in or rub on your skin. The liver is often referred to as your body’s power house and for good reason, it performs over 500 functions that are vital to life. Some of the most important functions your liver is responsible for include; assisting the body by providing it with energy, fighting off infections and toxins, helping clot the blood and regulating hormones.

One of the ways that your liver helps power your body is by storing and releasing energy when you need it. Your liver plays a key role in converting food into the chemicals and hormones our bodies require to function. This reason makes it important to choose foods that optimize liver health.

Some of the best ways we can support our liver are to eat small regular meals and drink 6 to 8 glasses of water. It is important to choose a variety of whole foods including fruits, vegetables and protein sources such as legumes and lean meats, whole grains, and sources of healthy fats including nuts, avocado and fatty fish.

Be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially brightly coloured ones with deep, bright pigments such as oranges, yellows, reds and greens which are high in antioxidants. Wash your fruit and vegetables right before use to remove pesticides.

When cooking vegetables and fruits, steam or bake them. This help retain more nutrients than boiling. Watch your intake of saturated fat and simple sugars, sweetened beverages and fatty foods high in saturated fat.

For a list of foods to support healthy liver function - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-foods-for-your-liver