Your liver is one of the hardest working organs in the body.
It’s an air filter, a chemical detoxifier, and gas tank for energy.
It works round the clock to make sure your body gets the nutrients it needs+9s, while guarding you from the toxins you consume throughout the day.
It also makes proteins that are vital for blood clotting.
You simply can’t live without it.
And did you know that the USA has about 4.5 million people living with liver disease?
In this blog, we will talk all about foods that are destroying your liver.
This includes alcohol, raisins, canned foods, red meat and more.
Alcohol
This may be the most obvious one on our list.
Your liver typically processes one standard drink, or about 10 to 15 grams of alcohol in an hour’s time.
But if you drink more than this, and do it often enough, your liver is at risk for developing fat deposits.
This condition is known as alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The symptoms may not be obvious.
Only a doctor can detect it through blood tests, or a biopsy.
Alcohol can also speed up the progression of pre-existing liver disease.
One function of your liver is to metabolize alcohol.
So, if you have liver damage and continue to drink, your liver won’t metabolize alcohol as effectively, leading to even more liver damage.
If excessive drinking continues, fatty liver disease can progress into more complications like alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Fried Foods
Your liver’s main function is to break down nutrients.
But when it becomes overloaded with fats, it can’t keep up.
Fried foods and other high-fat items can cause fatty liver, so it’s best to avoid them for the most part.
The extra fat can cause swelling and scarring which permanently damages the organ’s ability to filter nutrients.
As an alternative to frying food, consider sautéing it in healthy fats such as coconut oil.
Or broiling them in the oven to get them good and crispy.
Red Meat
Red meat can do more harm than good to your liver, especially if you’re suffering a serious liver disease like cirrhosis or hepatitis.
This type of meat brings a lot of red flags.
Red meat has saturated fats and other substances, which can gradually lead to nonalcoholic liver disease.
Metabolism of red meat also puts a lot of strain on your liver due to complex proteins and fats.
One study found that overweight people who consume a lot of animal protein are at higher risk of fatty liver than those who don’t.
Packaged Snack Foods
Next time you feel the urge to eat packaged food, reach for a healthy snack instead.
The problem with chips and baked foods is that they are typically loaded with sugar, salt, and fat.
Eating foods high in sodium can lead to retention of fluid in your liver and slow down its function.
Many of the processed foods contain trans fatty acids which promote the formation of fibrosis.
This causes scar tissue to take the place of damaged liver cells.
Fibrosis can cause serious complications like cirrhosis, or even cancer of the liver.
One good strategy is to carry a pack of healthy snacks with you and eat that whenever you’re hungry.
Try an apple a day.
Fast Foods
Fast foods contain fats as well as unhealthy carbs.
A diet high in refined carbohydrates leads to fatty liver disease.
These foods cause a higher surge of blood glucose and a large release of insulin, which promotes fatty deposits on your liver.
When it comes to foods that are high in fats, eating these in excess can increase bad cholesterol, and lower the good kind.
Greasy cheeseburgers are NOT the way to go, folks.
Too Much Salt
Anything in excess can cause damage, and that includes salt.
Though salt is known for increasing blood pressure, it can harm other parts of your body.
New studies have shown that having too much salt in your diet can scar your liver.
Luckily, antioxidants like vitamin C help to decrease that damage.
You should avoid foods high in sodium, and try adding new foods to your diet.
Eating stuff that is high in vitamin C, such as strawberries, kale and bell peppers.
Choose fresh veggies instead of canned kinds.
Try adding herbs instead of salt during cooking.
You can use black salt or rock salt instead of table salts.
Also, take the salt shaker off the table. Out of sight, out of mind.
Raisins
Although raisins are pretty healthy, eating too many is counterproductive.
Not only are they high in sugar, preservatives, and calories, but they actually inflame the lining of your liver.
They might be healthier than eating a bowl of Skittles, but make sure to have it in small amounts.
Fructose
Foods that contain high amounts of sugar like raisins and juice may be tasty, but they don’t do your liver any favors.
Fructose simply doesn’t break down in your body like other sugars.
In fact, too much fructose can cause dyslipidemia, or abnormal amounts of fat in the blood.
According to a study, fructose is closely tied to fatty liver and inflammation.
Small amounts of fruit are good to eat, but too much can be a problem.
Try not to go overboard with raisins, juice,Trail Mix or honey.
Sodas
Sodas tend to be full of high fructose corn syrup.
This is one of the worst substances you can expose your poor liver to.
Even if the soda is made with sugar, it’s bad.
Another function your liver performs, is to convert sugar into fat.
Too much of any type of sweetener, and your liver will be producing too much.
Excess fat leads to fatty liver disease, which is really dangerous and only leads to further complications.
Sugar
While it’s true that your body craves sugar, too much of it can be bad for your liver.
Eating excess sugar leads to obesity and diabetes, which are both risk factors for fatty liver disease.
Many studies have linked a decrease in sugar consumption to a healthy liver and the prevention of fatty liver disease.
Sugar breaks into fructose and any extra fructose is stored as fat.
Too much sugar means too much fat in the liver, which puts your liver at further risk.
Sugar is hiding in processed foods like cookies, cereal, cake, juice and soda.
Hidden sugar may also be lurking in salad dressing and ketchup.
Always make sure to read the sugar content on the bottle before buying these food items.
While natural sugar found in certain foods is ok for your liver, eat them in moderation.
Trans Fats
Foods containing partially hydrogenated oils are far from a thing of the past.
They still show up in processed foods everywhere, like store-bought frosting, crackers, cookies, salad dressing and microwave popcorn.
Even small amounts of trans fats increase bad cholesterol.
In fact, all the extra bad cholesterol from trans fats get dumped into your liver, increasing the risk disease.
Make sure to read your labels before buying any of these food items.
Simple Carbohydrates
These are overly processed carbs containing no healthy nutrients.
Simple carbs cause your blood sugar to spike, which can lead to becoming resistant over time.
This will lead to the development of fatty liver disease.
Simple carbohydrates include white bread, white noodles (refined flour noodles), cakes, cookies, pastries and crackers.
Canned Foods
It’s no secret that canned foods are packed with sodium.
Sodium is not only used to preserve food, but also to strengthen the flavor.
High levels of sodium can lead to fibrosis, the first stage of liver tissue scarring.
Some canned products also contain other harmful ingredients that are best not eaten on a regular basis.
What would be the most difficult food to give up for you?
Let us know in the comments below.