The importance of liver health cannot be overstated. Weighing approximately three pounds, it is a fairly large organ whose primary function is to “filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body,” says WebMD.
Additionally, the liver removes toxins such as bilirubin and ammonia from the blood, and also converts the nutrients from digestion into forms that the body can use. And these are just a few of the functions the liver performs, making it essential to your overall health and well being. As such, it’s important to keep it in tiptop shape, and the following six tips will help you do just that!
1. Remove Certain Foods From Your Diet
The first thing you can do to help improve your liver function is to remove, or limit intake of, certain foods from your diet. Care2.com says to “avoid eating heavy, fatty foods since they just create more work for the liver.” This includes things like margarine, shortening and commercial oils.
Additionally, you should significantly reduce your consumption of any refined sugars, such as sucrose and fructose—which are often found in soda and fruit juices—as LiveInTheNow.com indicates they can “induce fatty liver disease, and cause liver inflammation.” The American Liver Foundation adds that you should also avoid refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice and regular pasta.