Towards a healthy liver

October 2007     View PDF     En español

Eat well and exercise

Eat a balanced diet with a range of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and foods with fiber. Cut down on fatty foods or foods with a high amount of sugar or salt. Excess fat, sugar and salt can stress your liver. This includes fried foods, fast food, processed cheeses and meats, and many boxed and frozen processed foods with long shelf lives. Trim fat off red meat and remove the skin from poultry. Eating smaller meals more often can aid your liver to work less.

Drink lots of fluids, including water, to flush toxins from your body. Eight glasses of water a day is recommended for most people. Also, get regular exercise and reduce stress in your life. Both of these help promote a healthy body, which in turn helps your liver do its work. Consult your doctor before starting an exercise routine.

Read the contents of the foods you buy. If possible, eat quality fruits and vegetables—whether organic or commercial. They should be washed well before using. Be careful with any food if you don’t know its source. For example, some innocent looking wild mushrooms can destroy a person’s liver in a matter of days.

Getting an adequate amount of protein and keeping a normal body weight is essential. Try to eat vegetables that are sources of protein. Other good sources include lean meat, fish, eggs, poultry, beans, nuts and dairy products. However, getting too much protein can stress your liver. Also, people who are overweight or have diabetes are more at risk for a serious liver disease called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Some food can contain dangerous bacteria or viruses that harm the liver. Know the source of the food that you eat. Do not eat raw or undercooked fish or shellfish like sushi, oysters, shrimp or clams if you have a weakened immune system liver disease. Someone with an already damaged or stressed liver doesn’t need to fight an additional battle.