Nourishing the Liver through Diet
The liver is an incredible organ. The liver is responsible for energy metabolism, storage of vitamins and minerals, the production and breakdown of hormones, and the breakdown and elimination of toxins/waste products, to name a few! Since the liver does so much, giving it a little love is a great place to start when you are looking to support emunctory function.
Nourishing the liver through diet is a foundational way to support its function, and that’s what this post will be focused on. There is an extensive list of foods that are nourishing to the liver. Below are some examples:
Beets
Dark leafy greens
Dandelion greens and dandelion root tea
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, bok choy, and more
Allium vegetables such as onions, garlic, and leeks
Green tea
Turmeric
Fish oil
Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, cilantro, and parsley
Berries
In terms of diet, there are also things we can focus on limiting to decrease the burden on the liver. Major liver health offenders include:
Alcohol
High fructose corn syrup
Toxins found in tap water and conventionally raised animal products
Pesticides and herbicides found on conventionally grown produce
Processed seed oils such as canola oil, safflower oil, corn oil, and soybean oil
While some of these things are easier to avoid than others, the goal is just bringing awareness to how much you are taking in and reducing what you can. Some resources to decrease environmental toxin exposure are found on the Environmental Working Group’s website. Check out the links below!
Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen:
The EWG comes out with a yearly list of the top 12 fruits and veggies that contain the highest level of pesticides and herbicides, as well as a list of 15 fruits and veggies that have the least amount. It is recommended to purchase foods that are in the dirty dozen organically grown whenever possible to lower your exposure.
You can also connect with farmers at your local farmer’s market to inquire about their growing practices. Since organic certification is so expensive, there are some farms that grow their crops using organic standards that aren’t certified “organic”.
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php
EWG Tap Water Database:
There is a saying that goes something like “whatever you aren’t filtering, the liver is filtering for you”. While tap water may be more environmentally friendly than bottled water, it is known to contain many problematic contaminants that your liver must work to eliminate from the body.
See this database to learn what is in your tap water and how you can work on filtering out what you can, while keeping your budget in mind.