Interested in preserving/enhancing your health? Into detoxification techniques?
In the rush of your daily life, however, you may be consuming some foods that are overtaxing the liver, an important organ, without you realizing it. Keep reading to find out if any of these items have been on your menu lately, and which foods can counteract any unhealthy indulgences.Quick Recap on Liver Function
Just to review—the liver sits on the upper right side of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm. It’s the largest internal organ of the human body. Blood has to filter through the liver before it travels anywhere else in the body.
The liver removes toxins from the body, processes food nutrients, and helps to regulate body metabolism.
“Without the liver, you can’t live,” said Leonard Seeff, M.D., senior scientist for hepatitis research at the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases. “It’s the metabolic factory of the entire body.”
Five Foods Toxic to the Liver
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Fast Foods - Toxic To The Liver
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- Fast Food: A study from Europe showed that eating too much fast food — a diet high in fat and sugar (including high fructose corn syrup) could cause serious damage to the liver. Follow-up studies also showed, however, that that damage could be reversed by giving up the unhealthy diet
- Alcohol: Too much alcohol can lead to liver disease.
- Salt: Too much salt can increase blood pressure, but did you know that it can also lead to fatty liver disease? Look out for high-salt processed foods like bacon and sausages.
- Artificial Sweeteners: Aspartame, Splenda, NutraSweet, and Equal can all create toxic reactions in the body. The government advises pregnant woman and children to avoid them.
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): A form of concentrated salt, MSG was found in a 1994 study to cause headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and asthma attacks, and in animal studies, to be toxic to the liver. Researchers commented, “There is considerable evidence to suggest that consumption of MSG is a serious public health problem….”
Raw Foods to Clean Up the Damage
Fortunately, there are raw foods that can reverse the effects mentioned above
- Garlic and onions: they help rid the body of toxins, assisting the liver in its cleansing duties.
- Freshly squeezed lemon in hot water: drink it first thing in the morning to encourage detoxification.
- Beetroot: it’s got the antioxidant anthocyanidin, which has shown some anti-tumor effects in studies. Healing phytonutrients help counteract the bad effects of fatty foods.
- Apples: they contain pectin, which helps escort heavy metals like mercury out of the body.
- Artichoke: it actually increases bile production, revving up the toxin-cleansing engine.
