What do the pancreas and liver like and dislike?

The liver is one of the largest and key organs of our body.

Without it, metabolic processes and blood formation are unthinkable, it produces bile, without which digestion is impossible, and most importantly, it is a filter through which everything necessary and harmful that enters our body passes: without it, we would have died long ago under the influence of alcohol and food poisons .

Like a sponge, it also absorbs nutrients, so to maintain the health of this organ, it is important to know which foods are good for the liver.

Whole grain oats

Oats help remove excess bile from the body along with all the poisons and toxins that were cooked in it. A drink made from whole grains is perfect for poisoning and intoxication (including medication).

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What cereals cleanse and restore the liver: 2 of the most essential cereals

Other

In order for the “filter” to work flawlessly, you need not only to know which foods are good for the liver, but also to eat them at least a couple of times a week. By the way, there are also seasonings that are useful for this gland. For example, ginger and turmeric, which perfectly cleanse it of poisons and remove cholesterol. Among the drinks, the most beneficial are green tea rich in antioxidants and homemade compotes. Greens, which neutralize heavy metals, will also be of great benefit.

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Maintaining Liver Health

The liver is a sensitive organ that can easily be destroyed if effective care is not taken. Maintaining a healthy liver is very important as it helps in digesting food, cleanses blood and waste, regulates cholesterol levels and controls fat metabolism.

The liver is an important organ that plays an important role in the metabolism of food and in the digestion process. Often the liver becomes overgrown with fat. This condition is known as steatosis. This may be due to chronic alcohol consumption or as a consequence of a poor diet high in fat and carbohydrates. This can result in cirrhosis or scarring of the liver.

Environmental toxins or infections such as hepatitis along with several other conditions can also lead to cirrhosis of the liver and eventually liver failure.

According to the American Liver Foundation, up to 25% of people have some kind of liver disease that negatively affects liver function.

While a healthy diet is very important for overall health, a diet high in fiber and vegetables. This is all especially important for liver health. It is also important which foods the liver loves and which ones should be avoided to improve liver health.

The most useful products

• Pumpkin. Knowing where vitamin A is found, you can easily guess which foods are most beneficial for the liver. Yes, this organ loves all orange and red fruits and vegetables, but pumpkin the most. If only because it contains carnitine, which cleanses all organs of toxins, making it easier for our filter to work. In addition, it improves protein metabolism. Pumpkin also contains magnesium, which helps restore the structure of the organ.
• Kelp. Better known as seaweed. It is good because it contains a lot of alginic acid - this substance is otherwise called a natural disposer of harmful substances: alginates can bind heavy metal salts and harmful chemically active compounds, and also remove them from our body. So kelp helps not only the thyroid gland, but also the detoxification organ.
• Cabbage. But not sea, but regular: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts... All of them help detoxify the body and remove cholesterol.
• Beet. Regular beets bring even more benefits to the largest gland in our body than overseas artichokes, because it contains betaine, which stimulates the cells of this organ and removes toxins from it.
• Olive oil. It is rich in vitamin E, the world's best antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals that are formed after exposure to radiation, cigarette smoke and air pollution. Olive oil makes it easier for our filter to fight them. However, any oils are good products for the liver, but only flaxseed and corn can compare with olive oil.
• Green apples. They contain a lot of magnesium, iron and potassium, without which our filter will not work fully.
• Avocado. Either a fruit or a vegetable. It doesn't matter, though. More importantly, it contains the above-mentioned omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, which restore gland cells and also help it bind toxins into groups and remove them as quickly as possible.
• Citrus. Vitamin C is not only an antioxidant that helps strengthen the immune system, but also a substance that converts toxic substances into water-soluble and easily excreted from the body. They are best consumed in combination with olive oil.
• Garlic. This vegetable activates glandular enzymes and helps get rid of toxins and other pollutants faster. It contains selenium and allicin, which filter the gland.
• Dried apricots. Not all sweets are harmful, but dried apricots are also useful: they protect against liver cancer. No less useful will be figs, which are able to cleanse the body of everything harmful that has accumulated over the years.
• Fish, any kind. It contains omega-3 fats, as well as phosphorus and vitamin B-12, which restores gland cells. Other types of meat are no less useful: chicken fillet, turkey (it also contains a lot of selenium and magnesium), veal.
• Artichoke. A rare vegetable, but it cleanses this gland.
• Eggs. Source of protein and good cholesterol. By supplying the body with cholesterol, they facilitate the work of the gland.

Garlic and onion

The characteristic pungent taste and pungent odor of garlic and onions are caused by the allicin content. It helps suppress intoxication processes and destroy pathogenic bacteria. Garlic and onions also contain selenium, which is essential for liver cells to renew themselves.

Photo source: shutterstock.com

4 Types of Foods That Can Harm Your Liver

1. Alcoholic Beverages Alcohol is a toxin to the body and the liver is the main organ responsible for filtering toxins from the blood. Alcohol in particular is particularly damaging to liver cells and is commonly associated with cirrhosis.
2. Saturated Fats and Trans Fats In general, dietary fats should be part of the human diet, but it is also worth knowing that saturated fats and trans fats pose a high degree of risk to the liver. Saturated fat comes from animal products to raise levels of “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Saturated fats come from meat and dairy products. Trans fats come from oils that have been partially hydrogenated and are needed for more than just raising LDL cholesterol levels. They actually lower levels of “good” cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Trans fats are found in processed foods such as potato chips, donuts and cakes, and candy. These fats overload the already overloaded liver. There is only one conclusion - fats are useful, but in limited quantities.
3. Sucrose Cakes, candies, pastries and other sweets all contain high levels of sucrose (table sugar). These foods have a high glycemic index. The glycemic index refers to the rate at which blood sugar will rise relative to the food consumed over a certain period of time. Foods with a high glycemic index can trigger a rise in insulin during sudden glucose surges. This often leads to fatty liver or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). If left unaddressed, it can develop into the condition of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and even cirrhosis.
4. Carbohydrates Sugars and all carbohydrates that can overload the liver: bread, pasta and other products made from wheat flour. These foods, which are high in carbohydrates and low in fiber, have a high glycemic index and will therefore raise your blood sugar levels. To avoid this, eliminate white bread, white flour, pasta and other white flour products, as they contain virtually no fiber that is beneficial for digestion.

Why is it necessary to restore the liver?

This internal organ performs a tremendous job, neutralizing all harmful substances that enter the body. In addition, the liver performs the following functions:

1. Maintains optimal cholesterol levels;
2. Produces and stores bile in the gallbladder;
3. Promotes the breakdown of alcohol;
4. Regulates metabolic processes;
5. Synthesize proteins;
6. Regulates glucose levels through gluconeogenesis;
7. Inactivates infections;

What foods are good for the liver?

Maintaining normal liver function is not difficult, it is enough to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits, maintain a normal work and rest schedule, and most importantly, you need to eat right. The normalization of the functioning of the digestive organs is facilitated by the correct way of processing food, excluding fried and smoked foods, and limiting sweets. You need to drink 1.5 - 2 liters of clean water daily and arrange fasting days from time to time.

In the absence of contraindications, it is useful to start the day by taking a spoonful of honey or a honey drink in warm, clean water. Low-fat fermented milk products such as yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk or yogurt are recommended. These products are especially useful when consumed at night or as a snack during the day. Animal fats must be replaced with vegetable oil, but before doing this, you should consult a doctor for the presence of cholelithiasis .

Meat products. The liver prefers poultry, beef, and other low-fat meats.

Fish. Fish contains a huge amount of useful essential vitamins, which have a beneficial effect on both the liver and the body as a whole. You should eat lean fish, such as sea fish.

Diet

To maintain the health of our filter, you need not only to eat what is good for the liver, but also to follow simple nutritional rules.

• Overeating is the most harmful thing, especially if you lie down on the sofa afterward. This will lead to stagnation of bile and to the fact that the entire digestive system will work for wear, which is not good.
• Fasting is no less harmful. Not only do we deprive all organs of the necessary substances, but it also provokes an increased formation of gastric juice and bile: the iron will simply “choke.”
• You can’t eat too much fatty food, it puts a lot of stress on the gland. Thus, the diet for a diseased liver (known as diet No. 5) excludes fatty pork and lamb, as well as goose or duck meat. They are also not very good for a healthy gland.
• The same can be said about sweets (destroys hepatocytes) and alcohol, which causes hepatocytes to die.
• Do not deny yourself and your filter fresh water.

Express liver cleanse

The main task is to neutralize toxins. Food, after entering the body, begins to be digested. After this, the components are absorbed from the intestines. This is where the liver comes into play - it recognizes and neutralizes the negative effects of chemicals, toxins, and pesticides that may be contained in food. If the gland does not perform these functions, a person may complain of some manifestations and symptoms:

• Chronic fatigue;
• Drowsiness;
• Pigmentation;
• Rashes on the skin;
• Unpleasant odor from the mouth;
• Increased sweating;
• Flatulence, diarrhea, constipation;
• Nausea, vomiting;
• Limb spasms;
• Jaundice;
• Pain in the right hypochondrium.

These are the main signs that may indicate liver dysfunction. In such cases, the body should be helped with appropriate food products. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the liver while taking certain medications. Thus, antibiotics, hormonal drugs, painkillers, antipyretics can disrupt some functions of the gland. Therefore, doctors recommend following a diet and taking hepatoprotectors in parallel with treatment.

You should also consume products to cleanse the liver if you have an unhealthy lifestyle. These include irregular meals, frequent fast food snacks, lack of physical activity, sedentary work, abuse of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes. Detoxification is impossible under such conditions. In this regard, diet No. 5 is most often prescribed. When the load on the gland is reduced, it regenerates and all functions are gradually restored.

The key difference between fruits and vegetables is their high fructose content. It is more beneficial than traditional glucose and creates less stress on the liver. That is why nutritionists recommend that everyone give preference to fresh and dried fruits instead of ordinary desserts. The best fruits for the liver are lemons, apples, plums and bananas.

Lemon

Lemon is rich in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which prevents fatty hepatosis, has a supporting effect on the liver, and also enhances the body's immune response.

Doctors assure that regular consumption of lemon in reasonable quantities significantly reduces the risk of contracting “household” hepatitis. Ascorbic acid also stimulates the flow of bile.

On forums you can often find statements that lemon can be used to cleanse the liver. Doctors say that consuming it in large quantities can harm the gallbladder and also cause gastritis. It should not be abused.

Apples

Apples are rich in iron and ascorbic acid and accelerate the removal of lipid compounds, which helps prevent fatty hepatosis. Regular consumption of apples has a positive effect on the blood composition and also reduces the level of low-density cholesterol, which comprehensively improves the health of the liver.

Doctors recommend including apples in the diet when it is necessary to minimize the load on the organ. Moreover, it is advisable to consume this fruit in baked form (you can with honey if you need to increase the amount of carbohydrates in your diet).

See 5 more medicinal properties of apples here →

Plums

They contain pectins, which strengthen the structure of hepatocyte membranes. Plums also have a good effect on the functioning of the intestines, stimulating the removal of waste and toxins from it, which will help “unload” the liver.

This fruit is also recommended to be included in the diet of those who need to normalize the water-salt balance in the body.

Prunes are more beneficial for the liver - they also have a mild choleretic effect. But at the same time, it weakens and liquefies the stool - this “side” effect should be taken into account.

13 more facts about the effects of plums on the gastrointestinal tract →

Bananas

Bananas are the largest source of simple carbohydrates, which are quickly broken down into derivatives and converted into energy. In this case, there is practically no load on the liver.

Bananas also contain amino acids that are necessary for the formation of new hepatocytes.

In large quantities, bananas have a powerful choleretic effect, so you should not abuse them for stomach ulcers or gastritis.

Find 12 other beneficial properties of bananas here →

Our list continues with berries. Berries, unlike vegetables and fruits, contain a wide range of essential oils and pectins. They also contain 3–4 times more magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. They are especially useful for those who have chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system associated with unstable blood pressure or high levels of lipid compounds in the blood (the liver is responsible for the breakdown of which).

Grape

Grapes increase nitrogen levels in the blood, thereby reducing the likelihood of thrombosis. Grape juice also reduces the risk of the formation of cholesterol plaques, which can completely disrupt normal blood flow through the liver.

In the presence of any chronic gastrointestinal diseases, grapes are excluded from the diet. You should consult your doctor about this.

You can find 6 facts about the benefits of grapes here →

Sea ​​buckthorn

Sea buckthorn contains rare microelements such as aluminum, copper, silicon, iron, which are necessary for the body to normalize the biochemical composition of the blood - this comprehensively improves liver function, normalizes blood pressure, soothes and prevents inflammation.

Sea buckthorn is also a source of phytoncides, which act as an antibiotic, but suppress the spread of not only bacteria, but also viruses and fungi. Doctors also claim that sea buckthorn helps to improve the health of the gastrointestinal tract in the presence of erosions (often occurring when drinking alcohol).

Watermelon

Watermelon can be used to cleanse the liver and urinary tract. After such a procedure, the likelihood of stone formation, including in the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, is reduced to almost zero.

How to carry out this cleaning? Everything is extremely simple: for 5 days, eat watermelon at the rate of 1 kilogram of pulp per 10 kilogram of live weight of a person on the 1st day.

The only caveat: this cleansing cannot be carried out if you have chronic kidney disease (due to the powerful diuretic effect).

Fruits and berries also improve the protective functions of the organ. Therefore, you should consider what your liver needs to eat:

1. Lemons. This is one of the best sources of ascorbic acid. Persons with high acidity or gastritis, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers should not lean on citrus fruits. Lemons have an irritating effect on the walls of the stomach. This fruit also improves digestion and accelerates the breakdown of food in the gastrointestinal tract into useful components, helping in the digestion of food. Regular use of the product supports the functionality of the internal organ, improves immune responses, and protects hepatocytes.
2. Apples are an excellent source of ascorbic acid and iron. Prevents the development of iron deficiency anemia. When consumed daily, it slows down the development of adipose tissue near the liver walls. Apples have a positive effect on the rheological properties of blood, normalize biochemical parameters and lipid profile. In case of exacerbation of gastrointestinal pathology, the best dish option is baked apples with honey.
3. Bananas have a positive effect on the gastric mucosa, do not burden the digestive organs and are an excellent source of fast carbohydrates that saturate the body with beneficial micro and macroelements. During an exacerbation period, bananas can be eaten raw without problems. They do not require heat treatment.
4. Plums are a healthy source of vitamins and some minerals and are generally well tolerated by the body. Plums have an excellent effect on the entire digestive tract, improving intestinal activity. Contraindicated for persons prone to frequent diarrhea. Helps remove toxins and harmful substances from the body.

Several times a year it is useful to arrange a course of diet therapy for yourself, developing a menu for several days. A liver cleansing diet can last from 3 to 7 days. These days, the diet should contain a large amount of the above-mentioned products: this will remove a huge amount of harmful substances from the organ in a short time. You can create a menu yourself, based on your own taste preferences and selecting the most suitable products for cleansing the liver.

For breakfast, it is recommended to choose muesli topped with low-fat natural yogurt, and green tea or a glass of orange juice. For lunch, you can prepare light, hearty dishes that cleanse the liver, which are perfectly digestible and do not overload the gastrointestinal tract: broccoli soup, boiled brown rice with meatballs, white cabbage salad seasoned with olive or flaxseed oil.

Evening meals should also be light: steamed vegetables and boiled chicken breast with fresh leafy greens are a great way to end a day of liver cleansing. It is best to avoid late dinner, but if the feeling of hunger becomes too strong, you can eliminate it with a glass of kefir.

You should not be afraid that such diet therapy will cause a deficiency of nutrients in the body: firstly, food that cleanses the liver of toxins contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, and secondly, it is necessary to adhere to a strict dietary diet for just a few days, so it will not cause any harm to health.