World Liver Day : Simple Foods For a Healthy Liver

World Liver Day observed on 19 April every year, aims to spread awareness about increasing trend of liver diseases. Here are some simple foods to keep your liver healthy.

Highlights

World liver day is celebrated on 19 April every year to spread awareness about the risk of liver diseases and its adverse effects.
A poor diet, excess weight, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart diseases can put anyone at risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease which is the most common cause of liver problems.
To safeguard liver from hepatitis virus, both adults and children can get Hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines. These viruses tend to inflame and destroy the liver if not taken care of early.

Every year, this day is celebrated as the World Liver Day with a hope to spread awareness about the increasing number of cases of liver-related diseases and a range of options through which these diseases can be managed.

Liver being the second largest organ in the body has been neglected a lot, even though it is a key player in our body’s digestive system it is often neglected by excess intake of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

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‘Human liver being the second largest organ in the body has been neglected a lot, even though it is a key player in our body’s digestive system. Liver is often neglected by excess intake of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.’

Everything we consume has to go through the liver. Fighting infections, removing toxins, controlling cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels and bile production are some of its important functions.

Liver diseases are considered to be the tenth most common cause of death in India. It was even said that nearly 10 lakh people are diagnosed with liver cirrhosis every year in the country, according to a WHO report.

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The liver is the only internal organ that can regenerate itself even after you, unfortunately, lose 75-80 percent of it.

Nevertheless, one needs to adopt a healthy lifestyle, to carefully preserve the liver. Balancing of grains, proteins, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, fats as well abstaining from alcohol is equally important.

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Here are some simple foods for a healthy liver:

Garlic which is rich in allicin can help detoxify the body, as this antioxidant has the power to protect the liver from oxidative damage. It also facilitates the activation of liver enzymes that flush out harmful substances.
Carrots containing beta-carotene can help keep the liver healthy as these carotenoids being fat-soluble, can stimulate bile to flow and remove liver toxicity.
Eating antioxidant-rich apples can also help detoxify the liver and protect it from liver diseases.
Walnuts with the same properties as carrots can remove toxins such as ammonia and glutathione from the liver.
Green tea with beneficial catechin properties can help reduce liver cancer, steatosis, and cirrhosis. Liver enzymes associated with the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can be reduced by drinking 2-3 cups of green tea daily.
Spinach and lettuce are some of the veggies that contain a lot of vitamins A, C, and K, calcium. These can help flush out carcinogens and help reduce the risk of liver diseases.
Lime, orange, lemon, and grapefruit which are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants can help in the production of liver detoxifying enzymes.

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Source-Medindia