Nourish Your Liver: Foods for Liver Health & Detoxification

The liver helps fight infection and cleans the blood. It also helps digest food and store energy. An unhealthy liver can cause fatigue, headaches, weight gain, and allergies. A diseased liver can be life threatening. Exercise and a proper diet help the liver maintain its function. Doing so can also slow down liver disease.

Antioxidants

• Antioxidants help neutralize toxins. That helps the liver can carry out the detoxification process. Antioxidant foods include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and brussel sprouts.

Garlic

• Garlic helps the liver dispose of mercury and food additives. It contains allicin, a compound the liver uses for detoxification.

Artichoke

• Artichokes act as a blood purifier. They also increase bile production.

Fruits

• Fruits are high in antioxidants. Good choices are prunes, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums, melon, apples, and pears.

General Tips

• Avoid red meat. Eat lean fish and poultry. Bitter foods--such as mustard greens--cleanse the liver. Complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice and wheat bread, provide B vitamins.