ONLINE MENU PLAN FOR A HEALTHY LIVER

MENU PLAN FOR A HEALTHY LIVER                     The liver performs many important functions in the body. Its best known job is probably its role in detoxification. The liver helps process and break down everything that passes through your body, including the foods you eat and the medicines you take. Encouraging liver health through diet does not require any complicated eating plans -- just the basic tenets of healthful eating.
Liver and Nutrition
Your liver depends on a variety of nutrients to perform detoxification and other functions. When you have nutritional deficiencies in your diet, your liver does not get the fuel it needs to stay healthy and perform its job properly. This can lead to a buildup of toxins in your body that the liver would normally filter out. Eating healthier foods also reduces the workload on the liver, allowing it to function more smoothly. The American Liver Foundation notes that eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of liver diseases.
Liver-Specific Nutrients
Hodson notes that certain nutrients appear to specifically benefit the liver and she recommends increasing your intake of foods rich in these substances. The antioxidant vitamin C helps prevent cell damage; rich sources include potatoes, citrus fruits, strawberries, spinach, broccoli and mangoes. The antioxidant vitamin E will also benefit the liver; you can find abundant vitamin E in sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, leafy greens and whole grains. Methionine and cysteine help process toxins and you can find them in egg yolks, garlic, onions, red peppers, beans and broccoli. The B-vitamins also help with liver function; some B-vitamin-rich foods include whole grains, brown rice, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and wild rice.
Foods to Avoid
The National Liver Foundation advises you to avoid certain items that can compromise liver health. They include raw and undercooked shellfish, foods high in sugar, fat and salt and fried foods. Eating high-fat foods in particular can lead to fatty liver -- a condition where fat deposits build up. This condition can lead to more serious problems like inflammation and scarring.
Alcohol
The effects of drinking excess alcohol have been well-established in terms of its negative impact on liver health. If you do drink alcohol, keep it to one drink a day if you are a woman and two if you are a man. If you do drink alcohol, make sure you get enough B-vitamins, particularly B-1; excess alcohol consumption can deplete your stores of these vitamins. You might also consider taking a B-complex supplement that contains all the B vitamins in the proper amounts.