The liver is a crucial organ for maintaining overall health and well-being. It is your largest internal organ and plays a critical role in performing many functions. A healthy liver is responsible for absorbing and filtering everything you put into your body. Your liver also removes and destroys, dead and unhealthy cells, bacteria, parasites and fungi, toxic chemicals and heavy metals which contaminate your food, water and air
Functions Of The Liver (1)
- Metabolism & Energy Regulation: The liver processes nutrients absorbed from the digestive tract. It converts carbohydrates into glucose, fats into fatty acids, and proteins into amino acids. It plays a key role in breaking down fats and synthesizing lipids, including cholesterol and triglycerides. The liver also stores excess glucose as glycogen, which can be converted back into glucose when needed, helping to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
- Detoxification: The liver detoxifies harmful substances, including environmental toxins, alcohol, and metabolic waste products. It converts these substances into less harmful compounds that can be excreted from the body. The liver metabolizes and processes pharmaceuticals, affecting their efficacy and safety.
- Bile Production: The liver produces bile which is then stored in the gallbladder until needed for digestion. Bile is essential for the digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) in the small intestine.
- Synthesis of Proteins: The liver produces albumin, a protein that helps maintain blood volume and pressure by regulating the osmotic balance between blood and tissues. It synthesizes most of the blood clotting factors necessary for normal blood coagulation and wound healing.
- Immune Function: The liver contains Kupffer cells, which are specialized immune cells that help filter pathogens and dead cells from the blood, playing a role in the body’s immune defense. It also helps to regulate inflammation and immune responses, preventing excessive inflammation and tissue damage.
- Hormone Regulation: The liver metabolizes and deactivates hormones such as insulin, thyroid hormones, and reproductive hormones, helping to maintain hormonal balance. It also plays a role in detoxifying and removing excess hormones from the bloodstream.
- Storage Of Essential Nutrients: The liver stores important vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12, as well as iron and copper. It releases these stored nutrients into the bloodstream as needed to maintain various bodily functions.
- Regulation of Blood Volume: The liver acts as a blood reservoir, storing and releasing blood as needed to help regulate blood volume and pressure.
- Digestive Health: After digestion, nutrients and substances are transported to the liver through the portal vein, where they are processed before entering general circulation.
Understanding Liver Disease
It is normal to have fat in the liver. However, if the amount of fat is more than 5-10 percent of the weight of the liver, fatty liver disease is probably present. Fatty Liver Disease can ruin your health, make you overweight, prevent weight loss, trigger diabetes and cause cirrhosis and liver failure. Many illnesses could be reversed simply by improving liver function.
The two main types of fatty liver disease are alcoholic liver disease (caused by heavy alcohol consumption) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), caused by a combination of factors that are both genetic and lifestyle-related
NAFLD may progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is associated with inflammation and may result in chronic scarring of the liver and liver cancer. Furthermore, patients with NAFLD have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The prevalence of NAFLD has increased steadily during the last 25-30 years, along with the prevalence of central obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome.
NAFLD Causes & Risk Factors
- Obesity: Excess weight, particularly visceral fat, increases the risk of developing NAFLD.
- Insulin Resistance: Often seen in type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance can lead to fat accumulation in the liver.
- Metabolic Syndrome: A cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels that increase the risk of NAFLD.
- High Sugar Intake: Diets high in refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup can contribute to liver fat accumulation.
- Genetics: Genetic factors can influence the likelihood of developing NAFLD.
- Other Factors: Sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and certain medical conditions can also contribute.
Symptoms Of NAFLD
In the early stages, NAFLD often has no symptoms. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain or discomfort, particularly in the upper right side
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Swelling in the abdomen and legs (ascites and edema)
Managing NAFLD
Effective management of NAFLD requires a multifaceted approach, focusing on dietary and lifestyle changes, along with targeted supplementation.
At present, weight loss is the main recommendation for treatment of NAFLD with studies suggesting that weight loss is beneficial. Regular physical exercise may also provide benefits, with or without weight loss and has been shown to be a valid low-cost therapy in patients. (2).
Diet & Lifestyle For A Healthy Liver
Some strategies that can support a healthy liver and prevent or manage NAFLD include:
Eat Real Food
A diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods including plenty of seasonal vegetables, fruits, well-raised proteins, healthy fats, and complex, whole food carbohydrates will support a strong and healthy liver. Leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and other fiber-rich foods help improve liver function and reduce fat accumulation.
Processed foods, especially those high in refined sugars and trans fats, contribute significantly to inflammation and fat accumulation in the liver, resulting in the development and progression of NAFLD.
Read more on Real Food in this post
Healthy Fats
Incorporate healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel) and flaxseeds, have anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce liver fat.
Get our Fat Guide here
Protein
Adequate protein intake supports liver health by promoting muscle mass and metabolic function. Sources such as well raised meats, pastured poultry, eggs and pork and wild caught fish are beneficial.
Low Glycemic Index Carbohydrates
Foods with a low glycemic index help regulate blood sugar levels, reducing insulin resistance—a key factor in NAFLD. Examples include most vegetables and berries.
Learn more about real food carbohydrates in more details here
Best Foods For Liver Health
- Raw vegetables and fruits, especially beets, celery, greens, asparagus, berries, citrus and melon
- Bitter foods, such as dandelion greens, horseradish, herbs
- Foods high in electrolytes (like magnesium and potassium) including leafy greens, bananas, sweet potatoes, squash and avocado
- Organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised meat and poultry
- Bone broth
- Organ meats (like chicken liver or pate)
- Wild-caught seafood that’s high in omega-3s, especially salmon, mackerel, halibut and sardines
- Herbs and spices including ginger, parsley and turmeric. You might also want to try including herbal supplements like milk thistle, burdock root and dandelion root which support detoxification
Looking for deliciously prepared real-food meals delivered right to your door? Check out our extensive weekly menus and order all your favorites (or a few you want to experiment with) here >>>>>
Targeted Supplementation
These specific supplements that have been found to improve liver health:
Spirulina & Chlorella
Spirulina and chlorella are algae that are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These algae support and enhance immune function and may protect the liver against damage. Spirulina is considered an effective treatment for people with NAFLD.
Betaine
Betaine is a compound that is naturally found in beets and spinach. It is essential for the normal function of the blood, bones, eyes, heart, nerves, and the brain, and it reduces the build-up of fat in the liver.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle contains a compound called silybin. Silybin can reduce fat build up in the liver, and it may even reverse liver damage.
Probiotics
Studies have found that probiotic therapy can help improve liver function and reduce inflammation.
Lifestyle Tips For Liver Health
Regular Exercise: Physical activity helps reduce liver fat and improve insulin sensitivity. Both aerobic exercise (like walking, running) and resistance training (like weightlifting) are beneficial.
Read on here for tips to move more
Reduce Stress & Optimize Sleep: Chronic stress and lack of sleep can negatively impact your liver and overall health in numerous ways. Research has linked chronic stress to the development and progression of liver disease.
Get some tips for better sleep here
Limit Alcohol Consumption: Little to no alcohol consumption is best for reversing NAFLD, although light to moderate alcohol consumption may indeed have liver-related benefits in those with or at risk for NAFLD
Conclusion
The liver is a cornerstone of your overall health, performing a myriad of vital functions that sustain life and promote well-being. From metabolizing nutrients and detoxifying harmful substances to producing essential proteins and supporting immune function, the liver's health is paramount. By making conscious choices to support liver health through diet, supplementation, and lifestyle, you can prevent liver-related diseases, improve metabolic function, and enhance quality of life. Investing in liver health is investing in a healthier, more vibrant you.