Liver Support Foods

Last updated on 25 MAY 2018

Bitter Foods

Foods that are bitter help to stimulate production and flow of bile. One of the functions of bile is to remove toxins, as well as harmful micro-organisms by eliminating them from the body. It has been suggested that 30 minutes after eating artichoke or other bitter foods in sufficient amount, bile flow is significantly increased that are helpful for the liver.

Bitter foods are known to help the liver in various ways:

• Anti-bacterial and anti-toxic
• Helps to balance hormones
• Promotes liver cell regeneration
• Increases blood/oxygen flow to the liver
• Decreases fat and cholesterol level
• Improves digestion which helps the liver
• High antioxidants protect liver cells from injury by toxins

Some examples of bitter foods:

Artichoke, arugula, bitter gourd/melon, burdock root, chicory, dandelion greens, fenugreek, kale, olives, radicchio, and radish. You can juice these with green apples and a slice of lemon to make it more palatable.

Where possible, use organic as these foods are commonly sprayed with pesticides which may further burden the liver toxicity.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids from cold-pressed organic oils such as olive, hemp and flaxseeds are great support foods for the liver. They help the body by providing a lipid base that binds with harmful toxins in the body, and escorts them out of the body.

Fatty acids increase the body’s metabolism in burning fats and regulate the body’s healthy cholesterol level. These actions help reduce the toxicity burden on the liver, allowing the liver to function well.

High quality cod liver oil and fish oil from reputable companies are also helpful and healing for liver support. The anti-inflammatory properties prevent inflammatory damage to liver cells.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle contains an active antioxidant compound called silymarin which is a powerful detoxifying agent. It helps to boost our body’s most important antioxidants: glutathione and superoxide dismutase.

One study found that silymarin increased glutathione content in the intestines and liver by up to 50 percent. The presence of glutathione helps protect the organs from inflammatory damages caused by toxins.

Milk thistle guards the liver’s numerous hepatic cell membranes and reduces absorption of toxins into the liver.

Silymarin enhances liver cell regeneration and neutralizes the effects of toxins on the liver. It is useful for treating alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic fatty liver, cirrhosis-liver poisoning and viral hepatitis.

Milk thistle can be taken in the form of supplements.
You can buy it from your local healthstore or buy online here.

Go to Foods for Liver Health.

About Sara Ding

Sara Ding is the founder of Juicing-for-Health.com. She is a certified Wellness Health Coach, Nutritional Consultant and a Detox Specialist. She helps busy men and women identify their health issues at the root cause, in order to eliminate the problems for optimum physical/mental health and wellbeing.

Read more