It is the ultimate detoxification organ: the liver. Although it grows with your tasks, unfortunately an enlarged fatty liver is not a positive thing. Instead, we tell you which foods keep the organ healthy and are particularly good for it.
In addition to alcohol, sugar and an excess of calories in particular cause problems for the heaviest organ in our body. On the other hand, you can regularly include the following foods in your diet to care for and protect your liver.
Table of Contents
These 4 foods are good for the liver
1. coffee
Good news for the coffee drinkers among us: the much-loved pick-me-up is actually good for the liver! The German Liver Foundation even states “that drinking about three cups of coffee a day reduces the risk of liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C”. It is still unclear which substance causes this protective effect – the caffeine or the phytochemicals in the beans. For coffee lovers, however, this will hardly make a difference. Important: In the best case, enjoy it black and without anything, since sugar in turn promotes the development of fatty liver .
2. Oatmeal
The fact that oat flakes are not just a fad, but really an all-round healthy “superfood” becomes immediately clear when you look at their nutrients: With 13.5 percent protein, the oat flakes are one of the best vegetable protein sources and with a good load of iron, zinc and Magnesium, they contribute to covering the daily mineral requirement. In addition, oats contain a lot of dietary fiber, which fills you up and regulates digestion. So it’s no wonder that oatmeal is also good for the liver. This is what researchers found in a high-quality clinical study with 34 test persons. The daily consumption of oatmeal led to this within 12 weeksnot only reduced the weight and abdominal fat of the participants, but also improved their blood lipid levels, liver values and liver function.
3. Blueberries
The secondary plant substance anthocyanin is behind the strong color of the delicious blueberries. This not only has an antioxidant effect, but can also protect the liver from storing fat. Researchers have already found this out in some laboratory studies with liver cells. However, so far there is only one clinical study that has confirmed the positive effect on patients with fatty liver. Another advantage of blueberries: Due to their low sugar content, they are the perfect fruit for anyone who wants to lose weight or simply protect their liver.
Tip: Fasting days can also relieve your liver, as scientists at the Helmholtz Center Munich found out. The reduced calorie intake can improve the metabolism of the organ and thus prevent the development of fatty liver.
4. Walnuts
The walnut is possibly the healthiest nut there is. This is mainly due to the omega-3 fatty acids it contains , which are found in particularly large quantities in the walnut in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). In addition to their anti-inflammatory effect, omega-3 fatty acids have been able to significantly improve the liver fat levels of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver in scientific studies . It is therefore best to snack on walnuts every day – a handful is a healthy snack when you get hungry.
dr Schubert-Olesen: Preventing diseases with a healthy diet
we have dr medical Oliver Schubert-Olesen, specialist in internal medicine and diabetology , was interviewed on the subject of “nutrition as medicine”. The physician heads the Hamburg City Diabetes Center and answered questions such as “which diseases can be prevented by a healthy diet?” or “can food replace certain medications?” . Find his answers in the following video on our Instagram channel :
