The 10 Best Foods for Looking After Your Liver
by author Antoine Giraud

Foods rich in dietary fibre and plant foods are staples in a liver-centric diet. Next time you go shopping, add these 10 must-haves to your list to ensure your liver will serve you well for a long time to come.

1. Garlic

This healthy bulb contains sulphur, which helps the liver detoxify a wide range of poisonous compounds, ranging from prescription medications and alcohol to pesticides and other environmental toxins. Other sulphur-containing foods include onions and egg yolks.

2. Oat bran

A source of water-soluble fibre, oat bran aids in the elimination of bile and cholesterol that the liver produces when you eat fatty foods and oils. Other fibre-rich foods include pears and apples.

3. Brussels sprouts

A member of the cabbage family, Brussels sprouts contain a large amount of vitamin K. People with liver problems are often deficient in this vitamin. Other options include broccoli and alfalfa sprouts.

4. Artichokes

The artichoke has long been used in treating liver diseases. The active ingredients in this cleansing food are caffeoylquinic acids, which protect and regenerate the liver.

Limited amount of lean, high-protein foods such as organic chicken, fish, or tofu maintain growth and development of all your body tissues and prevent fatty buildup in the liver.

6. Turmeric

This common spice contains the pigment curcumin, which has traditionally been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat liver and gallbladder disorders.

7. Dandelion

Dandelion leaves contain more nutrients than many other vegetables. This herb, which you'll find as part of many mesclun salad green mixes, also enhances the flow of bile, improving liver function. Dandelion improves conditions such as liver congestion, bile duct inflammation, hepatitis, gallstones, and jaundice.

8. Legumes

Look for legumes such as kidney beans, peas, and soybeans. These foods contain the amino acid arginine, which aids in the detoxification of ammonia (a byproduct of protein digestion).

9. Wheat grass juice

A green drink such as wheat grass juice or barley grass juice is high in chlorophyll, which helps cleanse and purify the liver. Green foods such as chlorella and spirulina are other options.

10. Licorice

The Chinese were the first to use licorice for treatment of the liver. This herb purportedly neutralizes liver toxins; however, be aware that high levels of glycyrrhizic acid in whole licorice can be a problem for the liver. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice, or DGL, is considered safer for use.

One of the liver's most important roles is to detoxify chemicals in the body. You can reduce the number of chemicals the liver needs to process by eating a well-balanced diet of organically grown foods.

For more on liver health, read Michael T. Murray's article "Enliven your liver" in the March 2008 issue of alive magazine.

Source: alive Web Exclusive, March 2008 [http://www.alive.com/6578a13a2.php]