Top gastroenterologist lists 5 bad, good, and excellent foods for liver

The liver as a key organ plays a crucial role in our body. It works as a natural detoxifier and also filters out toxins, chemicals, alcohol, and waste from the bloodstream, and also supports digestion by producing bile, helps regulate blood sugar levels, stores essential vitamins and minerals, and manages cholesterol and fat metabolism. But in the fast paced life, erratic lifestyle habits and concentration on packaged and junk foods, liver health is a matter of concern. Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist trained at AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford universities, recently shared a reel on Instagram and talked about five bad, good, and excellent foods for liver & visceral fat. Take a look.

As per Dr Sethi, fruit juices are bad for your liver, fruits are good, and beetroot are excellent.

The PMC study titled Fruit Fiber Consumption Specifically Improves Liver Health Status in Obese Subjects under Energy Restriction has found that fruits are good for liver, as they are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds that reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and fat accumulation, mostly in in conditions like NAFLD.
According to a study titled Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits, it is said that beetroot helps with detoxification processes indirectly through antioxidants like betalains and betanin, which also aids with detoxifying enzymes in liver cells, aiding in toxin neutralization.

In the video, he has mentioned that fried foods are bad for your liver, oats are good and olive oil is excellent.
According to a study, deep fried foods often generate high concentrations of cytotoxic and genotoxic lipid oxidation products (LOPs) via oxygen-fueled, recycling peroxidative bursts and they penetrate into fried foods and cause liver issues.
As per PMC, oats are good for liver health as they are rich in beta-glucan fiber, which reduces fat accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis in conditions like metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), also called NAFLD.
And it has been proven that extra virgin olive oil is good for liver health as it prevents and manage non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), through its monounsaturated fats and phenolic compounds like oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol that reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and fat accumulation.

As per him, sugary drinks are bad for your liver, sweet potatoes are good, and berries are excellent.

Sugary drinks are said to harm the liver by promoting fat accumulation, insulin resistance, and inflammation, and increasing the risks of NAFLD.
As per researchers, purple sweet potato is rich in anthocyanins, which offers hepatoprotective benefits by reducing oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and inflammation in the liver.
And it has been proven by PMC that berries provide liver-protective benefits through their high anthocyanin, polyphenol, and antioxidant content, which combat oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis in conditions like NAFLD.

He has mentioned that ultra processed meats are bad for your liver, while beans are good, and salmon is excellent.
Ultra-processed meats, like sausages, hot dogs, and bacon are high in sodium and preservatives which harm liver health by promoting fat accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis.
And when it comes to beans, they are rich in fiber protein, and antioxidant content, which help reduce fat accumulation, inflammation, and oxidative stress in conditions like NAFLD.

It is proven that fish like salmon boost liver health through its rich omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), which reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and hepatic fat accumulation.

In the video he concludes that energy drinks are bad for your liver, black tea is good, and coffee is excellent.
Energy drinks are loaded with sugar and preservatives that harm the liver in the long run.
It is proven that black tea is rich in catechins (flavan-3-ols), the predominant tea polyphenols, antioxidants thought to modulate inflammation and have beneficial metabolic effects.
And coffee is also proven to keep the liver healthy. It is said that coffee helps reduce fibrosis, inflammation, and enzyme levels such as ALT and AST. It is suggested to drink 2 cups of black coffee daily to keep the liver healthy.

All Images Courtesy: istock
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is meant for general knowledge only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting any new routine.