We all know the phrase ‘liverish’; the out-of-sorts queasiness of having eaten and/or drunk too much, but if you suffer from headaches, loss of appetite, constipation, fatigue, anxiety, food allergies or sensitivities then these can also mean that your liver is under stress. Keeping your liver happy and healthy is just as much about providing it with all the nutrients it needs to do its job, as limiting the excesses that put it under pressure.
Everything you consume will all go through the liver to be chopped up into useful components and then distributed around the body. Everything your body wants to get rid of will also go through the liver to be packaged up into water or fat soluble waste products for excretion via sweat and urine or faeces respectively – it’s quite a hectic place!
Vitamin B
Daily consumption of eggs, wholegrain breads & cereals, peas, broccoli and brussels sprouts will all help to ensure you get good levels of B vitamins and Folic acid to keep things running smoothly. Good quality proteins are also extremely important; sources of ‘complete’ proteins (those with all the necessary amino acid components) include animal meats as well as quinoa, chia and buckwheat. For animal produce choose organic to reduce your exposure to animal antibiotics and growth hormones, and genetically modified feed, which can add more stress to the liver. Similarly, eating organic veg and fruit will reduce your exposure to pesticide residues.
Vitamins C & E
Burdens such as coffee, alcohol, smoking and drugs are within your control but some, such as chronic stress hormones or environmental toxins may not be, so consider including some protective antioxidants in your diet like vitamins C and E from green leafy veg, citrus foods, avocados, whole grains, seeds and nuts, and perhaps a herbal supplement such as milk thistle.
Drink lots of water
And finally, to ensure the liver’s good work isn’t undone please ensure that you drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water daily, and get plenty of soluble fibre from vegetables and fruit, otherwise the waste products will simply be reabsorbed and then the liver has to do its work all over again!
By Nutritional Therapist Georgie O’Connor for the College of Naturopathic Medicine.
