Our liver is an essential organ that performs a wide range of tasks, from detoxifying our body to regulating blood sugar levels. It is important to keep our liver healthy, and good nutrition plays a crucial role in this. Discover in this blog how you can optimally support your liver with the right nutrition.
Functions of the liver
One of the most important functions of the liver is detoxification, but what exactly is detoxification?
Detoxification involves a conversion process of toxins, hormones, medicines, and food. In this process, nutrients are made usable for our cells, while hormones and medicines are inactivated, making them no longer harmful.
Other important functions of the liver are:
- Energy production
- Bile production
- Ensuring stable blood sugar levels
- Cholesterol production
- Storage of several important vitamins and minerals: A, B-vitamins, D, K, and iron.
Supporting the liver
The liver has important functions, but it is currently working overtime, meaning it cannot perform all its tasks. All sorts of toxins pass through the liver to be rendered harmless to the body, but these toxins are constantly increasing. This includes processed foods, alcohol, air pollution, heavy metals, hormone-disrupting substances in paint, furniture, clothing, makeup, and skincare, among others.
Good liver detoxification is important, among other things, for healthy bile production. Without bile, we cannot digest fatty meals. This can lead to problems with bowel movements, slower digestion, and, for example, a bloated feeling.
You can therefore also view your liver as a bodily gatekeeper. The liver is constantly busy, day and night, with 'recognizing' (what kind of substance is this?), 'weighing' (what benefit does this substance have for the body?), and 'deciding' (what will we use this substance for?).
Nutrition for your liver
So, in this day and age, we could be a little kinder to our liver. But how do you do this?
First of all, it is important to avoid processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, and hormone-disrupting substances as much as possible. Do you want to know which cosmetic ingredients you should best avoid? Then download our free e-book 'Sense & nonsense about beauty and supplements' here.
Support your liver with the following foods:
- Your liver loves foods with a bitter taste. Bitter substances stimulate the release of bile into the intestines and thus support healthy bowel movements. Think of: endive, artichoke, chicory, Brussels sprouts, onion, radish, garlic, arugula, thyme, nettle, and ginger. Tip: try to include at least one of these foods in your menu once a week.
- Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric and ensures better digestion in your gastrointestinal tract. It also ensures proper functioning of the gallbladder. Tip: use turmeric spices more often in your dishes or make a delicious cup of turmeric milk.
- Choose organic food as much as possible. Food from the supermarket is heavily sprayed. These toxins must again pass through the liver to be rendered harmless, which leaves less time for other important tasks.
- Drink enough water. Your liver renders waste products and toxins harmless, among other things, by making them water-soluble so that the kidneys can excrete them. In this way, you urinate out the waste products.
- Add more green vegetables to your menu. Green vegetables contain a lot of chlorophyll, which stimulates detoxification. But drinking nettle tea is also good for detoxification.
