Eat right for a healthy liver
Do you feel bloated after a heavy meal? Do you suffer from nausea, indigestion and heartburn in the morning? Are you moody or irritable? Do you have bad breath or a coated tongue in the morning? Are you middleaged and have suddenly become prone to allergies, skin rashes and asthma? Is your memory and concentration depleting? If you have answered ‘yes’ to most of these questions, then, chances are that you have a sluggish liver.
The above symptoms of mild liver dysfunction may occur even if all your liver function tests are normal. If your blood has high cholesterol, triglycerides, low HDL and high LDL, and if you suffer from headaches, fluid retention, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, excessive body heat, constipation, flatulence, inability to tolerate fried and fatty foods, reduced tolerance to alcohol, hypoglycaemia, frequent colds and reduced immunity, it’s time to start cleansing your liver.
The liver provides glucose to the blood whenever you have low blood sugar or hypoglycaemia. It stores glucose in the form of glycogen. It stores vitamin A, B and D. It also stores minerals like iron and copper. Excessive amounts of these vitamins in the form of supplements can prove to be toxic. The liver is the main organ involved in the detoxification process. Toxins enter our body through preservatives and pesticides in food, processed and fried food, synthetic colours, flavouring agents, exposure to drugs, steroids, etc. These chemicals build up in the liver. And, if your liver is not healthy, and is unable to detoxify these chemicals, they get incorporated into the cells of body organs, muscles and joints. These chemicals play havoc with the joints and muscles. Our immune system recognises these chemicalfilled cells as foreign cells and produces antibodies to attack our own cells. So, an unhealthy liver brings down one’s immunity and gives rise to a spectrum of antiimmune diseases like lupus, arthritis, etc.
Vegetables such as carrots and beetroots are beneficial as they contain antioxidants, which can help detoxify the liver, improve our metabolism, increase energy levels and achieve optimum health. Wheatgrass juice and alfalfa seeds contain chlorophyll, which acts on the liver toxins. A glass of lime juice helps in liver cleansing too. Seafood is rich in the amino acid taurine, one of the crucial nutrients for the removal of toxins from the body. nutritionist