One of the most important and the largest organs of the body is – the liver. From storing carbohydrates to producing proteins, absorbing nutrients, and even creating bile, the liver does it all! This organ of the body is also responsible for detoxing your entire body. If your liver is healthy, the entire human body feels healthy. Hence it is important to have a diet that cleanses and protects the liver.

Here are some of the foods healthy for the liver:

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Garlic

Garlic contains a sulfur compound called allicin, which converts to the active ingredient allicin when this root herb is chopped, crushed, or minced. Allicin is a powerful antioxidant, antibiotic and anti-fungal substance, with numerous benefits to liver health.

Garlic also contains arginine, an amino acid important for relaxing the blood vessels, and selenium, a mineral important for increasing the action of antioxidants. The antioxidant properties of garlic serve the most significant benefit because they keep toxic substances filtered by your liver from reaching other organs.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chard, mustard, bok choy, horseradish, etc aid in liver cleansing. Cruciferous vegetables can increase the production of digestive enzymes called glucosinolates that help detoxify the liver and increase the liver’s ability to usher out carcinogens and heavy metals from the blood.

Turmeric

The main chemical in turmeric, curcumin, has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in antioxidants. These characteristics help turmeric be the most important detox additive and super helpful in healing your liver. It also helps boost the production of bile and improves the overall functioning of the gallbladder, another blood-purifying organ.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle has been used for thousands of years to support liver, kidney, and gallbladder health. The active ingredient in milk thistle is called silymarin which is responsible for many of its beneficial effects, including liver protection and antioxidant, antiviral, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Beet and Beet Greens

Beets activate liver enzymes and affect bile, which helps break down and absorb healthy fats and fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin E. When our liver transforms fat and soluble toxins into their water-soluble form for excretion, it binds many of those toxins to bile so they can be escorted out of your body in bowel movements.

Dandelion Root

The polysaccharides in dandelion are known to reduce stress on the liver and support its ability to produce bile. They also help your liver filter potentially harmful chemicals out of your food. Dandelion is also a good source of Vitamin C, one of the most helpful vitamins for the immune system.

Berries

Many dark berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries, contain antioxidants called polyphenols, which may help protect you against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which often goes hand in hand with obesity and high cholesterol. If berries aren’t your thing, other foods rich in polyphenols include dark chocolate, olives, and plums.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good fats that help reduce inflammation. These fats may be especially helpful in the liver, as they appear to prevent the buildup of excess fats and maintain enzyme levels in the liver.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit contains antioxidants that naturally protect the liver. The two main antioxidants found in grapefruit are naringenin and naringin. These antioxidants can reduce the development of hepatic fibrosis, a harmful condition in which excessive connective tissue builds up in the liver. This typically results from chronic inflammation

Green Tea

Green Tea is known to contain powerful compounds known as catechins that act as antioxidants in the body, combating free radicals within the blood, reducing liver inflammation, and lowering the effects of oxidative stress on the digestive organs.