Your liver is a super important organ, kind of like your body’s main filter. It works hard to clean out all the bad stuff you might accidentally put into your system. But sometimes, because of what we eat, this amazing organ can get bogged down and start to struggle. When your liver isn’t working right, it can lead to all sorts of problems, like trouble losing weight, heart issues, and even diabetes.
It’s a silent problem for many people, with up to 35% of folks having fatty liver disease without even knowing it. Your liver is so tough that it can keep going even when 90% of it is damaged, which means you might not feel sick until things are pretty bad. So, it’s a good idea to know what foods might be hurting your liver and what you can do to help it out.
⚠️Warning Signs Your Liver Needs Help
It’s easy to think everything’s fine if you don’t feel sick, but your liver might be sending out little signals that it’s struggling. These signs can be easy to miss or blame on other things, but they’re worth paying attention to.
Key Takeaways
Skin Problems: If your skin is super dry, really oily, breaking out with acne, or you’re getting rashes and itchiness, your liver might be having a tough time. Discoloration can also be a sign.
Digestion Issues: Your liver plays a big role in digestion. So, if you’re having trouble with your bowel movements, either going too much or not enough, or experiencing stomach pains, it could be related to your liver.
Heart and Blood Problems: A struggling liver can affect your heart. You might see higher blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high triglycerides. There’s a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP) that your liver makes when it’s inflamed or toxic. High levels of CRP are linked to heart problems down the road.
Weight Gain and Fatigue: If you’re gaining weight without a clear reason, or you’re constantly tired and have brain fog, your liver might be too busy dealing with toxins to help your body burn fat or keep your energy up.
📌The Seven Foods That Hurt Your Liver
Many foods we eat every day can be tough on our liver. Some of these are obvious, but others might surprise you, especially since they’re often found in foods we think are okay or even healthy.
➡️1. Repeatedly Heated Cooking Oils (RCOs)
This is a big one, and it’s probably in a lot of the fried food you eat. Think about the oil used in fast-food restaurants or even some sit-down places. They often reuse the same oil over and over again. When oil is heated, cooled, and then reheated, it creates harmful compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These PAHs have been linked to cancer.
Not only are these oils bad for you, but they also stick around in your body for a long time—up to two years! They can damage your cells and lead to inflammation, higher cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Plus, they can even mess with your brain, making it harder to focus and remember things. Your liver has to work overtime to try and deal with these toxic oils, which can directly lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
What to do instead: Try grilling, steaming, or baking your food. If you’re eating out, avoid anything fried. You can bet they’re reusing that oil.
➡️2. Vegetable Fats (Especially Trans Fats)
While vegetables are good for you, the oils made from them can be a different story. Trans fats, found in things like margarine and shortening, are artificially made and are really hard for your body to break down. Your liver has to put in a lot of effort to process these.
Many vegetable oils, like canola, soybean, and cottonseed oil, are high in linoleic acid. This acid can stay in your body for a long time and contribute to inflammation. When these oils mix with sugar or protein in your body, they can form something called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). AGEs are linked to aging and many chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. They basically age your liver and your whole body faster.
What to do instead: Choose healthy saturated fats like olive oil, avocado oil, butter, or ghee. These fats are more stable and easier for your body to use.
➡️3. Aflatoxins (Fungal Toxins)
Aflatoxins are fungal toxins often found in corn, especially genetically modified corn, and peanuts. While many people know about peanut allergies, fewer realize that corn can also cause a toxic reaction in the body due to these toxins. Corn is in so many processed foods as thickeners, stabilizers, and especially in high-fructose corn syrup.
When you constantly consume small amounts of aflatoxins, they build up in your body, and your liver has to deal with them. This can lead to liver damage, and in some cases, even liver cirrhosis and cancer.
What to do instead: If you eat peanuts, try Valencia or organic peanuts, which have fewer aflatoxins. For corn, choose non-GMO or organic options, and be mindful of processed foods that use corn-based ingredients.
➡️4. MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
MSG is a flavor enhancer found in many packaged foods, seasonings, and fast food. It’s known to make you want to keep eating, even when you’re full. MSG is a neurotoxin, meaning it can harm your brain cells. Your liver has to work hard to break it down and get it out of your system.
Eating MSG can lead to fluid retention, so if you feel puffy after a meal, MSG might be the culprit. It also causes oxidative stress, which damages your body’s fats, proteins, and DNA, and can even lead to cell death. For your liver, MSG disrupts its normal function and can damage its cells.
What to do instead: Check the labels on your packaged foods and seasonings for MSG. Try to avoid heavily processed meals and opt for fresh ingredients.
➡️5. Fructose (Especially High-Fructose Corn Syrup)
Fructose, particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, is a major problem for your liver. When you consume it, your blood sugar levels spike, and your liver quickly turns it into fat. This can lead to a fatty liver and contribute to hardening of the arteries.
While fruits naturally contain fructose, they also come with fiber, which helps your body process the sugar better. But in things like agave nectar or sugary drinks, the fructose is concentrated without the fiber, making it much harder on your liver.
What to do instead: If you’re going to eat fruit, eat the whole fruit to get the fiber. Choose fruits with lower fructose content like berries, Granny Smith apples, grapefruits, lemons, and limes. Avoid high-fructose corn syrup and agave nectar.
➡️6. Refined Carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates are basically carbs that have had all their fiber removed, leaving just glucose. Without the fiber, glucose is absorbed very quickly into your bloodstream, causing rapid spikes in blood sugar. When your blood sugar goes up and down constantly, it puts a lot of strain on your liver, leading to fat buildup.
This process also creates oxidation, which is like rust for your body. It damages your arteries and is a big reason for cholesterol problems. Your liver has to burn all this fuel, and it leaves a lot of fat behind, contributing to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It’s a constant battle for your liver to process these rapid sugar surges.
➡️7. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are often found in “diet” foods and drinks, marketed as a healthier alternative to sugar. However, they can still be harmful to your liver. While they don’t contain calories or sugar, they can disrupt your gut bacteria, which plays a crucial role in liver health. An imbalance in gut flora can lead to inflammation and impact the liver’s ability to function properly. Some studies even suggest that artificial sweeteners can contribute to fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, similar to the effects of sugar.
What to do instead: Opt for natural sweeteners in moderation, like a small amount of honey or maple syrup, or better yet, try to reduce your overall desire for sweet tastes. If you need a sweet fix, reach for whole fruits.
Conclusion
Your liver is an incredibly resilient and vital organ, working tirelessly to keep you healthy. However, the modern diet, rich in processed foods, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients, places an immense burden on it. Recognizing the warning signs of liver distress and understanding which foods are most detrimental is the first step towards protecting this essential organ.
By making conscious choices to avoid or limit foods like repeatedly heated cooking oils, trans fats, aflatoxins, MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, refined carbohydrates, and artificial sweeteners, you can significantly reduce the strain on your liver. Instead, focus on a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Taking care of your liver isn’t just about preventing disease; it’s about supporting your overall health, energy levels, and well-being. Make the commitment today to nourish your liver with healthy choices, and it will continue to serve as your body’s powerful detoxifier for years to come.
Source: Dr. Livingood