When you eat certain foods or drink alcohol in excess your liver is being taxed. If this type of stress is placed on the liver for a long period of time it is possible to develop liver disease or cirrhosis. Traditionally when someone is diagnosed with liver disease they are placed on a special diet. However, it is possible to cleanse your liver by dieting before things get to this point. The U.S. Institutes of Health suggest this simple and easy to follow diet to cleanse your liver naturally by reducing the strain placed on the liver.
Step 1
Eat 1 g of protein for every kilogram you weigh. To figure out your weight in kilograms divide your weight by 2.2. While this may be a seemingly large amount of protein, about 68 g for someone weighing 150 pounds, this protein is needed to maintain the liver and fight off the growth of fat.
Step 2
Consume moderate amounts of healthy fats. Unsaturated fats help the liver to maintain the proper amount of protein needed to keep the integrity of the liver sound. However, saturated fats should be avoided as they can cause an unhealthy buildup of fat on the liver.
Step 3
Limit salt intake to prevent the liver from storing water and swelling. It is also important to drink plenty of water and limit alcohol intake to ward off dehydration which will produce the same swollen result.
Step 4
Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat daily. Carbohydrates are easily digestible which eases the stress placed on the liver. Many fruits and vegetables also contain a fair amount of fiber which aids in cleaning the body’s bloodstream and therefore, liver. For these reasons, these complex carbohydrates should make up more than half your diet.
Step 5
Take a supplement. The Northwestern Health Sciences University suggests taking a B-complex vitamin, milk thistle, SAMe or licorice extract to help cleanse the liver. These supplements aid the liver in digesting and help protect the liver from damage.
Warnings
- If you have liver problems, it is crucial to see a physician for her medical opinion.
