5 Foods That Are Good For Your Liver; From Garlic To Grapefruit

Let’s face it — most of us don’t give our liver the love it needs, especially around the holidays when weekly happy hour drinks and cocktail parties are the norm. However, there are certain foods that can help restore your liver to peak health.

Garlic

According to the Huffington Post, garlic helps your liver to activate enzymes that can flush out toxins. In addition, it also has high levels of the natural compounds allicin and selenium, which aid in liver cleansing. For example, allicin has antioxidant, antibiotic, and antifungal qualities, while selenium increases the action of antioxidants. In addition, garlic also contains arginine, according to Live Strong.

Coffee

According to WebMD, coffee also has properties that could help lower your risk of getting liver disease, although researchers aren't completely sure why. One study found that having two cups of coffee a day appears to reduce the chances of developing the disease by 44 percent. However, despite its positive effects on the liver, researchers urge that coffee alone cannot reverse all the effects of heavy drinking.

Avocado

As if you needed another reason to eat avocados, some research has suggested this super food is very good for the liver. That’s because they contain an antioxidant called glutathione, which is responsible for filtering out harmful substances from the liver and protecting the liver cells from damage, Well-Being Secrets reported.

Turmeric

The spice turmeric is also very good for the liver. According to Livestrong, turmeric may help to reduce the amount of free radical damage in your liver, or damage from highly unstable molecules. In addition, The Huffington Post reported that turmeric helps our bodies digest fats and creates bile, which acts as a natural detoxifier for your liver.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is not only delicious, it can also help prevent liver damage. According to The Huffington Post, the high levels of vitamin C and antioxidant properties of grapefruit work to flush toxins out of your body and prevent them from damaging cells. What’s more, a 2006 study found that a grapefruit extract called naringenin can activate the chemicals responsible for fatty acid oxidation. In the long run, this may help prevent fatty liver disease, Livestrong reported.