What our liver doesn't like from food — a list of the 7 most harmful foods
According to scientists, the eating habits of a modern person significantly increase the risk of developing certain liver diseases.
Regular consumption of fast food and junk food, according to research , provokes the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome.
In this article, we will talk about heavy and dangerous foods that should be completely abandoned or at least reduced in their presence on the menu in order to keep the liver healthy until old age. Let's also consider the general rules of the diet, which nutritionists recommend to adhere to in order to normalize liver function.
Content
Top 7 most harmful products
Below we will look at 7 foods that have an extremely negative effect on our liver. It is highly desirable to limit their use.
1. Fat
Fat consists of almost 95% animal fat, which has a complex biochemical formula. It is digested slowly, requires a large amount of gastric juice and bile.
And if not all the fat can be broken down, then toxic lipid compounds are formed, which are already excreted with the help of the liver.
Even more "dangerous" is smoked or fried lard. During heat treatment, carcinogens are formed in it, which theoretically can provoke the appearance of a cancerous tumor. In general, lard should be consumed very carefully and in small quantities.
2. Margarine
Margarine is one of the foods that our liver dislikes the most. You can also add mayonnaise here – now vegetable solid fats are mainly used in their production.
Solid fats are not digested, are not absorbed by the body , but at the same time, the lipid compounds formed are also excreted only through the liver, creating additional stress on the organ.
Excessive consumption of baked goods, which use a large amount of margarine, should also be avoided. The artificial fats included in their composition, during heat treatment, also form carcinogenic compounds that cause cancer.
See also:
3. Fatty meats
Everything is similar here with lard. The high fat content stimulates the production of large amounts of bile, and residual lipid compounds are excreted through the liver. All this has an extremely negative effect on the liver, stomach and pancreas. This applies not only to meat, but also to any fatty food.
Fatty meats also have a high content of low-density cholesterol (it is not for nothing called "harmful"), which can disrupt normal blood flow in the supply vessels (including those through which blood is supplied to the liver).
Doctors say that the most harmful meat is fatty pork , less harmful is beef.
4. Low-roast meat (rare and medium rare)
In fact, this is ordinary meat, but with minimal heat treatment. In such a dish, there remains a lot of complex protein compounds, which are extremely difficult for the human digestive system to "cope" with.
At best, it ends in heartburn, at worst – poisoning due to an excess of indigestible amino acid compounds.
In terms of heat treatment, it is better to give preference to medium-rare meat (medium) - for its assimilation, a minimum load on the liver is necessary.
The worst option is cooking red meat marinated in alcohol (wine, beer, stronger alcohol). There is a minimum of useful things in such a product, since alcohol literally destroys useful amino acids. As a result, a person does not eat meat, but a huge portion of harmful and heavy elements for the liver.
5. Sorrel, spinach, wild cherry
All of them are united by a high content of oxalic acid, which stimulates the formation of urea. That, in turn, with an excessive amount in the body increases the risk of concretions forming in the bile ducts
(as well as in the urethra).
If you regularly consume the same sorrel, then after 3 to 5 years there will definitely be problems in the functioning of the gallbladder and in the normal outflow of bile from the liver.
6. Spicy spices
Spicy spices have a bad effect on the liver, because they contain capsaicin and bitter substances that are processed by the liver to bile. The abuse of spicy spices irritates the stomach and leads to excessive production of gastric juice
, which comprehensively disrupts the digestive system.
The only benefit of spicy spices is stimulation of regeneration of the gastric mucosa, as well as normalization of the intestinal microflora. But this is relevant only if a person consumes only 2-3 times a month spicy dishes for a month, but not more often.
7. Alcohol
In any quantity – alcohol is bad for the liver
, since ethyl alcohol and all its derivatives, which are formed subsequently, are a poison that kills our body. And as a result, the liver is engaged in its neutralization.
Scientists have also proved that even a minimal dose of alcohol leads to the destruction of several liver cells (hepatocytes).
Based on this, the statement that alcohol in small quantities is useful is a lie. This is also proved by statistics, according to which 70% of liver cirrhosis diseases are primarily caused by alcohol consumption.
8 general rules of diet
It is not always advisable to completely abandon "harmful" products. The doctors' recommendation is simply not to abuse them.
For example, a complete rejection of sweets is theoretically extremely beneficial for the liver. But a lack of carbohydrates at the same time worsens the functioning of the brain, can worsen or provoke obesity. It's the same with salty foods – you shouldn't give them up, because kitchen salt contains chlorine, the main component of gastric juice.
In addition, there are a number of recommendations that should be followed:
- Eat often, but in small portions. This will help to normalize the "correct" mode of bile production, thereby reducing the load on the liver. All this will also have a positive effect on the digestive system, reduce the likelihood of obesity, and accelerate metabolism. Scientists also claim that eating small portions of food allows you to get the maximum amount of micronutrients from it. You can supplement this recommendation with fractional nutrition, that is, when all the food is crushed as much as possible or ground to a puree state.
- Give preference to vegetable fats. They have a simpler structure than animals, they are much easier to digest and assimilate. If 90% of fats in a person's diet are vegetable, then this is almost a 100% guarantee that he will never be overweight, not to mention obese. And it will also help prevent a whole range of chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Replace fatty meats (pork, beef, lamb) with veal. In "young" beef, fats are practically absent, proteins have a simple structure. Such a protein is absorbed quickly enough and does not overburden the liver.
- Replace "simple" carbohydrates with "complex" ones. Simple ones are sugar, white bread, pastries, various kinds of desserts. The "complex" ones are whole grain cereals, durum wheat pasta, bran bread, and many fruits.
- Be sure to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. The recommended serving is at least 200 grams per day. In addition to the fact that they contain fiber, the use of "greens" helps to lower the total daily calorie content of the diet, since such products muffle the feeling of hunger. All this has a positive effect on the work of the liver.
- Mayonnaise is banned. Even dietary. Instead, it is better to season salads with lemon juice, olive oil or low-fat yogurt. Only this will significantly reduce the likelihood of developing chronic liver and gallbladder diseases.
- Give preference to low-fat fermented dairy products. But it is better to give up cheese, butter, sour cream, replacing them with yogurt, low–fat kefir and yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese. This is especially important for children of preschool and school age, because the liver is fully formed up to 16-18 years old (while its volume also increases).
- Give up pig, bird skin. It contains a very high cholesterol content, which is "neutralized" by the liver. Yes, you will have to give up the crispy crust, but the likelihood of atherosclerosis will decrease significantly.
Why does the liver hurt after eating and what to do?
The causes of pain in the liver area, which worsen after eating, may be:
- Increased liver volume (may indicate the initial stage of cirrhosis);
- Cholelithiasis;
- Hepatitis (including medication).
But you need to understand that there are no nerve endings in the liver itself. Accordingly, the organ itself cannot "hurt". But with an increase in volume, it presses on the peritoneum, vascular nodes, and other organs, which causes a feeling of heaviness and pressure. What should I do in such cases?
Emergency care includes:
- Temporary food withdrawal;
- Heavy drinking;
- Taking activated charcoal or any other sorbent that accelerates the elimination of toxins from the digestive system.
And then – seek medical help as soon as possible and undergo an examination. In this case, a differential analysis is used in order to exclude the possibility of acute inflammation of appendicitis (the symptoms are very similar). The exact cause of liver pain can be determined only after receiving the results of stool, urine and blood analysis, as well as ultrasound examination of the organ.
The doctor may prescribe compliance special diet , which is designed for patients with diseases of the digestive system.
If the reason is really an increase in the liver, then the patient is prescribed taking the following groups of drugs:
- Hepatoprotectors. Protect liver cells from destruction, improve intercellular metabolism.
- Phospholipids. Represent the "building" material for cell membranes. They complement the action of hepatoprotectors, and also reduce the concentration of low-density cholesterol in the body.
- Glycyrrhizic acid derivatives. Has an anti-inflammatory effect, normalizes liver volume, and normalizes bile outflow.
Taking medications is necessarily added by following diets, such as "table number 5" according to Pevsner, aimed at reducing the load on the liver (reducing the volume of bile produced).
Useful Video
We recommend watching this video:
Conclusion
In total, it is an unhealthy diet that is most often the culprit of severe chronic liver diseases. And all this is due to the daily menu of a modern person who prefers carbohydrate and protein foods, but the proportion of plant foods in the diet is significantly reduced.
However, it is quite possible to keep a healthy liver until late old age if you adhere to the basics of a healthy diet. To do this, you need to give up "harmful" products as much as possible, and also make an optimal menu together with a nutritionist.
