The worst foods to avoid for the liver

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Extract from the article: The liver is the body's great cleanser and detoxifier. When it's in top form, it provides maximum immunity, great energy, better sleep and prettier skin. But when the liver's out of shape, nothing goes right. Mired in fat and toxic products, it's no

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The liver is the body's great cleanser and detoxifier. When it's in top form, it provides maximum immunity, great energy, better sleep and prettier skin. But when the liver's out of shape, nothing goes right. Mired in fat and toxic products, it's no longer in a position to clean up. Even if the liver is healthy, certain dietary habits can damage its functioning. Here are some foods and beverages to consume in moderation to preserve the condition of this organ.

These foods lead to liver problems such as fatty liver or infections like hepatitis and cirrhosis. They erode the liver's ability to eliminate health-threatening toxins.

Lasagne

Dishes containing cheese or dairy-based sauces generally combine carbohydrates and proteins. The problem is that at high temperatures, such as during baking or industrial cooking, this mixture undergoes a chemical reaction known as the Maillard" reaction. This reaction, which gives meat its roasted taste, is actually the formation of acrylamides, free radicals that cause inflammation of the liver.

Fatty meat

Fatty meats, i.e. beef, veal and pork, pose a risk to the liver when eaten in excess. The fats in meat need bile to be digested. As it is the liver that manufactures bile, digesting large quantities of meat represents an overload of work for this organ. What's more, excess fat accumulates in liver cells and increases the risk of dyslipidemia, such as excess cholesterol and triglycerides.

French fries

Frying is particularly bad for the liver. As soon as the amount of fat exceeds the body's needs, the liver's cells become overloaded. French fries, which contain cooking oil, should therefore be avoided: once a week at most.

Industrial pastries

Foods containing excess added sugar are initially a problem for the pancreas. But in the long term, when the pancreas tires, so does the liver. They combine bad industrial fats cooked at high temperatures with sugar, a mixture that is deleterious to health.

Butter

Butter and all foods rich in saturated fatty acids can lead the liver into a state of hepatic steatosis. Lipids overloaded in the liver accumulate in the liver cells, leading to chronic inflammation and cirrhosis. Choose vegetable oils, dried fruit, poultry (without the skin!) and fish.

Too much coffee

The impact of coffee consumption on the liver depends not only on the quantity consumed, but also on the individual. Caffeine is metabolized by the liver. Excessive coffee consumption can exhaust the liver. For a healthy liver, coffee generally poses no problem when consumed in moderation, at around two cups a day.

Cold meats

Sausages, charcuterie and all the animal fats associated with overweight and obesity, if consumed in excess, pose a risk to the liver. At more than 20 to 30 grams of fat ingested per day, the subject begins to be overloaded. The liver cells, or hepatocytes, normally responsible for metabolizing food, can't cope. They become abnormally loaded with fat. This phenomenon is called "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease" or hepatic steatosis.

Energy drinks

They're so bad for the liver. They can lead to NASH, a chronic liver disease. It can develop into cirrhosis and mainly affects heavy consumers of sugary soda-type drinks. These drinks are filled with fructose. This type of fructose is present in quantities too high to be processed in the intestine alone, so it is transferred to the liver. In the liver, it is converted into fat, which is stored in liver cells. This situation not only increases the risk of excess cholesterol, but also of fatty liver disease, also known as hepatic steatosis.

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages contain alcohol (ethanol) which, once ingested, is mainly transformed by the liver. It is in the liver cells that ethanol is converted into acetaldehyde, a highly toxic compound that alters the functioning of cells, particularly liver cells. Alcohol should be consumed in moderation.

White cereals

Bread, pasta and cookies made with white flour cause glucose levels to rise rapidly and sharply, then fall. Over time, these shocks weaken the liver. Conversely, a diet rich in whole grains and fiber reduces the risk of developing liver cancer.

William O.