If the liver is tired, the whole body slows down. This is why it is essential to limit certain foods which can clog this vital organ.
The liver is an organ that provides more than 300 biological functions : he metabolizes toxic substances (fats, alcohol, medications, etc.)it collects and filters blood, it makes most proteins, it produces bile to help the small intestine digest… So if our liver is tired, our whole body is weakened. Here are the foods you should not overdo so as not to overload it.
Bread can weaken the liver
“White bread should be particularly limited because its glycemic index tends, in the long run, to tire the liver“, explains Professor Patrick Marcellin, hepatologist. The glycemic index is an index from 0 to 100 which represents the speed with which the carbohydrates consumed will be digested and enter the blood. Bread has a glycemic index of 70, therefore a high index. And a rapid rise in glucose levels, followed by a sudden drop, can weaken the liver. To avoid excessive variations in blood sugar, it is better to favor low GI breads such as sourdough bread (GI 35) or bread rye (IG 40).
Potato increases gamma GT levels
Likewise, potatoes can tire the liver. The glycemic index of potatoes varies depending on the cooking method: it is 70 when steamed, but rises to 95 when baked. A study published in 2015 in the journal Diabesity in Practice has also shown that a diet low in starchy foods such as potatoes and rich in “good fats” such as olive oil could reduce 47% the gamma GT rate, the protein that measures liver health. “A high gamma GT level suggests that the liver is congested or even diseased“, indicates our interlocutor.
Fried foods overload liver cells
“Fried foods should be eaten very exceptionally“, immediately indicates Professor Marcellin. Fats, particularly oils rich in saturated fatty acids and partially hydrogenated oils such as frying oils, tend to lodge in liver cells and overload them. To avoid overloading the liver, choose oils with high stability such as rapeseed and sunflower oilsOr olive oil which resists oxidation well in the event of high temperature.
Sodas increase the risk of NASH
“Our current dietary lifestyle (consumption of junk food, fast food, industrial products, on-the-go lunches… as well as a sitting position and a sedentary lifestyle at work) means that we absorb more, or even too much, sugars which can accumulate in the liver“, argues the expert. And as “the more sugars we swallow, the more we want to consume them“, steatosis (NASH) is becoming more and more common. Diet or “zero” sodas are not better, on the contrary: they contain fake sugars and sweeteners, do not alert the satiety centers of the brain as “real sugar” does, stimulate the appetite and encourage us to consume even more sugar. In addition, many foods that we consume daily do not initially seem sweet, but contain a lot of it. These include industrial products, fruit juices, sauces, sandwich breads, dietary products or even prepared vegetable pans….
Alcohol can destroy up to 90% of liver cells
“The alcohol deposits many toxins in your liver and can weigh it down“, the hepatologist would like to remind us. “This phenomenon is increasingly observed with the binge-drinking trend (drink a large amount of alcohol in a very short period of time). This implies an inflammatory reaction of the liver and can cause alcoholic hepatitis. The typical profile of acute alcoholic hepatitis is generally a person who had a party on Saturday night and who wakes up on Sunday with a swollen liver: their liver could not handle the massive influx of alcohol and sometimes, up to 80 to 90% of liver cells are destroyed”, illustrates the hepatologist. “Moreover, in case of cirrhosisalcohol consumption, even in low doses, is totally prohibited“, concludes the professional.
Thanks to Professor Patrick Marcellin, hepatologist at Beaujon hospital and president of the APHC (Association for the improvement of the care of patients with chronic liver diseases)