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5 Super Fruits that Boosts your Liver Health

Fruits and nuts are among the best foods for the liver when it comes to preventing liver disease.

The liver is one of the most important organs in our bodies, and a healthy, well-balanced diet rich in high-quality foods allows us to protect it from liver disease while also helping to prevent the development of other diseases that may affect it.

Fruits are among the most recommended foods for the liver that are extremely beneficial to the body, helping to reduce symptoms and cleanse the organ. Similarly, some fruits contain components that aid in nutrient absorption and digestive process metabolism.

Nutrition is essential for a healthy liver, but some fruits are healthier for your liver than others.

• Banana-

Bananas are high in vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These nutrients are necessary for the body for proper functioning. Besides that, potassium is required to maintain sodium levels and to regulate the heartbeat.

Bananas are also rich in resistant starch, a type of fiber that is not metabolized or absorbed in the small intestine and thus enters the colon unaltered. As a result, the glucose it is made up of will not be absorbed by the body. This means that it shouldn’t cause an increase in blood glucose levels. In fact, it improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar levels, especially after meals, and can help prevent and even reverse the symptoms of fatty liver disease.

• Berries

Fruits high in antioxidants have been shown to benefit liver health.

The antioxidants found in berries slows down the development of lesions, fibrosis, and scar tissue in the liver.

Cranberries and blueberries (including extracts or juices) can aid in liver health. Consuming berries for three to four weeks protects the liver from damage. Furthermore, blueberries or blueberry extract increases immune cell response and antioxidant enzymes and have been shown to be effective in preventing the development of liver cancer.

• Grapes

Grapes contain vitamin C and magnesium, both of which are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants can significantly reduce inflammatory markers in the liver. They also help to boost your immune system and protect you from infections.

Red grapes can help detoxify the liver, which can boost its functioning by keeping cells healthy. Furthermore, eating grapes reduces liver, kidney, and abdominal fat weight and increases signs of antioxidant defense, primarily in the liver and kidneys.

• Papaya

Papaya seeds are high in nutrients and fiber, as well as antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and monounsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to human health. Antioxidants can help to maintain and extend the life of liver cells.

It has the potential to reduce inflammation and heal liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a condition that impairs blood clotting and increases the likelihood of unexpected bleeding.

• Avocados

Avocados are another good source of healthy fats, as well as one of the best fruits for the liver. Avocados are also high in fiber, which helps to control hunger and digest food more slowly.

Furthermore, it is one of the most versatile fruits, as it can be used to make desserts, salads, dressings, sauces, and other dishes. Avocados are rich in Glutathione. Glutathione is a substance that can help in the detoxification of liver cells. It protects the liver and aids in the removal of potentially toxic substances from the body.

The liver is an important organ that helps to eliminate toxins from the bloodstream and metabolize fats and proteins. Taking care of your liver can enable you in living a healthy life. Proper nutrition is necessary for keeping the liver healthy and preventing it from collapsing.

The bottle gourd has long been regarded as one of the most nutritious vegetables. This useful vegetable is heavy in water (around 92%) and minerals, which help keep your body hydrated. It’s also known as Lauki or Doodhi, and it doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Bottle gourd is a water-rich vegetable strong in vitamin C, K, and calcium. It helps to maintain a healthy heart and lowers dangerous cholesterol levels. Diabetics will benefit from the juice because it helps to maintain blood sugar and blood pressure levels. It is finest eaten first thing in the morning. It would be best to drink from a small glass.

Some of the advantages of bottle gourd juice include:

• Cools your stomach and body:

Bottle gourd juice has a cooling effect on your body and keeps you hydrated during the summer. Because you sweat a lot in the summer, drinking bottle gourd juice on a daily basis can help you rehydrate. Bottle gourd juice can be used to cure any heat-related ailment, such as nasal haemorrhage, acne, or ulcers.

• Helps in weight loss:

Bottle guard is excellent for weight reduction since it is high in fibre, which keeps you filled for longer, and low in calories. “Fibre is the secret to weight loss; it has less calories and no fat.” Vitamin C, B, K, A, E, Iron, Folate, Potassium, and Manganese are among the vitamins and minerals contained.

• Treats urinary tract infections:

Drinking freshly squeezed bottle gourd juice mixed with lime juice is one of the best natural remedies for urinary tract infections.

• Cures stomach illness:

Bottle gourd juice is effective in treating constipation and diarrhoea. The water and fibre content aid in the cleansing of your digestive tract and the facilitation of bowel movements. To alleviate diarrhoea, drink bottle gourd juice with a teaspoon of salt. This combination aids in the maintenance of the body’s electrolyte balance.

• Helps to keep your heart healthy:

 Drinking bottle gourd juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning helps to decrease blood cholesterol levels and promote optimal cardiac functioning.

• Maintains Stress levels:

Bottle gourd contains a high concentration of choline, a neurotransmitter that aids in the enhancement of brain processes and the prevention of stress, depression, and other mental issues.

• Beneficial for Post workout drink:

Bottle gourd juice is a fantastic post-workout drink because of the natural sugars in the vegetable. It can help restore glucose levels and replenish carbohydrates lost throughout your activity. Bottle gourd juice is high in protein and other nutrients, and it aids in the efficiency of your muscles.

• Antioxidants that can help with liver inflammation:

The liver is one of the body’s most important organs. A well-balanced diet high in antioxidants can help your liver stay healthy. Bottle gourd’s antioxidant content can help with liver inflammation. These substances assist in the detoxification of contaminants while also protecting the kidneys and liver from free radical damage. As a result, consuming bottle gourd helps to maintain the health of your liver.

Bottle gourd juice has the following adverse effects:

1. Toxic when bitter:

Bottle gourd juice is highly beneficial for health. However, according to some research, consuming bitter bottle gourd juice, which is very poisonous, is extremely damaging to one’s health and may even result in death in rare cases. It can also induce diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, discomfort, and a general sensation of unease.

2. Can lead to Gastrointestinal Problems:

Consumption of bitter bottle gourd juice may result in duodenal inflammation, gastric erosion, gastric ulcer, and esophagitis. If bitter bottle guard juice is drunk it might lead to gastrointestinal bleeding.

3. Others:

Drinking too much bottle gourd juice may result in low blood sugar levels.

Bottle gourd juice may cause adverse allergic reactions in certain people.

 

 

It is generally advised that we begin our days with a fruit rather than tea or coffee, however the majority of us begin our days with tea or coffee that contains sugar. But have you ever thought that is sugar really beneficial for our general health?

Did you know there are 4 types of sugar?

1.  
2. Fructose (i.e. fruit sugar)
3. Sucrose  (i.e. table sugar)
4. Lactose (i.e. dairy sugar)

What happens in our body when we intake sugar?

When we consume sugar, our body break it down into glucose, use some of it for energy, and reserve it for later use. Excess glucose is used to build fat cells. One of the organs in our bodies where excess fat is stored is the liver. Fat cells gradually replace liver cells over time, resulting in non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease. According to some research, sugar can be just as bad for your liver as alcohol, even if you’re not overweight.

What happens if we consume an excessive amount of sugar?

When you consume an excessive amount of sugar, your body stops responding effectively to insulin, and your pancreas begins producing even more insulin. Your overworked pancreas will eventually fail and your blood sugar levels will rise, putting you at risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity, which is a leading cause of liver disease.

What happens when we consume a lot of sucrose?

When the same amount of fructose and sucrose are used, the latter increases fat production even more. Puddings, milkshakes, cakes, fruit juice drinks, deep-fried dishes with sweet sauce, cookies, pancakes, sweets, chocolate, and commercial cereals are examples of high sucrose foods.

According to medical studies, even a moderate amount of sugar consumed on a regular basis might disrupt metabolism. Because the liver can only process fructose found in fruits and vegetables and other sugar sources to a limited amount, consuming additional sugar sources causes’ fat storage in the liver and increases the risk of NAFLD and insulin resistance in individuals.

How much sugar is fit for consumption?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people should consume not more than 5% of their daily calories from added sugar. For a person with a typical diet, this equates to 25 g, or around 6 teaspoons.

Did you know that?

Sugar also contributes to skin ageing and causes acne?

What happens to our liver when we consume sugar?

Our liver can only process fructose, which is found in fruits and vegetables and other sugar sources to a lesser extent, but consuming other sugar sources promotes fat storage in the liver and increases the risk of NAFLD and insulin resistance in individuals. When we consume sugar on a daily basis, our bodies produce inflammatory chemicals, which collect in our systems, harming other internal organs and finally contributing to liver disease.

When the liver is damaged, obese, or inflammatory, it cannot work as effectively as it should. It cannot digest or eliminate poisons from our body. It also contributes to obesity by affecting the metabolism of fat and cholesterol, resulting in an increase in fatty deposits.

It has been found that teenagers over consume in fizzy drinks and sweets. This is a serious sign of liver disease in the younger generation, as well as the incidence of NAFLD in children and teenagers, as well as an increase in severe liver disease in adults.

How can you avoid liver damage caused by sugar synthesis?

• Sugar consumption should be restricted.
• Consuming a lot of vegetables and fruits
• Exercise on a regular basis

For further information on liver health and disease you can consult Dr Gaurav Gupta, Liver Specialist in Mumbai.

Liver disease is commonly regarded as a “silent” condition because its various types may not show any symptoms at all. Cirrhosis and cancer are the most dangerous effects of liver disease. Here’s a look at some of the most popular misconceptions about liver health

It’s always caused by alcohol

This is perhaps the most common misconception concerning liver illness. And it is simply not true. There are numerous varieties of liver disease, which are caused due to numerous reasons. One of them is alcohol. Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when your immune system becomes confused and attacks your liver. Drug-Induced Liver Injury is a rare adverse effect that some people experience after taking a doctor-prescribed medication. Non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease is becoming more common.

 

It’s contagious 

Some types of liver disease are caused by viruses. They are, however, much more difficult to contract than a cough or cold. You cannot contract viral hepatitis by being in close proximity to someone who has the virus, or by touching them or something they have touched.

 It is spreadable with needles. Sharing needles for recreational drugs, for example. Healthcare workers can become infected by accident, and mothers can spread hepatitis to their babies around the time of birth. In addition, some persons get viral hepatitis as a result of medical operations such blood transfusions. Unfortunately, the stigma behind liver disease means that many patients do not receive the necessary tests or care, and are even treated as though they are contagious.

 

The liver has no role in the functioning of body

Your liver is incredible. It has over 500 jobs and can self-repair when damaged. But only so much can be tolerated. If the damage is severe or continues for an extended period of time, your liver will not be able to repair itself. When this happens, your liver can become scarred and rigid, finally failing to function. A liver is required for survival. If your liver fails, your only choice is a liver transplant.

 

Yellow skin and aches are symptoms of liver disease

Major types of liver disease frequently have no symptoms at all. Because the liver is known to not show any visible symptoms, hepatitis A, B, and C, also known as cirrhosis, are usually identified 20 to 30 years later. What appear to be aches and pains in the liver are mainly digestive symptoms induced by a high-fat diet or rich meals.

Medications have no effect on the liver

 All medications have the potential to be harmful to the liver. Elderly people who are undergoing multiple treatments are especially vulnerable to drug-induced hepatitis. Health supplements are also harmful for liver. When ingested in large quantities or not handled correctly, these can also damage the liver.

An increasingly unhealthy lifestyle has contributed to India becoming the world capital of liver disorders. According to the WHO, it is the tenth leading cause of risk of death in India. One of the most common causes is liver cirrhosis, which affects over 10 lakh new cases each year. When liver problems are detected early, they can be treated. Regular visits to a Liver Specialist can assist with the diagnosis of any problems that may arise.

A new study shows that coffee can control fatty liver. But coffee-drinking should be moderate and can only complement the main therapy required to address the root cause of liver inflammation, says Dr Gaurav Gupta, Senior Consultant and Chief Surgeon of Liver Transplant and Hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgery at Fortis Hospital, Mumbai.

Can a bit of coffee-drinking lower the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in overweight adults with Type 2 diabetes? A new study from the University of Coimbra, and published in the journal Nutrients, discovered that caffeine, polyphenols and other natural compounds contained in coffee could do so. Dr Gaurav Gupta, Senior Consultant and Chief Surgeon of Liver Transplant and Hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgery at Fortis Hospital, Mumbai, decodes the study and says that coffee should be had in moderation in such cases and can be used only as a complementary dietary intervention.

What is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is where the patient does not consume alcohol but he/she still ends up with fatty liver. NAFLD is a spectrum of diseases ranging from simple fatty liver to hepatitis to liver cirrhosis. The main causes are diabetes, hypertension, being overweight or obesity, high cholesterol levels and hypothyroidism.

Why are diabetic patients detected with fatty liver?

Patients with diabetes, especially Type 2 diabetes, have insulin resistance leading to high blood sugar. Diabetes may be associated with other lifestyle diseases such as high cholesterol and hypertension. All these diseases lead to fat deposits in the liver, which cause the condition called fatty liver. This can progress to causing inflammation of the liver, which is called hepatitis, ultimately leading to liver damage and liver cirrhosis.

What components in coffee can help to control diabetes?

Coffee helps in preventing damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals resulting in oxidative stress is the main mechanism leading to inflammation or liver damage in patients with diabetes. It’s the same mechanism by which fresh green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and multivitamins protect our liver from diabetes or high cholesterol.

The study has suggested that the coffee component, including polyphenols, reduces oxidative stress in the liver, in turn reducing the risk of fibrosis as well as improving glucose homeostasis. What does it mean in terms of body health and weight?

Oxidative damage or free oxygen radical damage occurs whenever there is fat deposited in the liver. This deposition of fat in the liver cells can cause liver inflammation. So, all these compounds which are present in coffee, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and multivitamins, work on the same principles. They decrease this oxidative stress or free oxygen radical damage, which ultimately helps us in preventing fibrosis or cirrhosis. But once fibrosis or cirrhosis occurs, it cannot be reversed with coffee, green leafy vegetables, or fresh fruit.

If you want to prevent the fatty liver, you must do it through taking measures against its root cause. Consuming coffee, milk, vegetables, or fresh fruit can be complementary actions, but the main treatment still remains the necessary modification in lifestyle like adequate exercise, a good and nutritious diet, controlling sugar and cholesterol levels and controlling blood pressure. But consumption of a moderate amount of coffee can complement and help us in preventing liver inflammation.