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Leafy Greens for Liver Health: Which Vegetables to Eat - Genetic Nutrition

Leafy Greens for Liver Health: Which Vegetables to Eat

, by Sandesh Prasannakumar, 9 min reading time

Common knowledge says that most liver diseases are caused by excessive alcohol consumption, but some recent research shows that you are at risk of getting a swollen liver or extraordinary fat deposits even if you are a teetotaler. What is advised is leafy greens for liver health, which have slowly slipped away from our diets. 

More prevalent in an urban population, a liver condition called NAFLD - Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - is on the rise. Researchers and medical professionals believe that it is caused due to unbalanced dietary habits and a fast-paced lifestyle. NAFLD has no severe symptoms, because of which it stays undiagnosed in most people. This becomes risky because NAFLD, when undiagnosed, can lead to more severe liver diseases like cancer, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, or cirrhosis.

NAFLD: Symptoms, Causes, & Remedy: Leafy Greens for Liver Health 

Symptoms that should concern you

Even though NAFLD, commonly known as Fatty Liver, symptoms are subtle, there are still generic signs that you can be aware of:

  • Regular discomfort or pain in the upper right side of the stomach
  • Feeling constantly lethargic, out of energy, or fatigued
  • Constantly feeling ill, even in the absence of any real ailment
  • Obesity and overweight ness

Many people take these symptoms lightly and mostly blame them on a hectic work and life schedule. However, when ignored, these symptoms can transform into something severe like Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis. Symptoms for which are more profound:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Yellow eyes or skin (jaundice)
  • Itchy skin 
  • Swollen lower-belly
  • Swelling in lower extremities (legs)
  • Web-like veins visible right under the skin

Causes of NAFLD and Other Liver Diseases

Medical experts are yet to determine the actual cause of NAFLD, but some of the common underlying conditions that can cause fatty liver are:

  • Overweight and Obesity
  • High Blood Cholesterol Levels
  • Genetic Conditions
  • Insulin Resistance
  • High Triglyceride Levels in Blood
  • Polycystic Ovaries
  • Growth Hormone Deficiency
  • Hypothyroidism - Underactive Thyroid Secretion
  • Type 2 Diabetes

Leafy Greens for Liver Health: Dietary Precautions 

Growing up, we have all been told to have vegetables and fruits in optimum portions to stay healthy and ward off diseases. But this generic advice is more important in the case of keeping our liver healthy and functioning properly. 

With age, molecules in our own body and other external sources like pollution, lifestyle habits, certain medicines, or radiation break down in such a way that they start attacking our body at a cellular level. These are called free radicals. In our youth, our body fights against these free radicals to reinstate and repair the damaged cells. But with time and an unhealthy diet, these free radicals accumulate in different parts of our body, like the liver.

Adding green leafy vegetables in your diet can effectively help in minimising such damage to your liver. The best part is that it doesn’t require you to completely change your diet. You can consume a small amount of 200 g of leafy green for liver health betterment. Here are some recommendations that can prevent excessive fat accumulation and repair liver cell damage:

King of the Greens: Spinach

Spinach has antioxidants and polyphenols (compounds found naturally in plants that have the same properties as antioxidants) that break the chain of accumulation of free radicals in our body, preventing any further damage they might cause.

There are various forms in which you can add spinach to your diet; some of them are:

  • Spinach & Garlic Soup
  • Palak (Spinach) Paneer
  • Spinach Rice
  • Spinach and Nuts Salad
The Wild Cabbage: Kale

This cruciferous wild leafy vegetable from the mustard family has recently gained popularity after fighting terrible resistance from all quarters of the population. Irrespective of its mustard-like pungent smell, kale has become a symbol of health, finding its space in most salad recipes and vegan diets. It has a high sulphur content that helps the liver function in blood purification. It is also loaded with Vitamin A, which is also an essential nutrient for healthy liver functioning.

If you are a beginner, try these simple kale recipes:

  • Sauteed Kale & Garlic
  • Kale Pesto with your favourite Pasta
  • Kale Salad with Ginger Dressing
  • Miso Noodle Salad with Kale
  • Kale Rice Kimchi Bowl
Crispy and Raw: Lettuce

Lettuce is quite an unassuming salad essential, which is never the hero ingredient except for in Caesar Salad, but consuming this leafy green for liver health can be transformative. It helps in restoring liver enzymes that purify our blood of toxins. It also helps in tackling free radicals that damage our liver cells.

Other than obvious salad choices, here are some other tasty ways to add lettuce to your diet:

  • Protein (meat) Lettuce Wraps
  • Lettuce and Bhelpuri Chaat
  • Hoisin Meatballs Lettuce Wraps
  • Lettuce and Turkey (chicken) Sandwich

Conclusion

A popular and tested adage is that precaution is better than cure. If eating just 200 g of leafy green for liver health can save you from feeling tardy all the time and escalating to more severe liver diseases, it is a very small price to pay. Ward off the harmful effects of pollution and other environmental factors that unwittingly affect the functioning of your liver by inculcating a better diet. Add leafy vegetables such as spinach, mustard greens, collards, rocket leaves, etc., to your diet and experiment with many tasty recipes available to keep your liver and body looking healthy and young. Do not let your hectic work schedule or urban lifestyle make you look haggard and age prematurely.

For all your protein and supplement needs, visit Genetic Nutrition!

FAQs:

  • Can I get better with just leafy greens if I have an inflamed liver?
  • No, it is advisable that you see a physician immediately. However, once the problem is rectified, change your dietary habits to add leafy greens for liver health betterment.

  • Do I have to turn vegetarian to take care of my liver?
  • You do not have to make any radical changes to your diet. You just have to make sure you consume 200 g of leafy greens for liver health to prevent fatty liver disease.

  • What other lifestyle changes should I make to keep my liver healthy?
  • Exercise regularly. Try to cut down on junk foods and refined oils.

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