One of the most important (yet ignored) organs of your body is the liver – it performs a plethora of functions – that include digesting food, storing energy, and removing toxins. While we all think that alcohol harms the liver (and it really does), it is not the only thing that harms it. What is even more startling is that these other foods are extremely common, and we often consume them on a daily basis. Here’s taking a look at the 3 worst foods for your liver (source: doctor.sethi)
Fructose-Heavy Foods
Fructose is a type of sugar found naturally in fruits, but the problem lies in added fructose, especially in processed foods and sweetened drinks. Foods high in fructose include sodas, candies, baked goods, and many packaged snacks.
When you eat too much fructose, your liver turns it into fat. This can cause fat to build up inside liver cells, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Over time, this fat buildup can cause inflammation, scarring, and even liver failure.
Fructose also causes insulin resistance, a condition where your body stops responding well to insulin, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, excess fructose can raise triglyceride levels, increasing the risk of heart disease, and even stroke.
Industrial Seed Oils
Industrial seed oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil are widely used in processed foods and restaurants. These oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which in excess create an imbalance with omega-3s in your body. This imbalance causes chronic inflammation, a root cause of many diseases including liver damage.
These oils are also highly unstable and easily oxidize when heated, producing harmful compounds like trans fats and lipid peroxides. These toxic byproducts damage your liver cells, increase oxidative stress, and promote inflammation. Repeatedly heating these oils, common in deep frying, makes them even more dangerous.
Consuming industrial seed oils is linked to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and metabolic problems that strain the liver.
Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is often marketed as a healthy drink, but it is basically liquid sugar without the fiber found in whole fruit. Drinking fruit juice regularly floods your liver with fructose, leading to fat buildup and liver strain.
Unlike eating whole fruit, fruit juice causes rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin, promoting fat storage in the liver and increasing the risk of fatty liver disease. Many fruit juices also contain added sugars, making the problem worse. If you really want to consume fruit juice, make it cold pressed at home, and do not add any sugar.
