Diet and Liver Health
Good Food for Liver Health
Vegetables
Vegetables such as: brussels prouts, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
Leafy Greens
Leafy Greens such as: bok choy, mustard greens, spinach, watercress, silver beet
Bitter Greens
Bitter greens such as: endives, radicchio, rocket and chicory
Yogurt
Contains friendly bacteria. Be sure to use plain full-fat yoghurt, plain Greek-style yoghurt or Kefir Yoghurt
Omega-3 Fatty Acid
sardines, salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout, hemp flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnut.
Foods with Vitamin C
limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, kiwi fruit, mandarins, berries, tomatoes and capsicums
Onions and Garlic
Studies have shown that eating onion can prevent MAFLD, even with other risk factors. Garlic may also help reduce fat accumulation and improve liver function in MAFLD patients.
Hummus and Tahini
Both hummus and tahini, as part of a balanced diet, can contribute to liver health by providing essential nutrients, fiber, and healthy fats, as well as potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
Olives
Olives and olive oil can contribute to liver health through their healthy fats, antioxidants, and potential to reduce liver fat accumulation
Turmeric
Studies suggest that turmeric may help improve liver enzymes and lipid profiles in people with MAFLD, potentially reducing the accumulation of fat in the liver.
Eggs
Eggs, particularly egg yolks, offer valuable benefits for liver health due to their choline content and other nutrients if consumed in moderation and prepared with healthy methods.
Avocado
Avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats, particularly monounsaturated fats like oleic acid. Monounsaturated fats have been linked to reducing liver fat accumulation and promoting overall liver health. They also contain glutathione, an antioxidant that helps the liver detoxify harmful substances.
Top 10 Tips
1
Eat Regular Meals
Spacing out your meals, and not skipping meals, can ensure you feel satisfied and don’t get too hungry at any point in the day. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and include a small mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack to manage your appetite between meals and help you avoid overeating at mealtimes.
2
Change your fat intake
Fat should predominantly come from whole, unprocessed forms such as seeds, nuts avocados and oily fish. Refined fats should be limited to small amounts of olive oil, rapeseed oil or coconut oil in cooking. All other fats need to be reduced or removed, particularly synthetic fats such as trans and hydrogenated fats, as well as saturated fats found in meat and dairy. Because fat, even natural fat, is very high in calories, the quantities need to be limited. For example, snacking on nuts must be limited to 4-6 nuts as one portion. Anything over this will impede weight loss. Aim to grill, bake , boil or steam you food instead of frying it, and trim all noticeable fats off meats.
3
Complex Carbohydrate Only
Carbohydrates are a great source of energy, but often we depend on refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar, instead of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, and vegetables. High fibre, complex carbohydrates can help you feel fuller for longer, when compared with refined carbohydrates. Choose foods such as oats, brown rice, brown pasta, wholemeal bread and pittas.
4
Increase your veggies at lunch and dinner
It is advisable to aim for 5+ portions of vegetables every day, so begin by increasing your vegetable intake at both lunch time and dinner time. Homemade soups and stews are an easy way to get your veggies in and opt for more leafy salad and vegetable options in wraps and sandwiches (coleslaw and potato salad don’t count).
5
Increase your fruit intake at breakfast and snack time
It is advisable to aim for 3+ portions of fruit a day, so topping your oats or muesli with 1-2 portions of berries, and then snacking on apples, plums, pears, oranges, mid-morning or mid-afternoon will see you hit your target. In total, that means 8+ portions of fruit and veg, 5 + from veg, 3+ from fruit.
6
Increase beans and lentils
Protein doesn’t always have to come from animal-based sources, and beans and lentils provide an excellent source of plant-based protein. They also provide additional nutrients that will help lower your cholesterol and improve your digestive health through additional fibre.
7
Oily Fish
Aim to substitute 2-3 portions of meat with 2-3 portions of small oily fish every week. They are high in omega 3 polyunsaturated fat. Examples include mackerel, sardines, herring, trout and anchovies.
8
Reduce Alcohol
Although your liver disease may not be driven by excess alcohol intake, consumption of alcohol leads to drinking empty calories (on average 100-250 kcal per standard drink) and can impede weight loss.
9
Reduce/Remove Added Sugar
Too much sugar in the diet can cause a build up of fat in the liver. Also sugar is one of the primary drivers of weight gain, and one of the main stumbling blocks to weight loss. If you drink soft drinks/ fizzy drinks it must be priority to reduce and eventually remove these sugar-sweetened beverages completely from you diet. If you add sugar to your tea or coffee, or sprinkle it on your cereal, try to reduce it gradually and eventually remove it completely. Your liver will thank you for removing added sugar.
10
Enjoy Caffeine
Moderate caffeine intake (2-3 cups per day) has been shown to be protective in MAFLD. Sources include coffee, tea, and green tea. Caffeinated fizzy drinks are not included in this recommendation. Coffees can often be a source of extra calories in the form of cappuccinos and mochas, so choose plain coffees and tea only, and avoid added sugar..
Recipe Ideas
Breakfast Idea
Apple and Cinnamon Oats
Breakfast Idea
Yoghurt Bowl
Breakfast Idea
Eggs baked in tomato and spinach
Soup Idea
Carrot Soup
Soup Idea
Coconut, Lentil and Spinach Soup
Soup Idea
Chicken Soup
Salad Idea
Asian Style Slaw
Salad Idea
Harissa Chickpeas, Sweet Potato with Yoghurt Dressing
Dinner Idea
Chicken Curry
Dinner Idea
Lemon Chilli Chickpeas
Dinner Idea
Miso Glazed Salmon
Snack Idea
Green Tea Smoothie
Snack Idea
Chia Crackers
Snack Idea
Chili Honey Nuts
Snack Idea
Energy Balls
Dishes and recipes prepared by Amanda Germishuys of the The Zesty Sausage