The liver is one of the body's most important and largest organs. It works 24 hours a day to clear toxins from the body.

The liver can clean and renew itself. It even helps with weight loss and supports the body's healthy functioning.

But if excess toxins or waste build up in the liver, it cannot do its job properly. This can lead to serious diseases such as fatty liver, liver cirrhosis and even liver cancer, so the right food is needed to keep the liver healthy. Certain foods can help you detox, or cleanse, the liver naturally. Here are 11 of them.

Green leafy vegetables, including spinach and cabbage, are very good for the liver. They increase bile production. Because all vegetables contain fibre, antioxidants and other healthy components, they help keep the liver healthy.

Vegetables have liver-cleansing properties, so it is important to eat green vegetables regularly. Their high chlorophyll content also helps remove toxins from the bloodstream.

Rich in nutritious minerals and lipids, nuts benefit the gut. Recent research has found that eating nuts, including walnuts and Brazil nuts, raises the level of liver enzymes. These are very helpful in detoxifying, or cleansing, the liver.

Most nuts help reduce NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Walnuts are generally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, glutathione and arginine. This amino acid helps the liver cleanse itself naturally, especially when detoxifying ammonia.

Some notable cruciferous vegetables are an excellent source of glucosinolates, which help the liver make enough natural enzymes and flush toxins and carcinogens from the body.

Eating broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts regularly stops toxins building up in the liver and clears those already there. Cruciferous vegetables increase glucosinolate production in the body, which helps remove carcinogens and other pollutants.

Turmeric is a traditional spice with various therapeutic properties and strong natural antioxidant qualities. Regular use reduces signs of liver damage, and it is very useful in treating fatty liver.

The main biologically active component of turmeric is called curcumin. Its antioxidants protect liver cells and support the enzymes that remove toxins, helping the liver detoxify various harmful metals.

Citrus fruits such as pomelo, orange and lemon act as effective natural liver cleansers. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, citrus fruit helps the liver make more enzymes, contributing to the detoxification of toxins and carcinogens.

Grapes generally contain plenty of antioxidants that can protect the liver. They contain resveratrol, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, raising antioxidant levels, reducing oxidative stress and helping prevent cell damage.

Beetroot is a healthy vegetable. Eating it regularly improves overall liver function, as it contains plenty of plant flavonoids and beta-carotene. Natural plant compounds in beet help fight infections, cleanse the blood and cleanse the liver.

Beetroot also stabilises the body's pH balance, which helps detoxification. Beetroot juice is a major source of nitrates and betalains, which help improve heart health and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

Blueberries and cranberries have natural detox properties and contain plenty of anthocyanins (antioxidants). Eating berries keeps the gut healthy and cleanses the liver naturally. You can also drink cranberry and blueberry juice.

Blueberries also improve antioxidant enzymes and immune cell response. One study found that some antioxidants in blueberries prevented lesions and fibrosis, or scar tissue, from forming in the livers of rats and improved liver health.

Most seafood helps detox, or cleanse, the liver. Sea fish contain omega-3 fatty acids; fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna and trout help reduce liver fat and inflammation. According to research, these fish help keep liver enzyme levels stable and prevent excess fat building up.

Garlic mainly helps activate liver enzymes that help the body remove waste. It contains high levels of selenium, which directly helps boost the liver's natural antioxidant enzymes. The antioxidants in garlic help reduce oxidative stress and keep the liver healthy.

Sulphur molecules in garlic trigger liver enzymes and reduce waste and toxins in the body. Garlic also helps lower cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Most people know something of green tea's health benefits, and it is also very good for the liver. According to Japanese research, drinking a certain amount of green tea every day keeps the liver healthy.

Green tea is rich in plant antioxidants that improve overall health. It also removes toxins in the liver and improves liver function.

This fruit is considered a superfood. It boosts the body's production of glutathione, which helps remove harmful toxins from the liver. In short, avocado helps the body make glutathione naturally and helps the liver detoxify itself.

Glutathione can also clear plaque built up in the arteries. The glutathione in avocado encourages synthesis in the body, a substance needed to remove harmful toxins stored in the liver.

Adapted from Outlook India and Healthline.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.