Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body and performs more than 500 functions in the human body, according to Brittany Michels, MS, RDN, LDNwith the vitamin store. But one of its main functions is to remove internal and external contaminants with which our body comes into contact on a daily basis.
“These include air, water, and food contaminants, drugs, alcohol, microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, as well as internally produced toxins created by essential bodily processes,” says Michels. “Our liver is the main organ responsible for detoxification and it does this by converting toxins into compounds that the body can easily eliminate. The liver filters about a liter of blood every minute.”
she notices that when you liver is not functioning at optimal levels, detoxification efficiency will have decreased, putting additional stress on the body.
“The liver also produces bile, which helps with both fat absorption and the transport of waste (including converted toxins) out of the body through the digestive tract,” says Michels.
What you eat can have a big impact on the health of your liver. According to Michels, the best eating habit for the liver is limiting exposure to environmental toxins through dietary sourcesespecially insecticidesPCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium).
“Exposure to these three environmental toxins is associated with elevated liver enzymes, fatty liver disease and liver cancer riskMichels says. “It is estimated that more than 30% of the US population has the most common form of liver disease, called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.”
So how exactly can you do this? Considering dietary and supplemental options.
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She explains that fatty and animal-based foods contain the highest levels of PCBs and pesticides because these contaminants are stored in fat, which becomes more concentrated as they move up the food chain.
“PCBs and pesticides also accumulate in rivers, lakes and sediments in coastal areas and then accumulate in fish,” explains Michels. “The FDA monitors levels in food and drinking water, however it would be a beneficial and proactive step to be aware of food exposures to heavy metals. Fish, bone broth, rice, vegetable oils, peanuts, some tubers (such as potatoes), food dyes, corn syrups, and preservatives (such as sodium benzoate) are the biggest heavy metal culprits.”
Michels points to Consumer reporting data that suggests limiting your intake of rice foods to less than seven points per week. Michels also suggests that it can also help to choose low-fat or organic dairy options, as well as whole foods over processed ones.
Here are a couple more tips to limit environmental exposure to food when it comes to proteins.
Choose fish wisely.
“Choose fish wisely and watch out for fish that contain high levels of PCBs, pesticides and heavy metals,” says Michels. “Common commercial fish that are high in PCBs and pesticides include the Atlantic or farmed salmon, blue fish, wild striped bass, flounder and blue crab. Fish higher in mercury and other heavy metals include oily fish, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, tilefish, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna. Remove skin and trim fat when preparing fish to reduce exposure.”
Choose lean protein.
“Choose lean animal protein and buy organic when possible because environmental toxins can build up in the fat,” Michels says. “It’s a great idea to know your farmer and be aware of potential exposures.”
Michels also points out that one must be careful with fish oil supplements.
“Buy fish oil that has been third-party tested and guaranteed to be free of heavy metals like mercury, lead, and other environmental toxins, like PCBs and pesticides,” says Michels. “Buy fish oil made from sardines, anchovies, mackerel, whiting, or pollock. And buy brands that reveal the source of the oil.”
