Avoid foods high in carbohydrates if you want your liver to stay healthy

Doctors in the city recently underscored the importance of detox, to keep the liver clean, following World Liver Day on April 19. Stating that liver diseases are rampant, Dr Joy Varghese, hepatologist, Apollo Hospitals, said, “Earlier, we only saw alcoholics coming forward with complaints of liver diseases. Nowadays, we see many teetotallers as well with similar complaints. Basically, most of the population has fatty liver, whether we drink or not, or whether we are thin or obese. It is mainly because of our food intake and other lifestyle habits.” 

Stressing the need to create awareness about it, Dr Sudarshan K, a liver specialist, said, “Because of lifestyle-related issues, we are developing major health problems. We need to try to avoid eating foods high in carbohydrates.” 

In the current context, our body is exposed to environmental toxins — through food, water and other sources. Low potassium levels, heavy alcohol consumption, intravenous drug use, exposure to industrial chemicals, unprotected sex, obesity and a diet high in saturated fats as well as processed foods, tattoos or body piercings, high levels of triglycerides in the blood, prescription medications, including acetaminophen, viral infections, autoimmune diseases are among some of the risk factors associated with impaired liver function. “Every person’s health and well-being depends on how well their body removes toxins. One of the main ways that the body rids itself of toxins is through the liver,” said Dr Sudarshan. 

While doctors have always underscored the need for older people to go for yearly health check-ups, most avoid visiting a doctor unless they are sick. “It is important for the public to get themselves checked to see if they have fatty liver. If they do, doctors advise them to follow a low carbohydrate diet, even if the individual is not a diabetic. People proudly proclaim that they are vegetarians. Also, there are others who say they do not eat rice and tell that to the doctor as well. However, they eat a lot of idlis and dosas all of which are rice-based items. Almost all of their food items are rich in carbohydrates,” said Dr Varghese, adding, “An adult male needs at least 2,000 kilocalories and an adult female 1,800 kilocalories. Out of this, only 60 per cent is allowed to be carbohydrate — a norm usually no one follows.” 

With exposure to environmental toxins, toxic body care products and processed foods, most people are in desperate need of a serious detox. As liver cleansing effectively removes toxins, one can start to feel better in a matter of weeks.