Foods That Hurt Your Liver
You likely already know that drinking one too many alcoholic drinks can severely hurt your liver over time, but what other foods can negatively affect this organ's function? Your liver, after all, is responsible for many things, from processing nutrients to managing fats and filtering substances from your bloodstream. If you routinely eat foods that are loaded with sugar, refined carbohydrates, or other not-so-healthy stuff, that can lead to a fatty liver and poor metabolic health. With that in mind, these are 20 foods you might want to limit if you want your liver to stay in good shape.
1. Deep-Fried Foods
French fries, fried chicken, onion rings... You name it, it's bad for your liver. Why? Just one serving can pack in a lot more calories and saturated fat than you think, which means higher levels of fat can get stored in and around the liver. You're better off baking, roasting, or air-frying instead.
2. Processed Meats
Regularly eat bacon and hot dogs? Well, you probably already know that many deli meats contain substantial amounts of saturated fat and sodium. The more processed meat you eat, the higher your risk of bad metabolic health and fatty liver disease. That said, you don't need to completely give them up—just watch your intake.
3. Sugary Breakfast Cereals
That bowl of colorful cereal you have in the morning likely contains more sugar than you should be eating in a day. Plus, since most sugary varieties are stripped of fiber, you're left with rapidly digested carbohydrates that can immediately spike your blood sugar and tack on a lot to your total daily calorie count.
4. Donuts
It's not just the sugar you should be wary of in donuts. You should also be worried about the refined flour, fat, and calories! Plus, the most dangerous part is overeating, since you're unlikely to keep to just one after having a bite.
5. Fatty Cuts of Red Meat
Eating steak is fine once in a while, but choose wisely: ribeye steaks, heavily marbled beef, and other fatty cuts can contain large amounts of saturated fat. After all, not only can eating too much saturated fat lead to higher cholesterol, but it may also allow liver fat to accumulate, especially if you're not the type to regularly exercise.
6. Packaged Pastries
Like donuts, packaged baked goods often contain a lot of refined flour, added sugar, and saturated fat. By now, you probably see the pattern, and you know that these pastries spell out trouble. If you've got a craving for them, it's best to just make them at home yourself.
7. Candy
Snacking on too much candy means your body is taking in a lot of sugar at once, and without any protein or fiber to go along with it, you're bound to get rapid blood sugar spikes. Make it a habit, and that can eventually lead to fat accumulation in the liver. Yikes!
8. White Bread
The primary ingredient in white bread is refined flour, meaning much of the original grain's fiber (the good part) has been removed. Because of this process, eating one too many slices can push your blood sugar levels up relatively quickly, and worse yet, you're still unlikely to feel full afterwards due to the low fiber content.
9. Instant Noodles
Instant noodles might be a college student's staple, but you probably don't need us to remind you that wide varieties are incredibly high in sodium and refined carbohydrates. It's the flavor packets you should watch out for (using just half of it is a good practice), but the noodles themselves, too, generally offer little fiber.
10. Potato Chips
Open a bag of chips, and you're likely digging in until the whole thing is polished off. Blame it on the salt and fat—it's an addictive combination. And yet, it's exactly that mix that can be lethal, translating into hundreds of extra calories without much nutritional value. If you make it a habit, you won't just notice the numbers climbing on the scale, but fat may also build up around your liver.
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11. Ice Cream
Ice cream might be your go-to post-dinner dessert, but along with lots of sugar, you'll also be feeding a lot of saturated fat to your body. This might not be a big deal if you only have a scoop or two once in a while, but eating extremely oversized bowls all the time can quickly increase your overall calorie intake, and you already know what that means.
12. Frozen Pizza
Crust made from refined flour, a whopping amount of cheese curds, lots of processed meat, and all that sodium... You see where we're going. Considering you'll see that exact combination in many pizzas, frozen or fresh, having too many slices for dinner can mean bad news for your liver.
13. Cookies
Donuts and pastries are bad enough, so don't think cookies are off the hook—this favorite snack food contains just as much refined flour, added sugar, and fat. And, like most things on this list, you're unlikely to stop at just one cookie.
14. Cheeseburgers
Backyard barbecues mean lots of cheeseburgers, so if you're the type to hold a cookout once in a while, you might want to keep track of just how many you're eating. Pay attention, particularly, to the saturated fat from the beef and cheese. If you also tend to use white, refined buns and rich sauces, that will only make things worse.
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15. Heavy Cream Sauces
Alfredo sauce, anyone? Like many cream-heavy sauces made with (of course) cream, butter, and cheese, a generous scoop can contribute to significant amounts of saturated fat. It's even worse when you're eating it from a restaurant, as portions can be sky-high.
16. Alcohol
Yup, you knew this one was going to show up. You're often told that having one too many drinks will lead to a bad liver, and that's because that’s where most of it is broken down. If you're a heavy drinker, that can promote fat buildup in the liver and, over time, lead to inflammation, scarring, and even more serious damage to the organ.
17. Biscuits and Gravy
Who would turn down a plate of biscuits and gravy? Yet, as we've mentioned previously with heavy cream-based sauces, you might want to limit your intake: the star of biscuits and gravy, after all, is rich, buttery gravy with sausage bits. One plate may contain crazy amounts of saturated fat and calories!
18. Sweetened Yogurt
Yogurt is generally pretty healthy, but sweetened varieties may contain far more added sugar than you'd expect. Even if the flavoring is something fruity and nutritious-sounding, you're better off picking the sugar-free kinds and staying away from parfait types.
19. Sugary Condiments
Creamy sauces aren't the only ones you should be wary of. From barbecue sauce to sweet chili sauce, ketchup, and other bottled dressings, you might want to peek at the nutritional label in the back, as these can pack in way more sugar to a meal than their small serving size suggests. You might not think it's a lot, but bear in mind, you're never just using one spoonful.
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20. Pasta
Pasta isn't inherently bad for your liver, but huge portions of it still mean you're putting in a lot of rapidly digested carbohydrates and calories into your body. Pair your plate with fatty sauces and processed meats, and you'd be making it even worse for yourself.
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