(Liver Health) Detoxifying Foods… Apples, Garlic, What Else?

The liver processes and handles various substances, including hormones, and synthesizes and supplies vital substances. However, symptoms rarely appear until 80% of the liver is damaged, so it's crucial to take care of your liver health early. With the end of the year filled with gatherings, company dinners, and other drinking events, it's crucial to learn about foods that support liver function.

◇Cabbage Cabbage, well-known as a health food, is rich in glucosinolates and vitamin C, which help the liver detoxify. Glucosinolates help the liver produce detoxifying enzymes that block free radicals. They are also known to have anti-cancer properties. According to a research team at the University of Illinois, cabbage and other Brassica vegetables not only help the liver detoxify but also reduce fat absorption, helping prevent fatty liver disease. Brassica vegetables include cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.

◇Apple The pectin in apples helps eliminate toxins produced during digestion. This reduces the burden on the liver's detoxification process. The flavonoids found in apples also aid in bile production. Because flavonoids are abundant in the apple skin, it's best to wash the apple thoroughly and eat it with the skin to maximize its detoxifying effects.

◇Garlic Garlic, a favorite among Koreans, is one of the foods that promotes liver health. When garlic is consumed, allicin combines with vitamin B1 to promote sugar metabolism and help relieve accumulated fatigue in the liver. Garlic is rich in selenium, which helps detoxify by eliminating free radicals and boosts immune function. To preserve the nutrients of garlic, it's best to chop or crush it before adding it to your cooking.

◇Chives Chives are rich in beta-carotene, which helps remove free radicals, detoxify the liver, and provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. They also contain B vitamins, which help relieve fatigue. Cooking chives increases gastric juice production, which helps maintain healthy digestive function. Traditional Korean medicine explains that chives are warm in nature, which is beneficial for metabolism.

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I thought cabbage was only good for stomach health.

Detoxification of the liver?

I'm thinking of shredding some cabbage and eating it,

It doesn't taste very good, right??