Expert Hepatologist Advice: Foods to Avoid at the Grocery Store to Protect Your Liver

When grocery shopping, many consumers focus primarily on managing costs or selecting heart-healthy, blood sugar-balancing foods. However, Dr. Brian T. Lee, a transplant hepatologist at Hoag Medical Center (USA), emphasizes that weekly grocery choices play a critical role in protecting liver health. According to him, maintaining optimal liver function requires more effort than simply cutting back on daily alcohol consumption.

Dr. Lee explains: "The liver is the metabolic processing center of the body. It helps process nutrients, stores energy, and converts it into fuel for vital functions." When the body is continuously flooded with excess sugar, alcohol, or calories, the unused energy is stored as fat in the liver. Therefore, understanding the impact of daily dietary choices is key to preventing liver diseases.

In an article shared on Parade magazine, Dr. Lee warns that sugary drinks are products to be restricted as much as possible. This category includes carbonated soft drinks, sweet teas, lemonades, and sports drinks. These beverages provide massive amounts of calories and sugar without providing the satiety of solid food, easily leading to overconsumption without compensatory calorie reduction later in the day.

A single 590ml bottle of soda can contain up to 220 calories and 55g of added sugar, far exceeding the recommendation of limiting added sugar to 10g per meal. Consuming these products regularly is directly linked to fatty liver accumulation, weight gain, and the development of chronic liver disease. Added sugars are not just found in sodas but also lurk in breakfast cereals, various sauces, and flavored yogurts.

Instead of bottled beverages, Dr. Lee encourages prioritizing water, which can be flavored with slices of lemon or mint. Notably, he points out that black coffee has a positive impact on the liver, potentially reducing the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer, provided it is consumed without added syrups or creamers. Additionally, it is essential to avoid foods high in saturated fats, fried items, ultra-processed foods, and refined starches.

For a sustainable diet, Dr. Lee highly recommends the Mediterranean diet, focusing on vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, and olive oil. "The best diet is a collection of high-quality, minimally processed foods that one can sustain consistently over time," he concludes.