12 Foods/substances That Are Bad For The Liver

12 foods/substances that are bad for the liver 1. Alcohol Alcohol is metabolised (processed) in the liver by enzymes. However, this is bad for liver cells and leads to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. The energy from alcohol is then either used as a fuel or stored in liver cells as fat. The storage of lots of fat in the liver can lead to ‘fatty liver disease’ and other complications. Alcohol consumption is by far the most common cause of fatty liver disease and even as little as one glass of wine or beer a day may contribute to this condition in some people.

2. Cigarette smoking Cigarette smoking may change certain enzymes in the liver, thereby making smokers more likely to get damage to their liver from some medications. Smoking may also decrease the liver’s ability to get rid of dangerous substances, and it may affect the dose of medication required to treat a particular liver disease. Research has shown that cigarettes are associated with a possible increased risk of liver cancer.

3. Marijuana If you have Hepatitis C, you should try and limit how much Marijuana you use.

Cannabis (marijuana) may decrease the effectiveness of hepatitis medications.

Smoking marijuana on a daily basis has also been significantly associated with worsening of fibrosis in people with hepatitis C.

4. Illicit drugs All drugs can put stress on your liver and can bring on a range of health problems.

Injecting unsafely increases your chance of developing infections and contracting diseases such as hepatitis. It has been suggested that amphetamines (or speed) can damage the liver, while cocaine and ecstasy have been known to cause liver toxicity and liver failure. Hallucinogenic mushrooms also contain many chemicals that the liver cannot tolerate. Heroin and morphine are not in themselves toxic to the liver, but the substances that they are mixed with can be.

5. Some herbs/herbal remedies Some herbs have been shown to be bad for the liver. For example: barberry, black cohosh, chaparral, Chinese ginseng, comfrey, creosote bush, germander, gordoloba yerba tea, greasewood, greater celandine, false pennyroyal, Jamaican bush tea, Jin Bu Huan, Kombucha tea, misteltoe, Sho-saiko-to, pennyroyal oil (squawmint oil), Last updated July 2016

sassafras, senna, skullcap and valerian combined, white chameleon. Please note that this list is not exhaustive – there may be other substances that are toxic to your liver not included here.

6. Large doses of Vitamin A. Because 50 – 80% of the body’s total Vitamin A is stored in the liver, large doses of Vitamin A can cause liver damage. An upper Level of intake has been set for population sub-groups. This is the highest average daily intake of Vitamin A that is thought to be safe. As intake increases above the upper level of intake, the potential risk of adverse effects increases. The upper levels are listed below. Those with high alcohol intake, pre-existing liver disease, high cholesterol or severe protein malnutrition may be more likely to have problems with an excess intake of vitamin A and of the safe level of vitamin A intake may be less than that for the general population.

Age

Upper level of intake

Infants 0-12 months

600 µg/day

Children and adolescents 1-3 yr

600 µg/day

4-8 yr

900 µg/day

9-13 yr

1,700 µg/day

14-18 yr

2,800 µg/day

Adults 19+ yr Men

3,000 µg/day

Women

3,000 µg/day

Pregnancy 14-18 yr

2,800 µg/day

19-50 yr

3,000 µg/day

Lactation 14-18 yr

2,800 µg/day

19-50 yr

3,000 µg/day

Last updated July 2016

7. Some prescription medications Some prescription medications can damage the liver because the liver plays a major role in metabolising them. For example paracetamol/codeine , corticosteroids, tetracycline, and carbon tetrachloride. Be sure to take your medicatons as directed by your doctor to avoid unnecessary damage to your liver.

8. Some over the counter medications Some over-the-counter medications, for example paracetamol (in large doses), codeine, aspirin (in large doses), ibuprofen and diclofenac can damage the liver. Be sure to take these medications only as directed on the packaging.

9. High fat intake Eating fatty foods by itself does not cause fatty liver. The liver plays an important role in the metabolism (processing) and storage of fats. If something goes wrong in this process, fat can build up in the liver. Insulin resistance, which is associated with obesity, is the most important contributor to the change in the normal process.

Dietary fats are extremely energy dense and can easily contribute to weight gain.

For this reason, a high intake of fat should be avoided.

10.

High intake of saturated fats

High blood fats (hyperlipidaemia) and high blood cholesterol (hypercholesterolaemia) often accompany and may contribute to fatty liver disease.

It is important to get these blood levels under control, by making the major proportion of fats in your diet unsaturated – i.e. either poly- or monounsaturated fats. Saturated fats have been shown to increase fat and cholesterolin the blood and should therefore be avoided.

11.

High calorie intake/being overweight

Obesity is the most common cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Consuming too many total kilojoules (from fat, carbohydrate or protein) will cause weight gain.

Being overweight is associated with high levels of blood fats, insulin resistance and diabetes, all of which are factors in fatty liver disease.

12.

High salt intake

A diet high in salt can increase your blood pressure, which can contribute to fatty liver disease. Try to limit your salt intake and use medication if required to get your blood pressure under control.

Last updated July 2016

Other factors that are bad for the liver:   

Starvation/protein malnutrition Rapid weight loss Diabetes

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Our thanks to Hepatitis Australia and Dr Jill Benson for this factsheet.

For more information, call Hepatitis SA on 1800 437 222.

Last updated July 2016