Foods to eat more of for a healthy liver (and what to limit)

The liver performs over 500 essential functions, external from energy production and fat digestion to nutrient absorption – it's an unsung hero of our health.

While genetics and immunity issues play a role in some liver conditions, lifestyle choices can also significantly impact your liver's health.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is one way to keep our livers healthy and help prevent and manage fatty liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), external, which includes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), external .

Unsaturated fats

Swapping saturated fats for unsaturated fats such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, avocados, nuts, seeds and oily fish may be good for your liver. Their anti-inflammatory effects, external can help reduce liver inflammation, external, which is linked to conditions like MASLD.

Try drizzling olive oil on salads, adding avocado to sandwiches, snacking on nuts, sprinkling seeds on yoghurt, or cooking oily fish for dinner.

Fruit and vegetables

Most of us need to eat more fruit and vegetables – at least five portions a day, external.

They're rich in dietary fibre, which may reduce inflammation and decrease fat accumulation in the liver. They're also packed with antioxidants that can decrease oxidative stress damage to the liver.

Recent research, external also showed that eating more fruits and veg is linked with reduced likelihood of developing fatty liver disease.

Pop berries in porridge or use Dr Rupy's "just one more" method for adding more veg into mealtimes.

Wholegrains

Rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, wholegrains – such as oats, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, bread and noodles – may also help improve liver function and reduce inflammation.

Eating more wholegrains has been associated with a lower risk of chronic liver disease, external.

Coffee

There's some evidence that coffee (including decaf) has positive effects on the liver, external.

Compounds in the coffee, including polyphenols, are thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that may help reduce liver fat and lower the risk of fibrosis and liver cancer.

But we need more research to understand the link. It is also important to be mindful of caffeinated coffee intake as too much can increase blood pressure, external.

There are some ingredients that can work against our liver if eaten too often…

Saturated fats

Eating too much saturated fat, which is found in butter and full-fat dairy products, palm and coconut oil, fatty and processed meats, and pastries, cakes and biscuits – can affect how the liver handles cholesterol, leading to a build-up.

Research suggests that diets rich in saturated fats can increase liver fat, contributing to fatty liver disease, external more than diets enriched with mono- or poly-unsaturated fats.

And, excessive amounts of saturated fat may also increase the production of ceramides, external, which are linked to liver inflammation.

You don't have to avoid them altogether though. The key is moderation – enjoying these foods less often and in smaller amounts can help keep your liver healthy.

Free sugars

Studies show that eating too many 'free sugars', external can lead to increased fat in the liver.

Free sugars are any sugar added to food or drinks, such as those in flavoured yoghurts, some breakfast cereals and fizzy drinks. Sugars in honey, syrups, unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies also count.

The NHS recommends that free sugars shouldn't make up more than 5% of the energy or calories, external we get from food and drink each day.

Alcohol

When we drink, the liver breaks down alcohol to remove it from the body, and some liver cells are damaged or destroyed, external.

The liver can create new cells, but regular, heavy drinking can make this difficult, leading to liver damage.

Even drinking a lot of alcohol over just a few days can result in a build-up of fats in the liver. And, over time, excessive drinking can lead to serious conditions such as alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), external and alcoholic hepatitis.

The NHS suggests, external we keep alcohol intake to no more than 14 units per week. and that we include several alcohol-free days, rather than 'saving up units' and drinking them in one go.

If you have concerns about your drinking habits, speak to your GP or access support services. Also, if you have any liver-related issues, please speak to your GP for tailored health advice.

Originally published February 2025. Updated March 2026.

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