Food, Toxins and Chemicals: What’s Bad for Your Liver?

Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body. It plays a critical role in digestion, toxin elimination and energy storage. Unfortunately, habits like heavy alcohol consumption and smoking are some of the main causes of liver damage and liver cancer.

Your daily routine might put you at risk for liver disease. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear before taking care of your liver health. Here are some foods bad for your liver health, and chemicals that can increase your liver cancer risk.

Fast food & high-sugar drinks

Having fast food regularly (defined as over 20% of your total calorie intake) has been associated with fatty build-up in the liver, especially for those already facing obesity or diabetes. High-sugar drinks are also another common factor linked to fatty build-up in the liver.

This can increase the risk of fatty liver disease, which may eventually damage the liver through extensive scarring (also known as cirrhosis). Cirrhosis is a disease in whereby damaged liver cells are replaced by scar tissue. Those with cirrhosis have a higher risk of liver cancer.

Alcohol

Heavy drinking on a regular basis leads to liver damage, which in turn increases your liver cancer risk. When alcohol is broken down by the body, the resulting product, acetaldehyde, can damage the DNA of liver cells. This disrupts cell division and potentially causes the development of cancer.

Out of 850,000 liver cancer cases diagnosed annually, about 30% can be attributed to alcohol consumption. The risk of liver cancer also increases for those with hepatitis B or C infections.

Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by fungi (specifically, the Aspergillus species), commonly found growing on corn or peanut crops. People can be exposed to aflatoxins by consuming contaminated plant products, such as corn or peanuts, or by eating meat and dairy products from animals that have ingested contaminated feed.

Those exposed to aflatoxins over a long period of time tend to have a higher risk of liver cancer. Notably, people with hepatitis B who eat foods with high aflatoxin levels also face a higher risk of liver cancer. However, probiotics, leafy greens and some supplements (e.g., milk thistle) can help reverse the effects of aflatoxins on your body.

Betel nuts

The betel nut is a palm fruit originating from the Philippines that’s well-known for the practice of betel nut chewing. This practice dates back thousands of years, and is known to be addictive due to the presence of stimulants (e.g., arecoline).

The stimulant effects of betel nut chewing improve alertness and bring about feelings of mild euphoria and relaxation. However, betel nuts contain nitrosamines, organic compounds that can damage the DNA in liver cells. There is evidence that people who chew betel nuts have an increased risk of liver cancer.

Steroids

Anabolic steroids are drugs that mimic male hormones like testosterone and may be used by athletes to build muscle or improve athletic performance. However, long-term use of anabolic steroids does have side effects. If used for too long, anabolic steroids have been associated with liver damage and a higher risk of liver cancer.

Vinyl chloride

Vinyl chloride is an important component in manufacturing polyvinyl chloride, a plastic known as PVC. While PVC is harmless and frequently used in your daily life, plastic manufacturer workers may be exposed to vinyl chloride in its carcinogenic form.

Arsenic

Arsenic is a heavy metal classified as a group 1 carcinogen. Arsenic exposure can occur through contaminated water, food, air, and tobacco smoke. The most common source of exposure is through leakage into groundwater, with high prevalence in Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Organic solvents

Organic solvents are substances that contain carbon and are used to help dissolve or disperse other substances. They are commonly used in paints, glues and cleaning agents. Manufacturing workers involved in handling these substances directly tend to be at higher risk of unhealthy exposure. The liver works to break down these substances, and an excess build-up of toxic metabolites can eventually cause liver damage. One example would be trichloroethylene, used in refrigerant manufacturing.

Pesticides

Some studies have found that excessive exposure to pesticides may increase the risk of liver cancer in agricultural workers. A common example is DDT, a widely used insecticide that has been banned in many countries for suspected toxicity to humans and damage to the environment.

Is Tylenol bad for your liver?

Tylenol, also known as acetaminophen or paracetamol, is known to be a well-tolerated painkiller. It’s widely available over the counter and commonly used to treat mild to moderate pain. Side effects are uncommon.

However, acetaminophen poisoning is still possible. If too much of the drug has been consumed, you may face severe liver damage. However, as long as you stick to the recommended dosage on your medication label, it’s unlikely you will face any issues.

Is ibuprofen bad for your liver?

Liver damage due to ibuprofen is rare. Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that rarely affects the liver. While ibuprofen isn't usually a problem for the liver, it can cause kidney damage.

Is coffee bad for your liver?

Contrary to popular belief, coffee is actually good for your liver. In moderate amounts, drinking coffee can reduce your liver cancer risk and risk of liver damage. Still, other factors such as reducing alcohol consumption, avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle still play a role in protecting your liver health.

While new healthcare interventions (e.g., hepatitis B vaccination requirements) now reduce your chances of liver damage and liver cancer, it’s important to remain vigilant about your health. Avoiding lifestyle habits that may be detrimental to your liver will improve your quality of life, especially as you age.