Talk about an organ-ic diet.
Dr. Joseph Salhab, also known as @thestomachdoc on TikTok, is revealing his six must-have foods for ultimate liver function — avocados, olive oil, oily fish, nuts, green tea and coffee.
The Florida-based gastroenterologist frequently shares the details of his diet with his 1.7 million TikTok followers to inspire them to adopt gut- and liver-friendly eating habits.
His latest roundup of healthy picks comes as new research emerges about non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the so-called “silent epidemic” that affects about one in four American adults.
As its name implies, NAFLD is marked by excess fat in the liver of people who consume little or no alcohol.
The primary cause is obesity, along with metabolic risk factors such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obstructive sleep apnea.
“If you have fatty liver disease, you’re always going to want to combine dietary changes with lifestyle changes like exercise at least four to five times a week, be at a healthy weight if you’re overweight, and avoiding liver toxins like alcohol,” Salhab advised.
Avocados
Salhab said that besides being a healthy source of fat and fiber, avocados contain “vitamin E, which we know is anti-inflammatory for the liver.”
Eating an avocado a day has also been linked to improved sleep quality and cardiovascular function and a decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes in women.
Olive oil
Olive oil, a staple of the much-lauded Mediterranean diet and sometimes called “liquid gold,” is the queen of fats. It is monounsaturated and packed with antioxidants and other healthy compounds.
The potential benefits of olive oil include reduced risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease and relief of constipation.
In addition to cooking with olive oil, Salhab suggests regularly using a drizzle as a topping, “By eating it like this, sometimes you’re able to preserve some of the more beneficial compounds within the olive oil that may get lost if it’s cooked,” he explained.
Oily fish
Salhab recommends two servings of oily fish, such as salmon or herring, per week.
His advice is echoed by Lauri Wright, a registered dietitian nutritionist and professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, who previously told Fox News, “Salmon is among the best choices for healthy fish; it’s high in omega-3s that help cardiovascular and brain health — and also high in protein.”
Wright also noted, “Research shows that omega-3 consumption decreases overall mortality from heart disease. Further, omega-3 provides a modest reduction in high blood pressure and a significant reduction in triglycerides.”
Nuts
Salhab recommends regular consumption of nuts like walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, cashews and pecans. He reports, “They’re a healthy source of unsaturated fat, but they also contain vitamin E, which we know is anti-inflammatory for the liver.”
Walnuts are good for the body and the mind. Researchers at the National Institute on Aging have found that eating them could help enhance memory in Alzheimer’s patients.
These nuts may also be good for the nuts, as research has linked eating walnuts to improved sperm quality.
Green tea
Salhab says the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of green and black tea make them a wonderful addition to a daily diet.
Tea leaves contain catechins, a type of polyphenol and flavonoid that protect our cells from damage as we age.
Tea leaves contain more catechins than other food and drinks, and green tea, which undergoes less processing from leaf to cup than other tea varieties, tends to retain its catechins. Among these catechins is EGCG, which fights inflammation and safeguards cells.
Coffee
Salhab drinks dirt water daily to protect against gallstones and fatty liver disease. He shares, “Coffee has been associated with better gut health, liver health, brain health and a decreased risk of liver cancer.”
A 2022 scientific review found that coffee stimulates the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone that plays a key role in digestion.
In an 2021 article published by the University of Chicago’s Steatotic Liver Disease Clinic, registered dietitian and nutritionist Annie Guinane recommends drinking up to three cups of java daily to protect the liver.