8 Foods That Are Bad for Your Liver — And Options That Can Reverse the Damage

Written by Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH | Reviewed by Katie E. Golden, MD

Published on April 1, 2024print_outlinedemail_outlined

Key takeaways:

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) happens when too much fat builds up in the liver and damages it. Eating certain kinds of food can increase the risk of developing NAFLD.
Foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt put extra stress on the liver. Fast food, packaged foods, and processed foods tend to contain a lot of these elements.
Other kinds of food can prevent or slow down liver damage. Sometimes a healthy diet can even reverse it.

Food and the liver

Bad foods

Reversing damage

Bottom line

References

Woman buying meat in a supermarket. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

Your liver works together with every organ and system in your body. A healthy liver is important for digestion. It stores needed vitamins and minerals. Your liver keeps cholesterol levels in check and filters toxins from the blood. It even supports a strong immune system.

It turns out that what you eat has a big effect on how well your liver works for you. So, if you’re concerned about your liver health, it helps to know the most important dietary do’s and don’ts.

Why are certain foods bad for your liver?

What you eat affects your liver health in two ways. First, consuming too many calories can lead to excess weight. And extra weight — especially around the middle — is a risk factor for conditions, like metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes, which put extra stress on your liver.

Second, eating too much of certain kinds of food stresses your liver even faster. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is when too much fat builds up in the liver. It’s sometimes also called metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). That’s because it’s a form of liver disease that occurs with other conditions like:

High blood sugar (prediabetes and diabetes)
Metabolic syndrome
High blood pressure
High cholesterol

Some people have genes that make them more likely to have NAFLD or complications from it, such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). That’s when fat builds up in the liver over time and leads to inflammation. When NASH gets worse, the liver can develop scar tissue, known as cirrhosis. Sometimes, cancer develops in the liver, too.

You can’t change your genes. But changes in your diet — even small ones — can help keep your liver healthy.

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What foods are bad for your liver?

A nutritious diet is the best way to keep your liver in great shape. Even if you’ve already developed NAFLD or NASH, good nutrition can keep those conditions from getting worse. It can even reverse them.

Let’s start by taking a look at foods that stress the liver. When deciding what to eat, here are eight types of food to keep to a minimum.

1. Fast food

It’s quick, it’s cheap, and sometimes you really crave it. While fast food isn’t an absolute no-no, most people in the U.S. eat too much of it. And other restaurant food isn’t off the hook, either.

Restaurant food tends to contain more sugar, salt, and fat than your liver can handle. A 2023 study found that people who eat fast food for 20% or more of their meals collect too much fat in their liver. And the damage is worse for people who have diabetes or carry excess weight.

2. Ultra-processed foods

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