Unfortunately, there is no type of alcohol that is easier on your liver. Overall, the amount you drink is what matters. At the end of the day, the damaging ingredient in alcohol is "ethanol" and all alcoholic drinks contain it.
With Just 2 Glasses, You Can Still Have Fun: Sipping your drinks slowly will help you drink less. Keep your alcohol consumption down to 2 glasses per event. This way, you'll prevent liver damage while still enjoying yourself.
According to a new study published in Oxford's Alcohol and Alcoholism journal, scientists discovered that hoppy beer is significantly less harmful to the liver than liquor and even beer without hops.
"Alcohol is the worst drink for your liver as it makes it harder on the liver to break down and remove toxins from the body," says Minerva Valencia, RD.
Therefore, drinking five cans of beer and 5 shots of vodka will put the same amount of alcohol-related pressure on your liver. Despite the volume of fluid from five cans of beer being a lot more than five shots. In summary: There is no type of alcohol that is easier on your liver.
Research shows that people who drink a lot of soft drinks are more likely to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Studies don't prove that the drinks were the cause. But if you down a lot of sodas and have been meaning to cut back, this could be a good reason to switch what you sip.
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Eat a well-balanced diet every day. That's five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables, along with fiber from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Be sure to include protein for the enzymes that help your body detox naturally.
Alcohol isn't a healthy choice in general, but some alcohol is better for you than others. Red wine, whiskey, tequila, and hard kombucha are healthier options than beer and sugary drinks. The CDC recommends you limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day if you're male and 1 if you're female.
Remove Toxic and Inflammatory Foods
Water and diet are the first places to start detoxing your liver. Caffeine, alcohol, processed foods with refined sugar, unhealthy fats, additives, and preservatives do the opposite of detoxing your liver. You should also remove inflammatory foods such as gluten and dairy.
Eat high potassium foods: Potassium helps to cleanse the liver, so loading up on potassium-rich foods is key. Some of these foods include sweet potatoes, spinach, avocados, wild-caught salmon, bananas, and white beans.
The liver can develop new cells, but prolonged alcohol misuse (drinking too much) over many years can reduce its ability to regenerate.
It is estimated that alcohol-related fatty liver disease develops in 90% of people who drink more than 40g of alcohol (or four units) per day. That's roughly the equivalent of two medium (175ml) glasses of 12% ABV wine, or less than two pints of regular strength (4% ABV) beer.
Moderate alcohol use for healthy adults generally means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men. Examples of one drink include: Beer: 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters) Wine: 5 fluid ounces (148 milliliters)
#4 Healthiest Alcoholic Drink: Rum, Gin, Scotch, Whiskey, or Tequila Neat. Any hard spirits without added sugary mixers are inherently low in calories and sugar and are, therefore, a good option for alcoholic drinks on a diet.
Many citrus fruits, including lemon, can be added to water to help stimulate and flush out the liver.
Advocates claim that conducting a cleanse with apple cider vinegar helps to flush toxins from the body, regulate blood sugar levels, and encourage healthy weight loss, all of which can improve liver health. However, there's little scientific support for these claims.
Curcumin is the main ingredient in turmeric, an active ingredient that can eliminate leptin's effects, which is the main cause of cirrhosis. In addition, turmeric also aids bile production, which supports the liver detoxification process and prevents fat build-up in the body while restoring liver function.
The Bottom Line
If you do drink alcohol, do so in moderation, and keep fried foods, processed meats and added sugar to a minimum.
As the liver becomes more severely damaged, more obvious and serious symptoms can develop, such as: yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice) swelling in the legs, ankles and feet caused by a build-up of fluid (oedema) swelling in your abdomen caused by a build-up of fluid known as ascites.