Onions: Unexpected threat to liver health revealed

The liver is one of the vital internal organs. Its proper functioning is crucial for the entire body's health. Regular alcohol consumption, improper eating habits, and the use of certain medications can seriously damage it. Interestingly, even one of the healthiest vegetables can hurt the liver, but only under specific circumstances. What is this vegetable?

Most of us are undoubtedly aware that regular, excessive alcohol consumption leads to the gradual destruction of the liver. This can result in alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis, or cirrhosis.

The last mentioned condition, cirrhosis of the liver, is an advanced stage of liver damage that develops as a result of long-term alcoholism. In this state, healthy liver cells are replaced by scar tissue. Cirrhosis of the liver is irreversible and can lead to serious complications: portal hypertension, bleeding from oesophageal varices, and even hepatocellular carcinoma.

Maintaining proper dietary principles is key in preventing liver diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid or significantly limit the consumption of certain products. These include high-salt content foods, fatty and fried dishes, highly processed food, sweets, fast food, sugary drinks, and carbonated and diet beverages.

It turns out that we can add onions to this list. This popular vegetable, often referred to as a natural antibiotic, contains nutrients such as vitamins A, C, E, K, and B vitamins, iron, calcium, zinc, silicon, selenium, magnesium, and dietary fibre. These valuable substances give onions antibacterial, diuretic, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Unfortunately, even such a healthy product as onions can harm the liver. They stimulate the digestive system and prompt the liver to produce bile. Excessive digestive activity and an excess of bile can burden this critical organ. Therefore, people with liver problems should limit their consumption of onions.

Of course, this does not apply to people who do not have such health issues. Healthy individuals should regularly consume onions to benefit from their flavour and health-promoting properties.