10 Foods That Are Bad for Your Liver — and Options That Can Reverse the Damage

Your liver is one of the hardest working organs in your body. It helps with digestion, stores nutrients, filters toxins, and supports your immune system. But what you eat can affect how well it works. 

Some foods can overload your liver and raise the risk of liver disease — while others can help heal it. We’ll review which foods may be harmful to your liver, and what the science says about the most important dietary dos and don’ts. 

What foods are bad for your liver?

Some foods can stress your liver — especially if they lead to fat buildup in the liver. This can raise your risk for fatty liver disease, now called metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and previously known as NAFLD, for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In some people, it can progress to inflammation and scarring, known as metabolic dysfunction steatohepatitis (MASH) — this used to be called NASH, for nonalcoholic associated steatohepatitis.

The good news: Diet changes can help stop or even reverse fat buildup. Here are some foods to limit for better liver health. 

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. 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.

Other restaurant food isn’t off the hook, either. Restaurant food tends to contain more sugar, salt, and fat than your liver can handle.

2. Ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods have been preserved, changed, or refined well beyond their natural form. To spot ultra-processed foods, check the list of ingredients. If there are a lot of chemical names that are hard to pronounce, it’s heavily processed. 

That means the liver has to process these additives and preservatives on top of the sugar, salt, and fat that’s in the food. Eating too many ultra-processed foods is linked to fat buildup in the liver. 

Common ultra-processed foods include:

• Packaged cakes, cookies, and sweets

• Chips and other snack foods

• Packaged breakfast bars, rolls, and buns

• Ready-to-eat, microwavable, and instant foods

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3. Sweetened foods

Another way to support liver health might be limiting foods with added sugar. When the body has to work hard to process these extra sugars, it puts stress on the liver. It can also lead to weight gain, which is a risk factor for fatty liver disease.

It helps to know how to identify added sugars on a nutrition label. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that fewer than 10% of your daily calories come from added sugars — but many packaged and processed foods contain more than that in just one serving.

The names of added sugars you might see on a list of ingredients include: 

• Corn syrup

• High-fructose corn syrup

• Dextrose, fructose, sucrose, glucose, lactose, or maltose

• Brown sugar or raw sugar

• Fruit nectars

• Honey, maple syrup, or molasses

• Cane juice or malt syrup

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4. Sugary drinks

Drinks with added sugar are bad for the liver for the same reason as sweetened foods. But sweetened drinks come with an extra risk: You won’t feel full as fast. So, it’s easy to drink a lot more sugar than your body needs. 

Studies have shown that the more sugar-sweetened beverages you drink, the higher your risk for MAFLD. Popular drinks that often include a lot of added sugar include:

• Regular soda (not diet or sugar-free)

• Sports drinks

• Sweetened coffee or tea drinks

• Energy drinks

• Fruit drinks

• Sweetened water

5. Artificial sweeteners

If sweetened foods and drinks are too sugary, are diet or sugar-free items the solution? Unfortunately, the answer is probably not.

Artificial sweeteners don’t provide extra calories. But studies on their risk for MAFLD have had mixed results so far. Some show that these sugar substitutes may negatively affect the healthy bacteria that lives in your gut, which can lead to fat buildup in the liver. 

In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended against the use of artificial sweeteners as a way to lose weight. The WHO also noted that there may be harmful effects when using them over time. Until more is known, it’s best to limit your intake.

Common artificial sweeteners include:

• Aspartame

• Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K)

• Sucralose

• Neotame

• Advantame

• Saccharin

6. Refined grains

Refined grains are processed to change their texture, appearance, or taste. Foods made with refined grains also have a longer shelf life. But fiber and important vitamins and minerals are removed during the refining process. 

When you eat refined grains, versus whole grains, your blood sugar goes up faster. You also might eat more because you don’t feel as full. These factors can increase the risk for fat deposits and inflammation in the liver. 

Common foods made with refined grains include:

• White bread

• Cakes, muffins, and pastries

• Corn grits

• White rice

• Flour tortillas

• Foods made with white or all-purpose flour

7. Red meat and processed meats

Red meat and processed meats are high in saturated fat. Eating a lot of these foods is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and risk of fat in the liver. They’re also associated with some forms of cancer, especially colorectal cancer.

Foods in these categories include:

• Beef, lamb, and pork

• Organ meat

• Hot dogs and sausages

• Bacon

• Lunch meats

8. Alcohol

Drinking excess alcohol can also cause liver damage. Alcohol-associated liver disease is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. Drinking alcohol regularly for years can increase the risk of fat deposits in the liver, scarring and inflammation, and liver cancer. 

And drinking too much along with eating the foods mentioned above can speed up the damage. 

You are at a higher risk for liver disease if you consume the following: 

• For men: more than 14 drinks per week, or more than 4 drinks at a time

• For women: more than 7 drinks per week, or more than 3 drinks at a time

• For people over 65 years: more than 7 drinks per week, or 3 drinks at a time

9. Fried foods

Fried foods are high in saturated and trans fat. Frying foods doesn’t just change the textures and taste — it changes the nutritional content of the food. 

Eating fried foods is also linked to an increased risk for fat buildup in the liver. People who eat more fried foods are more likely to be diagnosed with MAFLD. 

If you love the crispy texture of fried foods but want to be mindful of liver health, try making these changes:

• Use an air fryer.

• Bake on high temperatures.

• Fry foods in unsaturated fats like olive oil.

10. Salty foods

Salty foods may not seem like a liver concern, but research also shows a link between high salt intake and liver disease. People who regularly add extra salt to their food are more likely to develop fat buildup in the liver. Salty foods are also linked to conditions such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. 

Lowering your salt intake can boost your heart health as well. Try reaching for other salt alternatives — like garlic or lemon zest. And learn to read nutrition labels carefully to lower the amount of sodium you consume from packaged foods. 

Why are certain foods bad for your liver?

What you eat affects your liver health in several 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.

Also, as discussed above, certain foods can lead to fat buildup in the liver, or MAFLD. This form of liver disease often occurs with other conditions like:

• High blood sugar (prediabetes and diabetes)

• Metabolic syndrome

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol 

Some people with MAFLD develop more severe complications from it, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). That’s when fat builds up in the liver over time and leads to inflammation. When MASH gets worse, the liver can develop scar tissue, known as cirrhosis. Sometimes, cancer develops in the liver, too. 

Can food help you reverse liver damage?

Yes, some foods can help reverse liver damage from fatty liver. And healthy nutrition may help stop the progression of more severe liver disease. The Mediterranean diet is a good place to start. Despite the name, this approach to eating can be applied to a wide variety of foods and preferences. Some of the liver-healthy elements of this way of eating include:

• Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables

• Fish

• Nuts (including peanut butter)

• Olive oil

• Whole grains

• Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)

Drinking certain beverages — including coffee, green tea, and lemon juice — benefit the liver. And drinking plenty of water helps your body’s metabolism, which will cause less fat to settle in the liver.

Supplements for fatty liver

Certain herbs, spices, and supplements may also help to slow or reverse liver disease. The supplements that have the strongest evidence supporting liver health are: 

• Milk thistle: A large review study found that taking milk thistle may be good for your liver. Taking milk thistle lowered signs of liver inflammation in people with fat buildup in the liver. 

• Turmeric: Turmeric might be especially helpful for liver health when you take it with black pepper.

• Korean ginseng: Some clinical studies suggest it may be helpful for people with chronic liver disease.  

• Probiotics: Probiotics are often used to improve gut health. They may also help lower liver inflammation in people with fatty liver disease.

Even natural foods and supplements can interact with some medications, and some may not be right for people with certain health conditions. Talk with a healthcare professional before taking supplements or adding large amounts of herbs or spices to your diet.

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Written by:

Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH

Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH has been a board-certified family physician since 1999. She worked as a full-scope family physician (inpatient, outpatient, obstetrics, and office procedures) in the Cook County Ambulatory Health Network for 15 years.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician in a variety of clinical settings. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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