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Gastroenterologist shares 7 healthy snacks that protect your liver: Lime with watermelon to kimchi with sweet potato

Updated on: May 31, 2025, 13:00:31 IST
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Eating lime with watermelon helps the liver manage oxidative stress and maintain healthy blood flow. (Freepik)
Eating lime with watermelon helps the liver manage oxidative stress and maintain healthy blood flow. (Freepik)

To protect your liver, Dr Joseph Salhab, a gastroenterologist, recommends foods like lime with watermelon, kimchi with sweet potato, and more. 

A good liver enhances the quality of your life. Therefore, it becomes important that we include everyday steps into our routine that can boost liver health, as it has several important functions in our body, cleaning toxins out of blood, making bile to digest food, and more.

Also read | Doctor shares why cranberry juice is the next big thing to improve your gut health

A simple way to ensure good liver health is through nutrition. According to Dr Joseph Salhab, a gastroenterologist, you can have snacks to protect your liver. On April 30, he shared 7 snack options - a combination of foods that are easily available - that can boost the health of your liver.

Snacks to protect your liver

According to Dr Salhab, there are a few food combinations that work to boost your liver health. He also shared the reasons why these snacking options are beneficial. Let's find out the gastroenterologist's recommendations:

Combine these foods for liver health. Here’s why:

1. Lime plus watermelon

High in citrulline, antioxidants, and vitamin C, lime and watermelon help the liver manage oxidative stress and maintain healthy blood flow.

2. Sourdough plus avocado

According to the gastroenterologist, eating sourdough with avocado combines gut-friendly fermentation and healthy fats, improving the way the liver handles sugar and stores fat.

3. Kimchi plus sweet potato

A combination of kimchi and sweet potato pairs probiotics and resistant starch to strengthen the gut-liver connection and lower the risk of fat buildup in the liver.

4. Walnuts plus almonds

Explaining why you should eat walnuts with almonds, Dr Salhab wrote, “Packed with omega-3 fats and vitamin E, both proven to lower liver fat and protect liver cells from oxidative damage.”

5. Dark chocolate plus berries

A powerful source of flavonoids, dark chocolate and berries help the liver resist scarring and maintain healthy blood vessels.

6. Kiwi plus Greek yoghurt

Eating kiwi with Greek yoghurt boosts vitamin C, potassium, and probiotics, which are all critical for keeping liver metabolism and energy production running strong, per the gastroenterologist.

7. Apples plus cinnamon

Lastly, he recommended eating apples with cinnamon. He said, “Apples are packed with fibre and antioxidants shown to protect against liver fat buildup, while cinnamon provides anti-inflammatory compounds that support liver resilience.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

  • Krishna Pallavi Priya
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Krishna Pallavi Priya

    Krishna Priya Pallavi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience, covering health, fashion, pop culture, travel, wellness, entertainment, festivals, mental health, art, decor, fitness, and sex and relationships. She is an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, and holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. Her strong academic foundation informs her analytical and detail-oriented approach to storytelling, helping her uncover stories where none seem to exist. Before joining Hindustan Times, Pallavi worked with some of India’s leading media organisations. She spent close to three years at India Today, where she honed her newsroom skills and developed a sharp editorial sensibility. She also worked for over a year and a half at Vagabomb, ScoopWhoop’s feminist digital platform, where she explored stories through a gender-sensitive, socially aware lens. Pallavi has a deep interest in global fashion trends and international fashion seasons, and enjoys interviewing celebrities and tracking pop culture movements—interests that frequently translate into engaging, reader-friendly stories. Alongside lifestyle and entertainment, she has a keen eye for impactful health and wellness journalism, regularly interacting with doctors, designers, and digital content creators to bring nuance and credibility to her work. Born and raised in Haryana, Pallavi remains deeply connected to her ancestral roots in Odisha. Her ability to spot fresh angles brings curiosity and depth to stories she pursues. When not chasing deadlines, she enjoys spending time with her dog, planning her next vacation, reading, running new trails, and discovering new destinations.Read More

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