Is Liver Good for High Blood Pressure? (Expert Answer)

Short Answer: Liver is good and bad for high blood pressure. Because it has potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, iron, cholesterol, and sodium and they can lower or raise blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a condition that affects your heart and blood vessels.

In high blood pressure, your blood exerts too much force against the walls of your arteries.

This can lead to various health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and vision loss.

One of the key factors in managing high blood pressure is diet.

What you consume can affect your blood pressure, which can impact your heart health and overall health.

To effectively manage high blood pressure, you should consume potassium-rich foods like bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes and avoid sodium-rich foods like processed meats, canned soups, and salty snacks.

Now, liver is an organ meat that comes from the body’s largest internal organ.

People usually eat liver fried, baked, or grilled, often with onions or other seasonings.

Liver is good and bad for high blood pressure because it contains both beneficial and harmful nutrients.

It depends on the type and amount of liver you consume.

A 100-gram serving of liver can give you:

20% of your daily potassium needs, which can help lower blood pressure.

338% of your daily vitamin A needs, which can protect your eyes.

1176% of your daily vitamin B12 needs, which can support red blood cell production.

36% of your daily iron needs, which can prevent anemia.

419% of your daily cholesterol needs, which can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke.

2% of your daily sodium needs, which can increase blood pressure
Potassium can lower blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels and balancing the effects of sodium.

Vitamin A can protect your eyes from damage caused by high blood pressure.

Vitamin B12 and iron can prevent anemia, which can worsen high blood pressure.

However, cholesterol can raise blood pressure by clogging the arteries and making them less flexible.

Sodium can raise blood pressure by causing the body to retain water and increasing the blood volume.

Furthermore, liver is an animal product and animal products are bad for high blood pressure.

Because, they are high in saturated fat, which can increase cholesterol and inflammation.

That’s why I suggest you limit your liver intake to avoid the possible complications.

Stick to one serving of liver per week to minimize the cholesterol and sodium intake.

Also, you shouldn’t eat liver if you have high blood pressure and diabetes to prevent vitamin A toxicity.

Because, vitamin A can interfere with blood sugar control and cause liver damage.

You can buy fresh liver in your local market or can order it from online.

Always choose organic, grass-fed, and hormone-free liver.

Because, they are less likely to contain toxins, antibiotics, and hormones.

You can store them in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to four months.

Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing high blood pressure effectively.

I always recommend my high blood pressure patients to follow a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.

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About the Author

Abdur Rahman Choudhury

Abdur Rahman Choudhury is a nutritionist in West Bengal, India, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biochemistry.

He has done his diploma in nutrition from Fabulous Body Inc (US), and completed various certification courses from several universities. He also has considerable research experience in PCOS.

Abdur currently lives in India and keeps fit by weight training and eating mainly home-cooked meals.

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