
With our busy lifestyles, we rarely have time to consider the need to optimism our liver function, our second largest organ, that is responsible for so many vital functions connected to maintaining optimum health and wellbeing. We know that excessive consumption of alcohol has been connected the liver damage, yet less of us are aware of a new health condition referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a build-up of unhealthy fat in the liver, that is reported to affect a staggering 1 in 3 people in the UK, with the potential to lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis of the liver, and is associated with conditions like high blood pressure, kidney disease, and even diabetes.
The good news is, there may be a natural remedy to reverse this worrying trend. The secret lies in many cruciferous vegetables, in particular Brussel sprouts and digestive gut bacteria (bowel flora) that contain or produce a compound known as indole. Naturally occurring, indole is found in many common foodstuffs, from cabbage and kale through to cauliflower and Brussel sprouts and could be key in fighting the rising levels of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).