A Taco Filling Your Liver Will Love

Tacos -- quick and easy, and a treat for your liver if you skip the ground beef and use this filling instead: winter squash.

Yep, not only do butternut and acorn squash make a hearty, healthful taco base, but new research suggests that this kind of ingredient swap -- trading high-cholesterol foods for healthy carbs -- could mean less risk of liver disease, too.

Liver-Lovin' Diet
In a 13-year study, people who ate a high-carb diet were far less likely to develop liver cancer or cirrhosis compared with the people who ate a high-protein, high-cholesterol diet. More research is needed to confirm the study's findings, but we already know that high-cholesterol diets are problematic for many other reasons. So upping your intake of healthy carbs -- like high-fiber veggies -- while slashing dietary cholesterol is pretty much a no-brainer. Ready to go meatless with your tacos? Try this Bean and Butternut Tacos with Green Salsa recipe.

Cholesterol Concerns
The new research doesn't mean you should load up on just any old starch. Healthy carbs are where it's at if you want to keep your weight in check. And you want to. You really, really want to. People in the study who ate too much cholesterol and also were overweight or obese fared the worst in terms of liver health. So start getting creative in your efforts to eat less red meat. Here's some excellent advice on how to do it.

Give your liver the love it deserves with these four additional tips from the YOU Docs.