Live healthy with liver health
Your liver is a vital organ in your body that helps to keep your digestive system running smoothly. However, it is often overlooked because it is not something that most people consider. What does the liver really do? And, if it’s so important, how do we look after it?
Roles of your liver
The liver is your body’s processor. Here are some of its functions:
- Transforming food into chemicals and nutrients that your body can absorb
- Storing nutrients such as glucose from food to give you energy
- Cleaning your blood by getting rid of harmful chemicals produced by your body
- Breaking down medications, drugs, and alcohol
- Forming proteins that help your body fight against infection and diseases
How to protect your liver
1. Keeping active and maintaining a healthy weight
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to have a fatty liver, which can lead to other liver disorders like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Maintaining a good weight will assist in lowering this risk.
Regular exercise also helps to maintain your weight and to decrease the stress that you place on your liver. In addition, regular exercise can increase your energy level and maintain your weight which reduces the risk of NAFLD and other liver diseases.
2. Put away that bottle of beer
Just a tiny amount of alcohol can be broken down by the liver every hour. As a result, heavy alcohol consumption will damage the liver cells and cause scarring. Aside from that, alcoholic drinks will cause a slew of other health issues. Consume in moderation!
3. Seek professional advice on medication
Although certain supplements such as those containing Milk Thistle are beneficial to your liver, others may damage your liver if taken inappropriately.
Consuming too much of a single drug, mixing drugs with alcohol, or mixing the medicines will all damage the liver. If you take too many pain relievers such as Tylenol, you can also damage your liver. Furthermore, some conventional medicines or treatments may contain toxins that damage the health of your liver. So, if you’re doing any over-the-counter medications, vitamins, or other herbal treatments, be sure to ask your doctor for advice.
4. Eat well
A well-balanced diet and proper nutrition will help to keep the liver healthy.
- Have lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet for a liver-nourishing diet. Fibre is essential for liver health and can be found in fresh fruits and dark green leafy vegetables.
- Limit the intake to refined, high-fat, and high-calorie foods. Low-fat alternatives or “good” fats including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are preferable.
- Drink plenty of water
The Bottom-line
The liver is an important organ in the body. Taking care of the liver entails more than just avoiding things that are bad for you. It also entails deliberately eating food or doing activities that are beneficial to the liver. To live healthy, make sure your liver is healthy!