Liver health is incredibly important for everyone to keep up with. If the liver is not looked after properly then issues such as fatty liver disease, liver cancer, liver failure, and so on, can occur. It is important to keep your liver healthy and ensure that your liver function is always working to its optimal level to make sure your body keeps ticking over.
What Does the Liver Do?
Your liver has a few jobs it needs to do to ensure body health, for instance, it filters the blood in our bodies to remove the old blood cells and the toxins in our system, supporting our immune system.
Our liver plays a vital role in our digestive process by producing bile, a crucial fluid that aids in breaking down the food we consume. Additionally, it maintains our blood glucose levels and regulates blood clotting.
Given its pivotal functions, it’s imperative to safeguard our livers from diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which predominantly affects those struggling with obesity, and conditions like cirrhosis, where scar tissue replaces healthy liver cells. Additionally, liver tumors can also pose a risk of developing into cancer. If you notice any symptoms indicative of liver issues, seeking prompt medical attention is advised. Depending on the diagnosis, a doctor may prescribe necessary medications or refer you to a specialized treatment center, like Amethyst Radiotherapy (amethyst-radiotherapy.at), particularly if cancer is a concern.
How to Protect the Liver
There are quite a few ways that people can protect the liver from breaking down and causing medical issues down the road. From maintaining a healthy body weight by eating healthy fats and anti inflammatory foods, to practicing safe sex to ward off hepatitis B & hepatitis C which can have detrimental effects on the liver.
Eat & Drink Healthily
There are foods and beverages out there that will help the body ward off things such as liver disease and maintain excellent liver health. Too much alcohol and too much fat will cause a lot of issues in the liver.
It is important to stay away from foods that contain sugars and saturated fats like fried foods and instead go for foods that contain good fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are good providers of essential nutrients. A balanced diet is fundamental for a healthy liver.
Coffee
Drinking coffee has been shown to lower the risk of permanent liver damage in people who suffer from chronic liver disease. It has also been said to stop the risk of liver cancer and can reduce inflammation in the body. Some risk factors of liver disease come from a build up of fat and collagen which can be prevented when drinking coffee.
Blueberries & Cranberries
These berries both contain anthocyanins, also known as antioxidants. They can keep the liver healthy and helps protect it from liver damage if consumed consistently. It has also been shown, just like with coffee, that it can stop the growth of liver cancer, however, this has only been in a test tube so far and will need further study.
Olive Oil
Olive oil looks to be the best choice for healthy oil consumption as a small study on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD patients showed that a teaspoon a day helped with improving their liver enzymes. They also had better blood flow to the liver. Healthline delves into this study further if you want to read up more on the process.
Nuts
Nuts are high in fats as well as vitamin E which can help with a healthy heart and the liver too. It also apparently helps with a lower risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. There are more studies needed for this, but it looks to be quite promising.
Other Foods to Look at –
- Fatty Fish
- Spicy Food
- Beef Liver (in moderation)
- Oatmeal
- Wholegrains
- Green Tea Extract
- Vegetable Oils (still need looking into)
- Grapefruit Juice (medications can interact with this – a doctor will need to be consulted)
Maintain a Healthy Weight
An important part of liver health and defending again liver disease as well as saving liver cells from turning into scar tissue is to keep to a healthy weight.
Being overweight can be quite bad for liver health, and not just for the liver but the heart and blood too, so maintaining a healthy weight is not something to glance over.
Exercise regularly
A well adjusted diet has an important part to play but so does exercise. Making it a point to exercise regularly will promote liver health and have a myriad of other health benefits that are important to keep the liver and body healthy. For instance, exercising each day can reduce liver fat and manage chronic conditions.
Deal With Chronic Conditions
If you have a chronic condition, for instance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, or diabetes, then they have the potential to cause fatty liver disease. It is crucial that you keep them under control with medications prescribed by your doctor. If there are over the counter medicines that you are able to get, speak to your doctor first to see if they are allowed or available to you.
Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Too much alcohol in general is bad for you, it can affect a lot of organs in your body and make you have a higher risk of certain diseases. But in relation to your liver, it will destroy liver cells which will cause scarring.
If you think that you have an issue with alcohol and you find it hard to stop, you need to speak to your doctor and get referred to a specialist who can provide the right help and treatment to avoid these types of liver problems.
Safe Sex
To avoid liver damage, practicing safe sex is incredibly important. You are at risk of getting hepatitis B if you have unprotected sex. This type of disease is passed on through blood and other bodily fluids, so if you have hepatitis B or you are with someone who has it, protect yourself by wearing a condom and getting checked.
There are vaccines for hepatitis B and hepatitis A, but there are no vaccines for the hepatitis C virus, so you need to be vigilant and practice safe sex each time you sleep with someone.
Reduce Smoking
Smoking is not good for the body at all, and it has been linked to liver cancer, plus if you take any medications, it can enhance their bad effects on your liver. If you cannot completely stop, cut down bit by bit until you are practically down to nothing. Your liver health is important, don’t ruin it by breathing in toxic chemicals.
Use Your Medications Correctly
Whatever medications your doctor gives you, whether it is specifically for your liver, or for any other organ in your body, make sure that you take them properly. If you are taking over the counter medicines or dietary supplements, let your doctor know so they can check and see if they are okay.
Check Dietary Supplements
Supplements such as milk thistle have been labeled as a good way to detoxify and protect the liver, but they could interact with other drugs, so be careful. Liver injury can be brought on by supplements that can have extra ingredients in, so it’s important to be cautious.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has provided you with all you need to know about taking care of your liver health and being mindful of what you put in your body. We need to ensure that we are supporting our organs and doing what we can to maintain their health so they can keep us going.
