6 things you must know to protect your liver

Are you aware of the fact that the medicines you take, the fluids you drink and the type of food you eat impact your liver’s health? Do you know liver performs hormonal & blood sugar regulation, energy storage, enzyme secretions, bile production, blood filtration, toxins removal and blood protein synthesis functions? Considering the functions the liver performs in the body, do you think you must keep it in good shape? It becomes quite difficult to keep a track of liver’s health or keep liver in good shape unless you know what does taking care of liver means in real terms. Is it eating good or avoiding bad or something else? Let us find out by reading the following paragraphs:

Pain killers, Medicines and Liver Health

The pain killers like acetaminophen and excess dosage of paracetamol taken over time or at once can be toxic to your liver. Therefore, you should avoid excess usage of cold medicines and other pain killers to be on safer side or else consult your physician regarding their usage and risk factors and about the dosing like which dose is safe for your liver. Monitoring of Liver function test is of paramount if you happen to be on any long term medication with potential liver related side-effects.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Have you ever paid attention to your weight? If not, then start taking care of your weight before it takes control of your health in the form of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which is a common problem in overweight people and those who eat unhealthy food. The other conditions that may lead to NAFLD include excess fat in the blood and diabetes. Healthy eating habits and diet, regular exercise and weight control measures ensure healthy liver.

Alcohol and Your Liver Health

Anything in excess is really harmful and particularly alcohol beyond the recommended limit creates havoc in your liver. If you really love your liver, then keep an eye on your drinking habit and lifestyle. It is a well-known fact that alcohol in excess is really bad for your liver’s health and in moderation under permissible limits, it is not harmful though. Alcohol beyond permissible normal limits damages the liver cells and causes cirrhosis of the liver. Moderate alcohol use includes daily two drinks for men and one for women. To help protect your liver’s health, you should not cross this limit. The alcohol safe limit for adult male is 27 units per week, females 14 to 21 units per week. If you have fatty liver disease, then you should not drink more than14 units of alcohol per week.

Note: 1 unit of alcohol is equal to 10 millilitres.

Hepatitis

Knowledge about hepatitis is very important because you can have it for years without being aware of it. Untreated hepatitis may lead to liver cirrhosis, cancer and liver failure as well. Hepatitis B and C are very infectious and deadly as they can cause liver failure. They usually transmit through blood and body fluid. Sharing needles, toothbrushes, blades and blood transfusion and unprotected sex may lead to the spread of hepatitis B and C, whereas hepatitis A usually transmits through contaminated water and food with the bacteria present in feces. The best way to prevent hepatitis B is to get the vaccination done. If you suspect hepatitis, then immediately consult your doctor.

Other Compounds and Chemicals

Some chemicals in deo-sprays, aerosol-based products, insecticides, pesticides, antibiotics, cleaning products, disinfectants, chemical additives in paints, tobacco-based products including cigarettes contain toxins that are capable of damaging liver cells. Therefore, don’t be in direct contact with such chemicals.

Herbal Supplements

Don’t assume that all herbal supplements and medicines are safe and come with no side effects. Like the approval process of all medicines, the dietary supplements or herbal combinations are not subjected to stringent processes and therefore pose threats to liver’s health. There are some herbs like comfrey, ephedra, cascara, kava kava and chaparral that have caused liver problems and harmed the liver. Don’t take any herbal medications for undiagnosed liver problems as there may be more than one cause for jaundice. Even if you find some products claiming high to restore liver health be careful to assure that the claims have been proven through research and scientific studies or else discard the product.

Therefore, in a nutshell, just remember one thing: know more about the things that are bad for your liver’s health and avoid taking them and nourish your liver with the beneficial food stuff like fresh organic fruits and vegetables. You simply can’t ignore liver anymore after reading the above paragraphs because you have understood that liver is a very important organ and it is not something without which you can survive. If you do not take care of your liver, its health would be at stake. Liver is a key player in your digestive system, so take care of your liver to ensure healthy you.