FIVE WAYS TO BOOST LIVER HEALTH

The liver is the largest solid organ in the body and the largest gland. The liver carries out over 500 essential tasks which help the human body. Its primary functions are:

• bile production and excretion
• Excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones and drugs
• metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates
• Enzyme activation
• Storage of glycogen, vitamins and minerals
• Synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin and clotting factors.

The importance of having a healthy liver cannot be overemphasized. You can live with only a part of your liver in case of damages but if the entire liver shuts down completely, a condition known as liver failure , you can survive for only a day or two at most before the failure may eventually result in death.
How do you prevent damage to your liver? It's simple; by having healthy lifestyle habits. Keep reading to find out five ways to keep your liver in optimal health food stop

WATCH YOUR WEIGHT

Obesity is associated with many health problems such as increased risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, degenerative disorders and most importantly liver diseases like non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, acute liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (the most frequent liver cancer subtype). This looks like scary information, as it should be, but the honest truth is being overweight can affect your liver health and in most cases your general well being.

EAT A BALANCED DIET

A balanced diet for your liver ought to come from all food groups . It should be rich in things like grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, beans, milk, etc. The liver is a vital organ for digesting food and filtering toxins from the blood, good nutrition is important to prevent liver damage and slow down the progress of existing liver disease.
Eating many foods that are high in saturated fat is also unacceptable. It can make it harder for your liver to do its job. This may lead to inflammation over time which could cause cirrhosis (scarring).

EXERCISE

Exercise can help decrease stress on the liver and increase energy levels. But most importantly, it helps to prevent obesity, a risk factor for liver disease.

AVOID ALCOHOL AND ILLICIT DRUGS

Alcohol related liver disease is more common than you think. Each time your liver filters alcohol, some of the liver cells die. The liver can regenerate new cells but regular alcohol misuse can reduce liver ability to regenerate and eventually cause a failure.
Chronic use of hard drugs like heroin commands steroids, etc may lead to significant damages to your liver. It can be worse when these drugs are combined with alcohol .

FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ON ALL MEDICATIONS .

Any form of drug abuse can cause problems for your liver. Self medication, overdose, etc is about a few ways drugs are abused.
Drug induced liver damage is a situation that arises when the consumption of a substance such as a drug, nutritional supplement, medicinal herb or plant causes direct damage to the liver .

Drugs are metabolized by the liver without significant damage to the organ itself. However when drugs are taken in excess, the weight of it all can cause significant cumulative damage to the liver.

Article credit : Cocci Beauty