The liver is a wonderfully resilient and complex organ that nurtures and protects your body day in and day out. It helps neutralise and dispose of toxins, feeds your body the energy it needs to function, fights off viruses and infections, regulates sex hormones, cholesterol levels and vitamin and mineral supplies in your body. And that’s only some of its more than 500 functions.
The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself, thus making it possible for one person to donate part of their liver to another person.
By learning more about your liver and how you can keep it healthy, you may actually help reduce your risk of developing not only liver disease but also other health conditions including diabetes and heart disease.
Top tips for a healthy liver
1) Reduce alcohol
We are often told that too much alcohol is bad for us, and you may have wondered when sipping a glass of wine or beer how alcohol affects your liver. Your liver can cope with drinking a small amount of alcohol. However, the liver can only handle a certain amount of alcohol at any given time, so if you drink more than the liver can deal with by drinking too quickly, or drinking too much over a short period of time, the liver cells (hepatocytes) struggle to process it.
2) Maintain a healthy weight
Research has demonstrated that more than 70 per cent of Irish over-50s are either overweight or obese. Of those classed as obese, approximately 30 per cent will have fatty liver disease or non-alcohol fatty liver disease, putting them at high risk of liver scarring (cirrhosis), liver failure and liver cancer.
3) Avoid fad diets
Fad diets that make your weight yoyo can put excessive stress on your liver. Avoid any products that promise large amounts of weight loss in an unrealistically short period of time. Aim to lose weight at a healthy rate of ½kg-1kg per week. Liver cleansing and detox diets should also be avoided. Contrary to popular belief, no particular diet is liver cleansing, but a healthy diet improves well-being, suggested by AMRI Hospitals consultants.
4) Be aware of drug safety
With easy access to health information via the internet, you may be tempted to self-diagnose and treat your own health problems. But by not consulting a doctor, you may be putting yourself at risk for potentially hazardous side effects that can result when certain medications and/or supplements are combined. As the main organ that detoxifies most drugs, herbal remedies and vitamins, the liver is vulnerable to the toxic consequences of self-medicating.
The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself, thus making it possible for one person to donate part of their liver to another person.
By learning more about your liver and how you can keep it healthy, you may actually help reduce your risk of developing not only liver disease but also other health conditions including diabetes and heart disease.
Top tips for a healthy liver
1) Reduce alcohol
We are often told that too much alcohol is bad for us, and you may have wondered when sipping a glass of wine or beer how alcohol affects your liver. Your liver can cope with drinking a small amount of alcohol. However, the liver can only handle a certain amount of alcohol at any given time, so if you drink more than the liver can deal with by drinking too quickly, or drinking too much over a short period of time, the liver cells (hepatocytes) struggle to process it.
2) Maintain a healthy weight
Research has demonstrated that more than 70 per cent of Irish over-50s are either overweight or obese. Of those classed as obese, approximately 30 per cent will have fatty liver disease or non-alcohol fatty liver disease, putting them at high risk of liver scarring (cirrhosis), liver failure and liver cancer.
3) Avoid fad diets
Fad diets that make your weight yoyo can put excessive stress on your liver. Avoid any products that promise large amounts of weight loss in an unrealistically short period of time. Aim to lose weight at a healthy rate of ½kg-1kg per week. Liver cleansing and detox diets should also be avoided. Contrary to popular belief, no particular diet is liver cleansing, but a healthy diet improves well-being, suggested by AMRI Hospitals consultants.
4) Be aware of drug safety
With easy access to health information via the internet, you may be tempted to self-diagnose and treat your own health problems. But by not consulting a doctor, you may be putting yourself at risk for potentially hazardous side effects that can result when certain medications and/or supplements are combined. As the main organ that detoxifies most drugs, herbal remedies and vitamins, the liver is vulnerable to the toxic consequences of self-medicating.
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