The human digestive system is made up of a group of organs that need to work together in order to properly digest food and turn it into the nutrients we need to be healthy. A key part of the digestive system is the liver. Most people don’t realize that everything they eat and drink passes through their liver each day. The liver is actually the second largest organ in your body, and it filters blood from your GI tract and works to help remove toxins that may pass through. Protecting and keeping your liver healthy isn’t difficult, it’s just sometimes easy to overlook. Luckily, some of the best tips and tricks to keeping a healthy liver are the same as those for staying healthy in general. Below are a few easy ways to maintain good liver health.
Watch your alcohol consumption
As mentioned above, you liver works hard to remove toxins from your bloodstream – toxins that can be put there by some of the things you drink. Alcohol in moderation typically doesn’t lead to any issues with your liver, but when large amounts of alcohol are consumed over a period of time, these toxins add up and your liver is stuck having to detoxify it all again and again. If your liver starts to suffer from heavy alcohol consumption, you could face a cirrhosis diagnosis or another potentially fatal illness.
High amounts of alcohol can cause liver damage
Control Alcohol Intake to a certain level. The excessive and over consumption of alcohol can have a negative effect on the liver.
Talk to your doctor about your medications
As stated, your liver has to comb through everything that you consume, and this includes medications. Although you may be taking a certain medication to help with one issue, it may have a negative effect on your liver. Be sure to carefully read the labels on your medicines and review its side effects with your doctor.
Think about your diet
Diet has a huge impact of the health of a person’s liver. If you are someone with a diet that has a high amount of fructose, fried and processed foods with Trans fats and hydrogenated oils then your liver will face constant difficultly working through and filtering all of those unhealthy components. Not to mention that a diet heavy in these food types is likely to lead to obesity – this puts even more strain on a person’s organs.
Know the facts about Hepatitis
Chances are, most people have heard of hepatitis, but it’s unlikely that they know how serious a hepatitis diagnosis is – not to mention the potential for long-term liver damage. Hepatitis is a virus that can be broken down into different types:Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B,Hepatitis C. It’s important to avoid sharing items that can transmit hepatitis from one person to another, such as: razors, needles and toothbrushes. It’s also important to maintain proper sanitation in your living environment, and see your doctor if you have flu-like symptoms that won’t go away as these are the same symptoms of a hepatitis virus.
