How To Take Care Of Your Liver: World Liver Day

We hardly think about taking care of our liver but what we don’t often realise is that this organ helps break down food, flushes out toxins from the blood, and stores glucose for energy. 

The liver has the unique ability to heal itself but this does not mean that they are indestructible. Once you cause too much damage to your liver, there comes a point of no return. Often, liver diseases go undetected until the last stages because of the lack of symptoms. This is why prevention is important.

Here are a few ways in which you can show some love to your hardworking organ:

1. Weight management: Obesity is a reason for many diseases. About 85% of people with a BMI over 40 face non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Exercising and keeping your food intake in check can be your solution to maintaining a healthy BMI.
2. Alcohol intake: To the liver, alcohol is a toxin. Yes, the liver flushes out toxins from our body but too much alcohol intake can end up being overwhelming. It won’t be able to complete its job before the toxin manages to damage it. Stop alcohol intake or at least reduce the amount you drink along with plenty of alcohol-free days in between.
3. Coffee: Studies show that coffee has a good relationship with the liver. Coffee could help the liver in fighting liver cancer, and other chronic liver diseases. It does this by preventing the build-up of fat and collagen in the liver.
4. Being mindful of Hepatitis: You can get Hepatitis A from drinking contaminated water. Hence, be very mindful about the food and water that you consume. Hepatitis B and C are usually transmitted from body fluids. Hence, practice safe sex, and don’t share your personal items like razors, toothbrushes, and such.
5. Medications: While your doctor may have prescribed some medications for other diseases like cholesterol, some of those medicines can affect liver health badly. Check with your doctor to ensure all your medications are safe.

This World Liver Day, review your eating and drinking habits. Be aware of your lifestyle and the effect it can have on your liver health. While your liver has the ability to heal itself, don’t take it for granted.