Holiday Tips: How to Keep Your Liver Healthy this Season
Indeed, it is the season to be jolly and fat. Food and booze everywhere. Party until the break of dawn. BUT, before you pick up that 3rd bottle of Red Horse, think about your liver. Think about what you are doing to your body. No, scratch that, you should ALWAYS think about what you are doing to your body all year round – not just during the holidays.
You are probably aware that your liver is a major player in your body’s digestive system. The food you eat, the liquids you drink, the medicine you take, these all pass through your liver.
Caring for your liver is pretty straightforward. I’m sure those of you who love your Red Horse and Jose Cuervos are scoffing at this article. Here’s news for you, it IS straightforward. It doesn’t even take substantial sacrifice – just discipline and a deeper understanding of what harms your liver and what doesn’t.
WARNING: This article contains graphic images.
More of this series: Health and Wellness
Show AllLiver Diseases
The list of liver diseases goes on and on. Some of the more common ones are:
- Hepatitis – the inflammatory condition of the liver, usually caused by a viral infection.
- Cirrhosis – scarring of the liver due to liver diseases and abuse such as alcoholism or hepatitis.
- End-stage Liver Disease (ELD) – When the cirrhosis of the patient is irreversible and the only possible course of action is a transplant.
- Liver cancer – I won’t get into details, but this is when harmful cancer cells develop in the tissues of the liver.
How to Take Care of Your Liver
- Limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol can severely damage your liver cells and liver damage can lead to fatty liver or cirrhosis. If your family has a history of liver disease, then you should not even start. Don’t drink. Be a party pooper. For those who love their alcohol, this is nothing personal. Nothing against you. Just know the consequences of drinking beyond the recommended amounts. Those “drink moderately” warnings are there for a reason.
- Be careful with your medications. Taking in a cocktail of the wrong medications can severely damage your liver. Don’t overdose and before you do take any over-the-counter meds, check with your doctor about it. You think painkillers are harmless? They can actually damage your liver if you take too much of it.
- Eat healthy and exercise regularly. Keep your weight in control and your liver will thank you for it.
- Avoid toxins. These toxins hide in the most seemingly safe products. Cleaning products, aerosol sprays, and insecticides can damage your liver. There are also additive in cigarettes that can damage your liver.
- Be careful with your dietary supplements. If you are taking slimming pills, whitening pills or whatever herbal supplements, make sure that they are BFAD-approved. Even if they are, you should just take precautions. Some of the supplements known to cause liver diseases are cascara, chaparral, comfrey, kava and ephedra.
- Drink coffee. This seems controversial, but coffee is said to reduce the risk of liver disease by 70% (source).
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