How To Prevent Liver Damage And Deal With Liver Disease

The liver is situated on the right side of upper abdomen beneath the rib cage. The gallbladder, a portion of the pancreas and intestines, are located beneath the liver. These organs function in harmony to digest, absorb and process the food consumed. The main function of the liver is to filter blood, detoxify chemicals and metabolize drugs. It also makes proteins essential for blood clotting and other functions. If the liver is overburdened, it cannot function optimally, and the result is damage to the liver and other parts of the body. The following are ways to help keep your liver healthy and reverse the effects of liver damage:

Avoid Alcohol Or Drink In Moderation

An unhealthy liver creates unwanted symptoms such as jaundice, abdominal pain, and swelling, bloody stool, chronic fatigue, nausea, vomiting, etc. and may eventually progress into life-threatening disease and liver failure. A common reason for liver disease is the over-consumption of alcohol. Over-drinking can result in alcohol hepatitis (inflammation and destruction of liver cells) and cirrhosis (where healthy liver tissue gets replaced by scar tissue and the liver can no longer function properly on a permanent basis). The liver is damaged by immoderate drinking because it cannot quickly process the amount of alcohol consumed. The liver also needs water to help process the toxin and alcohol is a diuretic, which dehydrates the body. For a healthy liver, abstain from consuming alcohol or moderate its use.

Be Aware Of Foods And Toxins That Damage Your Liver

Whatever you consume is processed by your liver, and some foods and substances are more difficult for your liver to process than others. The foods and toxins that are most damaging to your liver including iron supplements, cannabis, cigarette smoke, illicit drugs, large quantities of vitamin A, herbal supplements like black cohosh, ginseng, yerba tea, large amounts of salt and saturated fat. Iron supplements and vitamin A are sometimes necessary but taking larger doses than recommended by your doctor can cause serious liver damage because your liver will not process the excess supplement consumed and it will simply accumulate in your organs and tissues. Smoking is known to cause liver cancer, and smokers with hepatitis C or B have an increased risk.