How to take care of your liver.

The liver is an essential organ of the body, it is also the largest solid organ in the body.The liver is located below the lungs in the right upper abdomen. The liver functions as a filter, it removes toxins from the blood, regulates blood sugar levels, helps digest fats (through the production of bile) and also produces some essential nutrients.

With all of these important functions, it is important to take proper care of the liver. In this article, I have curated a lust of helpful tips on maintaining a healthy liver.  

Maintaining a Healthy Liver

The following are my recommendations that will help keep the liver functioning as it should:

1. Avoid Illicit Drugs: Taking illicit drugs can cause long-term damage to the liver because they are toxins that have to be filtered out.

2. Be moderate with your alcohol intake: Alcoholic beverages can create many health problems. The liver has to break down alcohol and while it can do this with moderate amounts, excessive intake can destroy liver cells and scar your liver. My advice is to drink moderately or quit completely. 

3. Eat healthy and excercise Regularly: eating a balanced diet combined with a regular exercise routine will help promote general health for every organ, including the liver. In addition to this, ensure to always wash produce properly to avoid ingesting chemical toxins.

4. Protect yourself from hepatitis: ensure you get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B, if you are at risk. Also, practice safe sex to protect yourself from hepatitis C. 

5. Follow directions on all medications: When medicines are taken incorrectly, your liver can be harmed. It's important to note that you must never mix alcohol with other drugs even if they’re not taken at the same time. 

7. Maintain a healthy weight. The thing about being overweight (or obese) is that you're at risk of the liver disease called "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease" and it's one of the fastest growing form of liver diseases. Maintaining a healthy diet cum healthy weight can play an important part in helping to reduce liver fat.

Whilst keeping these in mind, it's equally important to note the kind of foods that are good for the liver. Truth is, there’s no single food that supports liver health, but a balanced diet can help keep your liver in top shape. That means you should consider eating foods that are high in fiber; like vegetables and beans. You should also limit beverages with high sugar content and foods with saturated fat. Top of the list is staying hydrated with water. Water is always a smart choice.

Other foods to consider include nuts, berries, grapes, coffee and tea (specifically green tea). Diets high in added sugar, fat, and salt should be cut down. So, avoid over processed foods as much as you can. 

The bottom line is that the liver is vital to overall health, and it must be maintained to function optimally.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this piece as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Till I come your way again, stay healthy.