Why Should You Take Care of Your Liver?
- By Rickson Martin
- Published 4 January 2009
- Medical
- Unrated
A healthy liver is important for everyone. This is even more so if you are infected with HEP C and HIV. In such a case your liver may be damaged or overly stressed by HEP C, making it difficult for your liver to process all of your medications. It is important to do everything you can to keep your liver healthy. Unfortunately, unlike other organs in the body, the liver can’t let you know when it is in trouble, or often not until it is too late.
Liver Basics
The liver is locate on the right side of your abdomen; it weighs roughly three pounds and is about the size of a football. Besides being one of the largest organs in your body (second only to your skin), the liver is responsible for thousands of essential body functions. Most people know that the liver processes alcohol and can be damaged by excessive drinking, but many are unaware that the liver is also responsible for aiding other important functions such as digestion, the processing of medications and toxins, general metabolism and a healthy immune system.
The liver is involved in detoxifying just about everything that enters the body. Excessive alcohol and substance use can negatively affect the liver and for those with HEP C, alcohol and street drugs, can increase the chances of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. Experts recommend that individuals
with liver disease avoid street drugs and alcohol.
Diet and Liver Health
A balanced diet is important. If your liver is stressed by disease, it is particularly important to watch your diet carefully. Although there have been no formal studies that show HEP C infected individuals can positively change the course of their disease through diet, there is some evidence that a balanced diet may help liver cells damaged by hepatitis viruses to regenerate (regrow).
So you should try to ensure that your diet includes whole foods from a variety of sources such as fresh vegtables and fruits, beans, whole grains, and fresh meats. Avoid processed foods such as cookies, cakes, frozen dinners, packaged foods and "instant" foods. Overeating can also adversely affect the liver as well as other organs because they are forced to process the additional food.
Diets that contain excessive fat, protein or carbohydrates can damage the liver. Too much protein may cause hepatic encephalopathy (mental confusion) in individuals who already have extensive liver damage. Adequate protein intake is however important, to build and maintain muscle mass and to assist the body in repairing itself.
Excess carbohydrates can add to liver dysfunction and may cause fat deposits in the liver. Eating too much fat, especially processed fats and deep fried foods, can put an extra strain on the liver, thus endangering liver health.
Liver Basics
The liver is locate on the right side of your abdomen; it weighs roughly three pounds and is about the size of a football. Besides being one of the largest organs in your body (second only to your skin), the liver is responsible for thousands of essential body functions. Most people know that the liver processes alcohol and can be damaged by excessive drinking, but many are unaware that the liver is also responsible for aiding other important functions such as digestion, the processing of medications and toxins, general metabolism and a healthy immune system.
The liver is involved in detoxifying just about everything that enters the body. Excessive alcohol and substance use can negatively affect the liver and for those with HEP C, alcohol and street drugs, can increase the chances of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. Experts recommend that individuals
Diet and Liver Health
A balanced diet is important. If your liver is stressed by disease, it is particularly important to watch your diet carefully. Although there have been no formal studies that show HEP C infected individuals can positively change the course of their disease through diet, there is some evidence that a balanced diet may help liver cells damaged by hepatitis viruses to regenerate (regrow).
So you should try to ensure that your diet includes whole foods from a variety of sources such as fresh vegtables and fruits, beans, whole grains, and fresh meats. Avoid processed foods such as cookies, cakes, frozen dinners, packaged foods and "instant" foods. Overeating can also adversely affect the liver as well as other organs because they are forced to process the additional food.
Diets that contain excessive fat, protein or carbohydrates can damage the liver. Too much protein may cause hepatic encephalopathy (mental confusion) in individuals who already have extensive liver damage. Adequate protein intake is however important, to build and maintain muscle mass and to assist the body in repairing itself.
Excess carbohydrates can add to liver dysfunction and may cause fat deposits in the liver. Eating too much fat, especially processed fats and deep fried foods, can put an extra strain on the liver, thus endangering liver health.
