How to take care of your liver and stay healthy?

November 25, 2022November 30, 2022 Stephen PaulHealth & Diseases

The liver is one of the key organs of the human body. Involved in multiple physiological functions, it is more commonly associated with its essential role in the digestive process. Also, it is not uncommon to want to detoxify your liver, after heavy meals or an anarchic diet. Here is a complete guide to the liver, as well as some tips for taking care of it and staying healthy .

Index

The liver, a vital organ

liver anatomy

The liver is the largest digestive organ (2% of a person’s total weight) and the second most active organ in the human body, after the brain. Highly vascularized (portal vein, hepatic artery), it contains nearly 13% of the amount of blood in the body. Its anatomy is unique:

It is a “full” organ, that is to say that it is not a pocket, like the stomach or the lungs.
It is divided into four lobes, the large right lobe, the smaller left lobe, the square lobe and the caudate lobe. Each lobe is further divided into segments (8 in total).
It is the only organ capable of regenerating itself.
Its volume can change, the variation in size being up to +40%.
The cells that compose it, called hepatocytes, are very special – they are covered with microvilli capable of multiplying on contact with blood, and their nucleus can contain up to 8 sets of chromosomes, compared to 2 for the other cells of the body.

No wonder then that the liver is an organ that both intrigues and fascinates!

liver functions

The liver performs a considerable number of physiological functions – there are more than 300! However, the most important are:

Digestive function : the liver produces the bile necessary for the digestion of dietary fats . This bile is stored in the gallbladder, connected to the organ by the common bile duct. Thus, during the ingestion of lipids, the vesicle releases bile into the intestines so that they are digested properly.
Purification function : the liver is an emunctory organ, whose role is to rid the blood of the waste that encumbers it (organic such as ammonia, external toxins such as drug residues, etc.).
Synthesis function : the liver fulfills both an exocrine role, by allowing the synthesis of bile, and an endocrine function, because it metabolizes the majority of carbohydrates and lipids in the diet.
Nutritional and storage function : it is in the liver that glucose, vitamins and minerals from digestion are stored.
Regulatory function : the liver plays an important role in the blood clotting process. It is he who produces the proteins (albumin, globins) necessary to coagulate the blood in the event of a wound, for example. It also regulates the amount of cholesterol , glycogen and trace elements present in the blood.
Immune function : it is in the liver that some of the lymphocytes, immune cells, are generated and activated.

liver diseases

A human being cannot live without his liver. In severe disease, a partial hepatectomy may be considered – the liver regenerates relatively quickly.

Among the most common liver pathologies are:

Autoimmune diseases , such as PBC, primary or secondary cancers (metastases secondary to colon, breast , prostate, kidney, lung cancer, etc.).
Genetic diseases , such as hemochromatosis, Gilbert’s syndrome, Wilson’s disease or Budd-Chiari syndrome.
Viral diseases , such as hepatitis.
Diseases resulting from an unhealthy lifestyle , such as alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatic steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (or NASH).

Autoimmune and genetic damage to the liver, as well as certain cancers, are beyond the control of the individual. But in the case of viral attack or liver disease resulting from an anarchic lifestyle, the individual is directly responsible for the health of his liver. Also, simple dietary and medical measures can help preserve your liver.

What to do to preserve your liver?

Vaccination and avoidance of risky behaviors

The first steps to take to preserve your liver are vaccination (hepatitis A, B) and avoidance of certain risky behaviors (hepatitis C, D, E). Risky behavior means:

Intravenous drug addiction , since hepatitis is transmitted through blood, among other things.
Tattooing and piercing, if practiced in unsafe places , where the material is not properly sterilized.
Unprotected sex with carriers – wearing a condom is the only protection available today.
The absorption of water contaminated by infected stools and, more generally, any risk of faecal-oral digestive contamination – especially when staying in areas where health checks are limited.

Curb your alcohol consumption

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health , especially for the liver. The organ is in fact responsible for eliminating almost all of the alcohol , each time it is ingested. However, this process of elimination requires considerable work from the liver and also generates the release of acetaldehyde (or ethanal). This substance is quickly oxidized by the liver and transformed into harmless acetic acid. However, some people do not have the enzymes allowing this degradation, and thus fully suffer the harmful effects of alcohol. In addition, the biochemical aggressions generated by the regular and/or heavy consumption of alcohol would cause “cascading” phenomena:

Chronic inflammation of the liver
A modification of its structure and an alteration of its functions
Abnormal accumulation of fat (steatosis)
Fibrosis causing decreased blood supply to the liver
Hypertension in the portal vein
A general deterioration of the organ up to cirrhosis, an irreversible disease
Severe digestive bleeding
Finally, liver cancer

Also, to preserve your liver, it is imperative to moderate your alcohol consumption – total abstinence being the best way to fully protect it.

Moderate your medication intake

As previously mentioned, one of the functions of the liver is to eliminate traces of drugs, once they have produced their effects. A drug overdose can weaken the organ , even, in the most serious cases, lead to death. Also, the “medication” reflex at the slightest little ailment must be curbed. Among the most toxic drugs for the liver are paracetamol, some antibiotics, some anti-inflammatories. Also, to preserve your liver, it is better to:

Ask a doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
Always respect its prescription and the instructions.
Avoid combining several drugs, or drugs with other substances (alcohol, food supplements, etc.).
Avoid the self-medication reflex, if possible.
Avoid taking medication for a long time, unless otherwise advised by a doctor.

Adopt a healthy diet

The liver is in charge of metabolizing carbohydrates and digesting lipids. In the event of a diet that is too rich in saturated fats, trans fatty acids, and/or simple sugars, the organ runs “at full speed”. Ultimately, it is possible to develop a serious pathology, such as NASH syndrome (often nicknamed “fatty liver syndrome”). Also, to preserve your liver and avoid imbalances, it is better to favor a healthy diet, based on fresh, raw, possibly organic foods . Certain fruits and vegetables are particularly beneficial to liver tone, such as artichoke, garlic, grapefruit , green leafy vegetables, avocado , black radish, carrot, red fruits, lemon , beetroot.

Daily hydration must essentially be water-based. Sodas, industrial fruit juices, sugary drinks and alcohol should be avoided. In addition, many studies have looked at the benefits of green tea⁽¹⁾ and coffee⁽²⁾ on the liver. It would seem that these two drinks are beneficial to liver health through their positive action on liver enzymes.

stop smoking

Tobacco is known to be responsible for the appearance of various cancers, such as that of the lung, mouth, throat or esophagus. But few know that smoking also increases the risk of digestive cancers, such as those of the stomach , pancreas and liver. In question: the many toxins present in tobacco products, including the acetaldehyde mentioned above. A cigarette contains one milligram of acetaldehyde. Thus, each cigarette smoked generates a work of elimination of toxins by the liver. To preserve the organ, it is better to definitely stop smoking.

Choose the right plants

Certain plants , due to their chemical composition, are particularly beneficial to liver function. They protect the liver, while stimulating the secretion and evacuation of bile. This is the case of boldo, artichoke, black radish, milk thistle, fumitory, gentian, desmodium, rosemary or caraway. These plants can be consumed in different forms ( capsules , bulbs, infusion ), for example at each change of season or following periods when the diet has been too rich or anarchic. Cures of natural food supplements must however be limited in time – a few weeks at most.

Play sports

Regular physical activity can have a positive influence on liver health, especially when you are overweight or obese. Indeed, people with overweight generally have a high level of visceral fat , which is often associated with liver inflammation. Sport, in addition to causing weight loss and reducing the volume of visceral fat, reduces the level of oxidative stress responsible for liver inflammation ⁽³⁾ .

In addition, a study ⁽⁴⁾ conducted on rats would have shown that physical activity could lessen the deleterious effects of alcohol on the liver – less fatty deposits, but also stabilization of the level of triglycerides, insulin and glucose in the blood. Of course, this isolated study does not make it possible to conclude that sport would be enough to compensate for all the harmful effects of alcohol on the body. But she nevertheless confirms that sport helps preserve your liver.

Stephen Paul

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Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.