Taking care of your liver

Your liver depends on you to take care of it . . . so it can take care of you. It serves as your body's engine, pantry, refinery, food processor, garbage disposal, and "guardian angel." The trouble is, your liver is a silent partner; when something's wrong it does not complain until the damage is far advanced. So it needs your help every day to keep it healthy and hepatitis-free. To do that, you need to eat a healthy diet, exercise, get lots of fresh air, and avoid things that can cause liver damage.

What does my liver do?
Sadly, people generally have little knowledge of the complexities and importance of the thousands of vital functions their livers perform nonstop.

The liver is about the size of a football – the largest organ in your body. It plays a vital role in regulating life processes. Before you were born, it served as the main organ of blood formation. Now, its primary functions are to refine and detoxify everything you eat, breathe, and absorb through your skin. It is your body's internal chemical power plant, converting nutrients in the food you eat into muscles, energy, hormones, clotting factors and immune factors.

It stores certain vitamins, minerals (including iron) and sugars, regulates fat stores, and controls the production and excretion of cholesterol. The bile, produced by liver cells, helps you to digest your food and absorb important nutrients. It neutralizes and destroys poisonous substances and metabolizes alcohol. It helps you resist infection and removes bacteria from the blood stream, helping you to stay healthy. Arguably, your liver isn't just your silent partner – it's your best friend.

There are also a wide variety of Liver Care Supplements available to help keep your liver healthy and working properly.

Three things to avoid for liver health:

1. Avoid excessive alcohol.

Most people know that the liver acts as a filter and can be badly damaged by drinking too much alcohol. Liver specialists suggest that more than two drinks a day for men – and more than one drink a day for women – may even be too much for some people.

One of the most remarkable accomplishments of this miraculous organ is its ability to regenerate. (Three quarters of the liver can be removed and it will grow back in the same shape and form within a few weeks!) However, overworking your liver by heavy alcohol consumption can cause liver cells (the "employees" in the power plant) to become permanently damaged or scarred. This is called cirrhosis.

2. Avoid drugs and medicines taken with alcohol.

Medicines – especially the seemingly harmless acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol and other over-the-counter medications) – should never be taken with alcoholic beverages. Many prescribed and over-the-counter drugs and medicines (including herbal medications) are made up of chemicals that could be potentially hazardous to your precious liver cells, especially taken with alcohol.

If you are ill with a virus or metabolic disorder, liver damage may result from the medications you take. In such cases, you should ask your physician about possible liver cell damage.

3. Avoid environmental pollutants.

Fumes from paint thinners bug sprays, and other aerosol sprays are picked up by the tiny blood vessels in your lungs and carried to your liver where they are detoxified and discharged in your bile. The amount and concentration of those chemicals should be controlled to prevent liver damage. Make certain you have good ventilation, use a mask, cover your skin, and wash off any chemicals you get on your skin with soap and water as soon as possible.