The liver is a vital organ that regulates most of the chemical levels in the blood.
It also secretes a product called bile, which helps to carry away waste products from the liver.
The human body cannot live without a working liver.
If a person’s liver stops working, a transplant is the only way to save them.
In addition to cleaning the blood and producing bile, the liver also stores energy in the form of a sugar called glycogen.
Needless to say, having a healthy, functioning liver is important.
It aids in providing you with better overall health, helps with weight loss, slows aging, increases energy, gifts you with healthier skin and hair, and helps to balance hormones—among many other things.
But how do you take care of your liver, and how can you ensure that it’ll stay healthy and functional for the duration of your lifespan?
These are excellent questions. And in this post, you’re going to learn 10 tips for helping you to keep your liver healthy and functioning at peak efficiency.
Let’s dive in and learn about the liver.
10 Tips For Keeping Your Liver Healthy
These tips come from the American Liver Foundation.
According to experts, the best way to fight liver disease is to prevent and avoid it.
With that said, these tips were assembled to help you do exactly that. Let’s discover 10 ways in which you can protect your liver, starting today.
1. Maintain A Healthy Body Weight
If you’re obese, you can put yourself in danger of developing a fatty liver. This can lead to liver disease.
2. Avoid Toxins
Toxins can damage your liver. Cleaning products, aerosol products, chemicals, additives, insecticides, and other similar types of toxins can hurt your liver and damage it.
3. Eat A Healthy, Balanced Diet
Basically, this means to eat a diet that includes fiber, fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, rice, and cereals.
Limiting the amount of red meat you eat, eating a small amount of dairy, and consuming healthy fats can also help you to keep your liver healthy.
Oh, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
4. Exercise On A Regular Basis
Regular exercise helps to reduce liver fat and keeps this vital organ healthier.
5. Avoid Drug Use
Drugs of all different types can put a heavy strain on your liver.
For best results, avoid taking any type of drug that isn’t prescribed by your doctor as necessary.
You should also try to keep over the counter pain medications to a minimum.
6. Drink Alcohol In Moderation
Alcoholic beverages can destroy liver cells and actually scar the liver itself. For best results, seriously limit or cut out drinking alcohol.
7. Stay Away From Dirty/Contaminated Needles
Dirty needles can contain germs, viruses, and other dangerous biological invaders which could put your liver at risk.
Never put yourself into a situation where you could be exposed to contaminated needles.
8. Don’t Share Personal Hygiene Items
Razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, etc. can carry contaminated body fluids.
If these fluids are carrying microscopic organisms, germs, or viruses, they could make you sick and hurt your liver.
9. Get Vaccinated
There are vaccines available for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Both of these viruses can seriously damage your liver, and getting the vaccines is highly recommended.
10. Make Sure to Practice Safe Sex
Unprotected sex can lead to an increased risk of hepatitis B and hepatitis C transmission.
For best results, make sure to use condoms during sex, and to limit sex to committed partners who aren’t infected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
Conclusion
There you have it.
10 ways to protect your liver from harm and keep it safe and healthy for the long term.
Of course, this is just the beginning.
Protecting your body and keeping it healthy is a long term game.
For best results, keep leveling up in your health and wellness.
It’s worth it.