You might not give much emphasis to your liver health but a healthy liver is essential for keeping your body functional. The best way to maintain a good liver health is to take precautionary measures to avoid complications. Let us dive into the details of how you can provide appropriate care and nourishment to your liver.
1. Maintain An Active Lifestyle
The foremost step towards achieving an excellent liver health is to maintain an active lifestyle. Exercise regularly to keep any liver health risks at bay. Activities such as jogging, swimming, brisk walking contribute to an overall healthy body along with strengthening your liver. Obesity is one of the biggest factors that expose your liver to immense damage. Regular exercise will keep your weight regulated and prevent obesity, thus, in turn reducing the risk factor responsible for deteriorating liver health. Maintaining an appropriate weight will help in avoiding diseases caused due to a fatty liver.
2. Cut Down The Alcohol Intake
The ideal step is to completely stop the consumption of alcohol but in most cases, it is easier said than done. There is a limit to which the liver can process and break down alcohol. If you cross that threshold by over drinking, you are subjecting your liver to inflammation and the liver cells to severe damage. At any cost, cut down your alcohol intake to one or maximum two standard drinks per day.
3. Consume a Balanced Diet
We often tend to rely on fast food which can prove to be severely pernicious for our body, especially liver, in the long run. Hydrogenated fats, trans fats, and saturated fats accumulate in our body and gradually worsen the overall health. Processed and deep-fried foods should be avoided as much as possible to improve liver health. Lowering the number of fatty foods and increasing the fiber and water intake is the key to an optimum liver health. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a rich source of fiber. For an appropriate protein intake, instead of consuming red meats, switch to beans, nuts, and fish.
4. Quit Smoking
Besides causing utter damage to the lungs, smoking is known to develop liver cancer. Cigarette smoke fills the body with toxins and magnifies the toxic effects of some drugs on the body, thus intensifying the side effects.
5. Say No To Weight Loss Pills
While weight loss pills seem much more convenient than spending hours doing cardio exercises, this shortcut can harm your body in ways you can’t imagine. Pills promising aggressive weight loss can put excessive stress on your liver. Also, refrain from diets that offer a drastic weight loss in an unbelievably short span. These diets normally lack vital nutrients and are harmful to the liver.
6. Protect Yourself Against Hepatitis A, B, and C
Direct blood to blood contact, contaminated needles, sharing of personal hygiene items, and unprotected intercourse can give rise to Hepatitis B or C. An emergency follow up with your healthcare provider is a must if you encounter one of the above-mentioned incidents. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C at present. Thus, the best cure is prevention itself. Hepatitis A and B are known to cause a viral infection of the liver. So, make sure you get vaccinated on time.
7. Consume Medications Only On Prescription
Do not take any medicine without a prescription of a physician and follow all the instructions carefully. Overdosage of a medicine can be severely deleterious for your liver health. Even if you are taking supplements or over the counter medications, it is advisable to consult your doctor.
8. Be Mindful Of The Herbal Remedies
Attempts to cure minor ailments at home has skyrocketed since the increasing popularity of the internet and the plethora of information online. As a result, people are ready to try any home remedy blindly without thinking about the effects of such treatments on the body. Some of these remedies consist of toxins that are not known to us which can result in the toxicity of the liver. In most cases, the damage is irreversible, so make sure you consult your healthcare provider before opting for such remedial measures.
Apart from detoxifying our body, the liver is responsible for breaking down fats in the body. The least we can do is treat it right for uninterrupted functioning.
