5 Simple Ways To Show Your Liver Some Love

Healthy liver: The liver is a crucial part of the human body and is one of the largest solid internal organs in the human body, and the second-largest organ overall after the skin. Its remarkable functions include filtering blood, processing nutrients, and detoxifying harmful substances.

Dr. Saleh Alqahtani tells Johns Hopkins Medicine that your liver has 500 critical functions, and neglecting them can lead to malfunction, from hepatitis to liver transplant.

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How does liver disease progress?

Liver failure doesn’t happen suddenly, but if the liver is taken for granted, it can lead to a fatal situation over time.

According to the American Liver Foundation, liver disease typically develops gradually, often starting with hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver. The foundation explains, “While this controlled inflammation is essential to maintain proper function and balance in the liver, if it becomes dysregulated, it drives the progression of liver disease. This disease, inflammation, is called hepatitis.”

Persistent inflammation can cause fibrosis, which is the scarring of the liver. Over time, this can lead to severe liver damage and progress to cirrhosis.

Gradually, cirrhosis can progress to liver cancer, eventually leading to the need for a liver transplant, an outcome that often comes as a surprise to many.

Five simple ways to heal your liver

Here are five simple ways to show your liver some love according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

1. Be careful about alcohol consumption
2. Wash produce and steer clear of toxins
3. Prevent hepatitis A, B and C
4. Watch out for medications and herbs
5. Exercise and eat right