How to properly care for your Liver

The wrong dosage of over-the-counter painkillers and even natural supplements can be harmful to one's liver.

 If you think you’re overworked, consider your liver.

Roughly the size and shape of a football and located in your upper right abdomen, just above your stomach and right kidney, the liver has over 500 (yes, 500!) critical functions, chief of which include filtering toxins, alcohol, and medicines from your blood; creating bile that aids in digestion by breaking down fats in the small intestine; and storing vitamins, minerals, and glucose, which it releases as needed into the bloodstream.

So dependable and resilient is the liver that it’s the only organ that can repair and regenerate itself when damaged or partially removed.

And yet, it has its limits too. “Generally, maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle has a direct impact on your liver,” says Angelo B. Lozada, MD of top hospital in the Philippines, Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed). “But ingesting certain substances that aren’t necessarily toxic could also do the liver harm. And like many diseases deemed ‘silent killers’ because they only present symptoms in their advanced stage, liver damage tends to go unnoticed because it shares similar symptoms with less life-threatening diseases.”

While some causes of liver damage are obvious, others may come as a surprise:

ALCOHOL is certainly top of mind when it concerns liver health. “But you don’t even have to do it in excess,” points out Dr. Lozada. “As little as 4 ounces of a hard drink can scar your liver, which eventually leads to cirrhosis, or scar tissue that replaces healthy liver tissue, thus impeding blood flow to the organ. When this happens, the liver cannot function properly.” Occasional moderate drinking is considered safe, but to protect your liver, replace alcohol with a healthier alternative. “Drinking water helps the liver flush out toxins.”

PAIN KILLERS bring instant relief to a migraine, fever, or muscle ache. “Make sure you follow the dosage recommended by your healthcare provider,” says Dr. Lozada. “While over-the-counter pain killers like paracetamol, acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium are safe and effective to use, taking too much can harm the liver.”

SUPPLEMENTS address certain nutrient deficiencies, boost athletic performance, and enhance overall well-being. But despite being labeled as “natural,” some supplements can damage the kidneys and liver. “High doses of vitamin A, for instance, are not good for the liver. Best to get it from real food like salmon, leafy green vegetables, and orange and yellow veggies,” explains Dr. Lozada.

OBESITY doesn’t just make you a candidate for heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain cancers. It can lead to fatty liver disease, or the buildup of fat in the liver. “Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a consequence of being overweight and developing fat around your midsection, having type II diabetes, and living sedentarily,” says Dr. Lozada. “Fix it by cutting sugary food and trans-fat from your diet, exercising regularly, and getting down to your ideal weight.”

SMOKING isn’t just bad for your lungs and heart. The numerous toxic substances in one stick alone force the liver to work overtime, causing oxidative stress that can progress to cirrhosis. Additionally, the chemicals in cigarette smoke are carcinogenic, increasing your risk for liver cancer. “There is nothing beneficial in smoking cigarettes and vaping,” says Dr. Lozada. “Quit today.”

For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632.88888 999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph. Follow @IamMakatiMed on Facebook and Twitter.