The importance of your liver should come as no surprise. Filtering blood from the digestive tract, detoxifying toxins, metabolic function, and much more are all responsibilities of this crucial organ. That's why it's important to understand how certain lifestyle choices might jeopardize your liver's health, which, in turn, jeopardizes your entire health.
Regular Alcohol Consumption
One of the most common causes of liver cancer is alcohol. Because the liver is in charge of digesting everything a person consumes, excessive alcohol can result in aberrant liver function and chemical imbalance. According to the Canadian Liver Foundation, this can lead to health problems such as alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver, and even alcohol-induced liver disease.
It's critical to keep track of how much alcohol you consume. In terms of height, weight, age, and other health considerations, each person's body is unique. Adults should drink in moderation, with two drinks or less per day for men and one drink or less per day for women, according to the CDC recommendation.
Too Much Coffee Consumption
It's never a good idea to drink too much coffee, especially if you're using acetaminophen for pain treatment. Researchers discovered high levels of caffeine in liver tissue in a study performed with rat. The conclusion of this study is that drinking a lot of caffeine while also taking acetaminophen is bad for your liver.
This is not to suggest that coffee is really harmful to the liver. According to Liverstrong, small doses of caffeine can inhibit liver scarring in people with and even lower your risk of getting chronic liver disease if consumed in moderation — just don't overdo it.
Excessive Salt Use
Salt can enhance the flavor of your food, but it can also be harmful to your liver's health. High-salt diets have been linked to a variety of liver problems. “Misshaped cells, increased rates of cell death, and reduced rates of cell division - all of which can contribute to liver fibrosis,” according to medical news today.
When an abnormal quantity of scar tissue accumulates on the liver, it is called hepatic fibrosis. Limiting your salt consumption can help you avoid liver damage and fibrosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans take only one teaspoon (2300 mg) of salt each day.
Too much Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an antioxidant that affects vision, growth, immunity, cell division, and reproduction in humans. Did you imagine, however, that too much vitamin A might be harmful? Taking more than 10,000 mcg of oral vitamin A pills each day for an extended length of time have risk of developing liver disease, according to Mayo Clinic, can harm your liver.
Soft Drinks
Drinking soft drinks has a number of negative consequences, one of which is an increased risk of being diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). While there is no direct link between soft drinks and NAFLD, according to WebMD, there are enough reasons to limit these sugary beverages in your daily life.
Herbal Supplements
In the United States, herbal and dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular. This contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and proteins, which are used to supplement a person's diet when certain nutritional needs aren't met. Unfortunately, scientists are discovering that herbal supplements can harm the liver.
According to MedMD, the following substances in supplements may cause toxic liver disease:
- Aloe vera
- Black cohosh
- cascara
- Chaparral
- comfrey
- Ephedra
- Kava
Supplements are utilized for a variety of reasons, including weight loss, bodybuilding, depression, joint support, and more. Experts are attempting to better understand the link between specific supplements and liver injury so that customers are informed of the potential dangers of certain over-the-counter supplements.
Added Sugar
If you have a sweet tooth, you should be more aware of the items you consume that have added sugar. Because the liver uses fructose to create fat, consuming too much-refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup can lead to fatty accumulation. According to WebMD, this could result in liver damage.
Overeating meals heavy in sugar and trans fats (found in packaged foods and baked goods) increases your risk of gaining weight, which is another health problem that can harm your liver.
Bonus: Habits Good For Your Liver
While there are some poor habits that might contribute to a sick liver, there are also some things you can do to keep it healthy. To begin, drink plenty of water.
You can also replace dangerous saturated and trans fats with beneficial fats (such as omega-3 fatty acids) in your regular meals, and choose whole foods over processed foods. You can reduce your risks of having liver damage by doing this, as well as getting enough sleep and exercising regularly.
