What is liver?
Liver is a very important part of the body. It is located above the stomach, below the diaphragm and between the right kidney and intestines. The liver is a cone-shaped, dark reddish-brown organ that weighs about 3 pounds. Liver is essential for digesting food and flushing out toxins from your body.
liver function
Liver plays an important role in our body. All the blood coming out of the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. It is an organ that performs more than 500 functions in the body. Some of its main functions are as follows-
Helpful in digesting food- Liver plays an important role in digesting whatever we eat. With the help of bile released by the liver, our food is divided into small pieces, due to which the food is easily digested.
Removal of toxins- The second most important function of the liver is to remove all types of toxins from the body. Liver removes these substances and makes the body pure and clean.
Storing energy- Another important function of the liver is to store energy. Liver stores energy in the form of glycogen. When we are hungry for a long time, this stored energy helps the body to run.
The work of hormone production- The work of making estrogen and thyroxine hormones present in the body is also done by the liver itself.
Absorption of proteins- The liver breaks down the proteins present in the body into pieces and makes them useful for the body.
liver diseases
fatty liver
non-alcoholic fatty liver
hepatitis A
hepatitis B
hepatitis C
Jaundice
Cirrhosis
alcoholic hepatitis
Hemochromatosis
hereditary liver disease
Gilbert’s syndrome
liver cancer
Symptoms of liver diseases
Unlike other diseases, the symptoms of liver related diseases are very minor, due to which people do not pay much attention to it. This is the reason why many people ignore it. If you are seeing the following symptoms, then it may be a sign of a liver problem.
yellowing of the skin and eyes
abdominal pain and bloating
swollen feet and ankles
itchy skin
dark colored urine
pale stool color
very tired
nausea or vomiting
loss of appetite
Causes of liver related diseases-
obesity
type-2 diabetes
unprotected sex
tattoos or body piercings
heavy drinking
having a family history of liver diseases
exposure to chemicals or toxins
using someone’s used needle
coming into contact with other people’s blood and bodily fluids
Food items harmful to the liver
To keep the liver healthy, it is very important that you stay away from alcohol.
Eating more fried food, especially trans fat or refined carbohydrate, is like poison for the liver.
All types of packaged and processed food are also harmful for the liver.
Eating excessive pain killer can also be harmful for the liver.
Excessive use of steroids has a bad effect on the liver. So avoid taking it without doctor’s advice.
healthy food items for liver
Beet juice rich in nitrates, betaline and antioxidant properties is beneficial for the liver.
To make the liver strong and healthy, you can include blueberries, cranberries, etc. in your diet.
Turmeric, rich in many anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties, helps detoxify the liver.
The amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids present in walnuts help in making the liver healthy.
Broccoli, rich in many nutrients including fiber, vitamin-E, also helps a lot in making the liver healthy.
Liver problems can be avoided by consuming avocado regularly.
Follow these tips to keep the liver healthy-
Exercise regularly along with a healthy diet.
Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Get vaccinated for Hepatitis-A and Hepatitis-B.
Consumption of cigarettes etc. is harmful for the lungs as well as the liver, so avoid smoking.
Stress also has a negative effect on the liver. So try to stay away from stress.
Avoid high calorie foods, saturated fat, carbohydrates and sugar.
Do not eat raw or undercooked fish.
Staying hydrated is vital to staying healthy, so drink plenty of water.
world liver day
Liver is a very important part of the body. This is the reason why World Liver Day is celebrated every year on 19th April all over the world for the purpose of making people aware about the health of the liver. The day aims to raise awareness about liver related disorders and diseases.
