The liver is the largest organ in our bodies performing different functions to keep the body in its right shape. It is known to carry out over 500 functions in the body and the important one being metabolic. Given this, it’s good we know more about it.
Primary functions of the liver
Help in the production of bile juice: This juice helps the breakdown and absorption of fats in the small intestine, some vitamins and also cholesterol.
Supporting Blood Clots: There is an important vitamin called vitamin K that is important in creating certain coagulants that help blood clotting to take place.
Fat Metabolization: Bile juice helps in the breakdown of fats making them easily digested.
Metabolizing Carbohydrates: The liver is where carbohydrates are stored. This is also where they are broken down into glucose than to the bloodstream to help in maintaining normal sugar levels in the body.
Vitamin and Mineral Storage: The liver keeps a significant amount of vitamins A, B12, K, E and D. It’s also at the liver where iron is stored in the form of ferritin to help in making new red blood cells.
Metabolize Proteins: Bile juice is helpful in the breakdown of proteins to ease the digestion process.
Filters Blood: This organ help remove compounds from our bodies including the hormones like for instance aldosterone and estrogen and those from outside our bodies like alcohol.
Healthy foods for the liver
Coffee: Research indicates that coffee drinking protects our livers from developing diseases like for instance liver cancer and many more
Grapefruit: This fruit has naringin and naringenin antioxidants that provide our livers protection simply through protecting the cells and reducing inflammation.
Cranberries and Blueberries: Studies indicate that consuming these fruits protects our livers from getting damaged. They also increase antioxidant enzymes and immune cell response.
Nuts: The composition of fats and other nutrients like vitamin E in nuts are responsible for heart health and the liver also.
Fatty Fish: Fatty fish do have fats that are important to the liver. They help prevent the buildup of fats, maintain the enzyme levels in the body, improve insulin resistance and also fight inflammation.
Activities for a healthy liver
Manage your medication: Never overdose since all medications we take are normally broken down in the liver. Take the right prescribed dosage.
Maintain a Healthy Weight: Abnormal weight leads us in risks of developing liver-related diseases like the non-alcoholic fatty liver disorder.
Exercise Regularly: Exercise will help the body easy burning of triglycerides into important fuels which in turn helps in reducing liver fat.
Stay Hydrated: A person needs to always remain hydrated to avoid the buildup of toxins that will affect the functioning of our kidneys, bowel and liver.
Limit Alcohol Consumption: Liver cells can be damaged with excessive alcohol consumption. With time, there will be a buildup of fat in the liver, swelling or inflammation and also scarring.
Steps to a clean liver
Avoid Toxic Foods: Totally avoid foods that will place your liver at risks. Avoid processed foods, refined sugar, fast foods, lunch meats, hydrogenated foods and conventional ones.
Consider Raw Vegetables: Raw vegetable makes the liver cleanse in an effective manner.
Eat Potassium-rich Foods: Consider foods rich in potassium as they are said to not only help in cleansing the liver but also help to lower cholesterol levels in the body, supports a healthy cardiovascular system, and lower systolic blood pressure.
Coffee Enemas: This is helpful as it helps with constipation, help reduce fatigue and also detoxification of the liver.
Try Dandelion, Milk Thistle, and Turmeric Supplements: Taking all these alongside each other are said to help in cleansing the liver.
Eat Liver: The liver is rich in vitamin A and B, iron, zinc, CoQ10, folic acid, copper, choline and chromium help keeping this organ health.
The liver is always at war
The liver has been tasked to wash away all body toxins. This is actually we need to always keep it a healthy state. The liver is protected from diseases in two different ways; it can first regenerate itself by replacing or even repairing damaged tissues. The liver also has many units of cells that help carry out this same task.
There are many liver disorders you can develop if you don’t take care of the liver. Some of them include liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, liver abscess and tumours. Cirrhosis and hepatitis are common ones. There are also different forms of hepatitis; they are hepatitis A, B, C, and D. Get to know all how you can avoid these disorders.