January is Love Your Liver Month
It’s been a series of holidays after holidays and whether it is occasional drinking or frequent drinking—it’s important to know how to look after our only one liver. Did you know that nine out of ten occurrences of liver disease can be avoided?
Our liver is the largest organ in our bodies, and it performs hundreds of vital functions. It works hard and can withstand a lot of punishment, but it's like an elastic band in that it can only extend so far before snapping. One out of every three of us is at risk of developing liver disease. It's a quiet killer, and many individuals are unaware they have a problem until it's too late.
About your Liver
- Fighting infection and disease
- Destroying poisons and drugs (including alcohol)
- Cleaning the blood
- Controlling the amount of cholesterol
- Processing food once it has been digested
Alcohol
A quarter of us consumes alcohol at amounts that may jeopardize our health. Drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol on a regular basis over an extended length of time can harm your liver. This can lead to liver cancer and alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD).
What you can do to reduce liver damage from alcohol
- Men and women should drink no more than 14 units per week.
- Give your liver a regular break and have 2 to 3 alcohol-free days each week – try to have them all in a row.
Three Steps to Love your Liver
Cut down on alcohol
The liver is the largest internal organ in your body. It processes the alcohol you ingest, among hundreds of other things. If you drink more than the recommended daily limit (see below), your liver will be unable to digest the alcohol rapidly enough, causing liver cell damage.
Love Your Liver by:
- drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol per week
- taking 3 days off alcohol every week to give your liver a chance to repair itself
- avoiding alcohol if you are pregnant or trying to conceive
Keep to a Healthy Weight
Fat should be minimal in a healthy liver. However, in certain people, fat accumulates in the liver. Non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease is the result of this (NAFLD). Fatty deposits can harm the liver and prevent it from functioning correctly if they accumulate over time.
Reduce the risk of NAFLD by:
- keeping to a healthy weight
- eating a healthy balanced diet
- getting more physically active
Making long term changes that you can keep up is generally better for your health than losing weight quickly.
Protect yourself from Viral Hepatitis
Hepatitis B and C are blood-borne viruses that can damage the liver permanently and raise the risk of liver cancer. Hepatitis A and E are transmitted by infected feces (usually through contaminated food or water).
Avoid these viruses by:
- getting vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B when traveling abroad (there is no vaccine for hepatitis C or E)
- never sharing personal items like toothbrushes, razors, nail scissors, or tweezers
- practicing safer sex
- using only licensed tattoo and piercing parlors and making sure all equipment used has been sterilized
- always using clean needles, syringes, and other equipment if using prescription drugs
Get Involved
- Hold a liver health awareness event on social media or in the community
- Raise funds and Donate
- Take on a virtual physical challenge – set a collective running, walking, or cycling target for the month, or take on a virtual exercise class together.
- Go sober, fizz-free, or sweet-free for one whole month and encourage others to do it as well.