2015-07-29

What can you do to ensure a healthy liver?

Functions of the Liver

The liver is the second largest organ in the body after the skin. It performs many vital functions including:

Producing bile
Producing proteins for blood plasma
Detoxifying the blood by clearing harmful substances such as alcohol and drugs
Helping the blood to clot
Storing and releasing glucose as needed
Converting ammonia to urea
Regulating the balance of hormones
Controlling cholesterol levels

Liver Check-ups
A liver check-up usually starts with blood tests called liver function tests (LFTs) to detect liver damage. In the most commonly performed LFTs, the levels of liver enzymes such as ALT (SGPT) and AST (SGOT) are measured. Under normal circumstances, these enzymes are contained within liver cells. But if the liver is injured, the enzymes are spilled into the blood stream, raising the enzyme levels in the blood.

Depending on the results of the previous liver check-up and general health condition, doctors may advise regular liver check-ups to be done every three, six or twelve months.

Care for Your Liver

Below are some tips for a healthy liver:

Use medications wisely. Read dosage instructions and side effects information carefully. All drugs are processed by the liver and some may hurt your liver.
Don’t drink a lot of alcohol. Excessive alcohol damage liver cells and may lead to fibrosis of the liver.
Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Obesity can cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Cut the risk of hepatitis. Avoid contact with other people’s blood and body fluids and get vaccinated if you’re at higher risk of contracting hepatitis.

Alcohol Consumption

The liver is responsible for processing alcohol and detoxifying the blood. Excessive alcohol intake may overwork the liver and long-term alcohol abuse may lead to alcoholic liver diseases, inflammation and fibrosis.

For the health of your liver, you are advised to:

Never mix alcohol and medicine
Take at least two alcohol-free days a week
Limit alcohol intake.

You can check if you are drinking too much on this page:
Unit Calculator

Disclaimer:

* All research and clinical data should be used as reference purposes only, results may vary.

Tags:

Related Questions

Hair Loss and Liver Issues: Unveiling the Connection

Liver issues, as one of the silent killers, seldom show distinct symptoms until scarring is formed on the liver, which is an advanced stage of liver damage. Yellowing of skin and eyes and persistent lack of energy are probably the most heard symptoms of liver problems. Besides these well-known symptoms, hair loss is also one of the warning signs of liver problem. Normal follicle hair cycling requires proper uptake of fat-soluble vitamins, estrogen detoxification, an

Get the Liver Tested Even When Feeling Perfectly Fine

Liver is essential for maintaining the body’s overall health and well-being. It is involved in a wide range of critical functions for proper body functions. We couldn’t risk it failing. A regular liver check-up is a perfect way to monitor our liver health. But when is the best time to do the liver tests? Should we see any signs of liver problems before arranging any liver test? Experts say even without any signs of liver issues, healthy individuals shoul

Hit Questions

Knowing cirrhosis and treatment options

The liver carries out essential functions, including detoxifying harmful substances in your body, cleaning your blood and making new blood and other vital nutrients. Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver caused by long-term liver damage. The loss of liver cells turns into scar tissue which prevents the liver working normally, reducing or in some cases, completely losing liver function. Cirrhosis is a long-term chronic liver damage; it is often caused by chronic live

What is ALT (SGPT), and how to lower it?

ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase / SGPT) is an enzyme that is mainly found in liver cells. The level of ALT in our bloodstream is the primary indicator of liver health. What does high ALT indicate? ALT enzymes are normally contained within liver cells when the liver is healthy, but when the liver cells are injured or damaged by whatever means, ALT enzymes are released into the bloodstream, causing levels to go up. Therefore, by measuring the

The AST and ALT levels on your blood test results – what do they mean?

AST and ALT are two common markers for diagnosing liver diseases. Patients with liver disorders often find their AST and ALT levels unsatisfactory, but what do the figures actually imply? And do patients of every kind of liver dysfunctions have the same levels? AST:ALT ratio Although the normal range of AST and ALT level varies among laboratories and countries, the ratio of AST:ALT is key when it comes to diagnosing liver diseases. The use

What does elevated ALT level means? And when is treatment needed?

ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase / SGPT) is a type of enzyme found in liver cells. When the liver cells are functioning normally, the ALT enzymes should be contained within the liver cells. You can imagine each liver cells as a balloon, and the ALT enzymes are the air inside the balloon. When the balloon is damaged, the air will be released. And when the liver cells is damaged, ALT enzymes are released into the bloodstream, therefore we are able to find out the l