The liver is the largest internal organ in the body and it plays an extremely important role. Your liver depends on what you eat. Yes, it’s true. If you eat a healthy diet, your liver is able to function effectively and maintain a healthy liver and overall wellness. On the other hand, if you are not careful with your diet, and pile up on salty, fatty & fried foods, then it struggles to perform harder. Hence, it literally may result in liver disorders. Certainly, it is vital to maintain healthy body weight, in addition to a balanced diet and exercise regimen to prevent liver disease. Here are the best healthy ways to achieve liver wellness.

Best Ways to Keep Your Liver Healthy:

1. Maintain a healthy weight: If you are overweight or obese, you’re in the risk of having a fatty liver that can lead to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), one of the fastest growing forms of liver disease. Shredding that excess weight plays an essential part in helping to lower liver fat. Maintain your body mass index in the normal range (18 to 25) by eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis to decrease your risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

2. Eat a balanced diet: Avoid high-calorie foods, saturated and hydrogenated fats, refined carbohydrates (such as white bread, white rice, and pasta) and sugars. Don’t eat raw or undercooked shellfish. For a well-adjusted diet, eat fiber, which you can obtain from fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread, rice, and cereals. Also eat meat (but limit the amount of red meat), dairy (low-fat milk and small amounts of cheese) and fats (the good fats that are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and fish). It is important to hydrate, therefore drink plenty of water and fluids.

3. Stay physically active: When you exercise systematically, it helps to burn triglycerides for fuel and can additionally cut back liver fat. Aerobic exercises can help keep your liver healthy by maintaining good body weight. Research has even stated that regular exercise can prevent and reverse fatty liver disease. Some of the aerobic exercises include walking, swimming, dancing, jogging, etc.

Precautionary Measures for a Healthy Liver:

4. Don’t touch or Breath in toxins: Toxins can injure liver cells. Limit direct contact with toxins from cleansing and aerosol products, pesticides, chemicals, and additives. When you do use aerosols, make sure the room is ventilated, and wear a mask. Ingredients used in cigarettes can also damage your liver. Therefore, don’t smoke.

5. Limit alcohol consumption: Alcoholic beverages can create many health problems. They can harm or destroy liver cells and scar your liver. When the consumed alcohol reaches the liver, it is broken down and excreted through the urine. Furthermore, this process produces many harmful by-products, such as free radicals and acetaldehyde, that may play a vital part in liver toxicity. The liver typically has no problem with alcohol metabolism, if consumed in moderation. But, chronic and long-term alcohol abuse can lead to remarkable damage to the liver. Cirrhosis and Alcohol hepatitis are the two major conditions that are caused by excessive alcohol intake.

6. Say No to Illicit Drug: Drug abuse may cause a range of liver abnormalities and may lead to liver failure. Illicit drugs include cocaine, marijuana/hashish, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, or prescription-type psycho-therapeutics (pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers, and sedatives) used non-medically.

Be aware of Contamination for a Healthy Liver:

7. Avoid contaminated needles: Certainly, the usage of dirty and contaminated needles are associated with intravenous drug abuse. You must follow up with your doctor and seek testing of any type of skin penetration involving sharp instruments or needles. Unsafe injection practices, however rare, may occur in a hospital setting and would require immediate follow-up. Also, use only clean needles for tattoos and body piercings.

8. Get medical help if you are exposed to blood: If for any reason you come in contact with others blood, immediately follow up with your doctor. If you are more concerned, visit your nearest hospital.

Hygiene and Protection for a Healthy Liver:

9. Don’t share personal hygiene items: For instance, things like razors, toothbrushes and nail clippers can carry microscopic levels of blood or other body fluids that may be contaminated. Therefore, to be on a safer side do not share your personal belonging items.

10. Practice safe sex: Unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners increases your risk of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. It is always advised to practice protected sex with a single partner to reduce the risk of liver diseases.

11. Wash your hands: Practice the use of soap and warm water instantly after using the toilet, when you have changed a diaper, and before preparing or eating food.

12. Get vaccinated: In fact, there are preventive vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against the hepatitis C virus.