Although the liver is among the strongest organs in the body, it’s still very susceptible to diseases especially if you have an unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, liver diseases like cirrhosis, liver cancer, and hepatitis are the twelfth leading cause of death in the United States. Liver diseases are responsible for about 10,000 deaths a year. With that said, it’s very important that you take good care of your liver by following a lifestyle that helps in boosting the organ’s immune system. Below are some of the best ways of protecting the health of your liver.
Regular exercise
Numerous studies have shown that if you exercise at least thirty minutes every day, you significantly improve the level of enzymes in your liver. This means you will have a stronger liver that won’t easily succumb to illnesses. And of course, exercise also prevents the development and accumulation of fat in your liver. It is advisable that you do your exercises in the morning or at least sometime before noon. And you don’t have to go to the gym. Going for a run or doing basic exercises like push-ups and sit-ups will suffice as long as you do them long enough so that you sweat out.
Liver-friendly foods
Eat more foods that are known for helping cleanse the liver. Such foods include garlic, grapefruit, beets, carrots, green tea, leafy vegetables, avocados, olive oil, walnuts, lemons, and turmeric.
Introduce moderate amounts of these food items in your daily diet. What’s great about these foods is that they are readily available in most grocery stores. And they’re often sold even during off-seasons because of advances in keeping most of those raw fruits and vegetables fresh for long periods of time.
Vaccination
You can get vaccinated against some diseases affecting the liver. You may not be aware of it but there are vaccines available for hepatitis A and B which are among the most common liver viral infections. It is especially important if you are subjected to the risk factors of either hepatitis A or B.
Alcohol and smoking
Quit smoking and cut back your consumption of alcohol. Studies show that heavy smokers have much higher risks of contracting cirrhosis and liver cancer compared to non-smokers. So quit smoking before it’s too late.
Alcohol, on the other hand, contains a lot of substances that are harmful to the liver. This is the reason why a huge percentage of those suffering from liver diseases have a history of drinking too much alcohol.
Protecting your liver is not really that hard. All you need to do is keep your lifestyle in check to ensure that you don’t develop harmful habits like drinking, smoking, sedentary behavior, and eating too much fatty foods.
