Let your liver live
Tareq Salahuddin
A lot of people take their liver for granted. Just how many people actually worry about what is good for their liver as opposed to, say, their heart? Yet, the liver is the largest gland and solid organ in the body, and carries out over 500 bodily functions. It is also unique in that it has an intrinsic ability to regenerate itself. Astonishingly, all that an over-worked organ needs os proper care and nourishment, and it will see the body through a lifetime of wellness.What can go wrong?
When someone has a liver problem, his/her liver continues its work but impairment will affect effectiveness levels. Despite its heavy workload, the liver tends to show very little sign of ageing of disease. The most common liver diseases include – - Hepatitis: Literally means inflammation of the liver and spans the alphabet with hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and G.
- Cirrhosis: A result of long term, continuous liver damage. If the inflammation is severe and continuous, scar tissue called fibrosis develops, replacing smooth liver tissue with irregular nodules, and inadvertently hardening of the liver.
- Alcoholic liver diseases: Consistent heavy drinking can lead to what is known as "fatty liver" in which the liver cells become engorged with excess fat, become inflamed (alcoholic hepatitis), or become permanently scarred and damaged.
- Gallstones and gallbladder disease: Gallstones are lumps of solid material that form in the gallbladder, usually resembling small stones or gravel.
- Inherited liver diseases: It is possible to be born with a liver disease.
- Cancer of the liver: The cancer can start in the liver itself (primary cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma) or is spread to the liver (secondary or metastatic cancer).
While liver transplants have shown some success rates, it is always better to practice prevention as opposed to cure. Experts agree that a well-balanced diet low in fat, sugar, and salt, but high in fibre -- is the key to a healthy liver. A balanced diet that includes lots of vegetables, fruit, beans, and whole-wheat cereals is considered the best.
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