3 weeks ago
Healthy diet and lifestyle can prevent liver disease, experts say
Your liver is an organ inside your body that cleans your blood, stores energy and helps with digestion.
Eating too much sugar and drinking too much alcohol can make the liver sick.
Doctors say that eating well and moving more can often stop liver problems or even make them better.
Losing a small amount of weight can improve how well your liver works.
Losing a bigger amount of weight can help fix more serious liver damage.
Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, fish and healthy fats is good for the liver.
Drinking coffee in small amounts might also help keep the liver healthy.
Strange liver cleanse drinks and pills probably do not help, because the liver already cleans the body by itself.
Doctors say everyone should be tested at least once for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, infections that can hurt the liver.
Liver disease and liver cancer are on the rise globally, driven by poor diet, lack of exercise and medical conditions.
Experts cite excess alcohol, high sugar intake and unproven supplements as habits that can harm the liver.
Losing just 3 per cent of body weight can improve liver health markers, while 10 per cent or more is needed to reverse scarring.
A Mediterranean-style diet, regular exercise and up to four cups of coffee a day are linked to better liver health.
All adults should be screened at least once for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and vaccinated against hepatitis B if not vaccinated as babies.
- Who
- People at risk of liver disease, and experts including Dr Zobair Younossi, Dr Mary Rinella, Shira Zelber-Sagi and Dawn Anderson
- What
- Diet and lifestyle changes that can help prevent or reverse liver disease
- Where
- Globally, as liver disease and liver cancer are reported to be on the rise worldwide
- When
- Not specified in the articles
- Why
- Liver disease is often preventable and sometimes reversible through healthy habits such as weight loss, exercise and a Mediterranean-style diet
Key facts
- Liver functions
- Filters blood, maintains sugar levels, stores energy, aids digestion
- Global trend
- Liver disease and liver cancer are on the rise
- Binge drinking
- Consuming five or more drinks on one occasion
- Weight loss benefit
- 3% improves liver markers; 10% or more reverses scarring
- Exercise recommendation
- At least 150 minutes of aerobic activity plus strength training twice a week
- Beneficial diet
- Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and legumes
- Coffee
- Up to four cups a day associated with lower cirrhosis risk
- Hepatitis screening
- All adults at least once for hepatitis B and C; hepatitis B vaccine available
Quotes
Dr Mary Rinella
Director of metabolic and fatty liver disease, University of Chicago
“Your liver is already your body's detoxification system. It does not need a cleanse.”
telegraphindia.com
“the machinery gets overwhelmed”
telegraphindia.com
Dr Zobair Younossi
Chair of the Global Center for Liver Outcomes & Policy Research, Georgetown University School of Medicine
“Regular alcohol consumption, metabolic dysfunction or a combination of both can contribute to something called steatotic liver disease.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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