Our liver is designed to naturally detoxify the body. It cleans the blood by converting toxins into waste products and metabolizes nutrients and medications.
In India, one out of every five adults is getting affected with Fatty liver disease. It begins when excess fat accumulates in liver cells, can either be NAFLD or AFLD. Liver is the key organ for detoxifying our body from toxins, weighs around 3 pounds and performs more than 500 functions, so it is important for us to look after “detoxification powerhouse” of our body. The liver plays a crucial role in ensuring the normal balance and operation of our internal systems as it filters blood, breaks down toxic compounds, and produces bile to aid in digestion and waste elimination. Liver detox restores liver’s natural ability to remove toxins and potentially boosts overall health.
Why Need of Liver Detox?
The liver is naturally made to detoxify the body, but nowadays, our lifestyle has changed a lot. Too much pollution, especially air pollution, unhealthy diets like food with high fat, sugar, and salt, fried food, excessive alcohol, obesity, diabetes, malnutrition, etc. can cause a lot of harm to our liver and contribute a lot to making the liver fatty. Almost everyone is affected by unhealthy food and pollution, and our livers remain at risk constantly.
That is why it has become essential to detox the liver in today's life.
"Give your liver some love, and it'll keep you dancing through life."
When Advisable?
There is no scientific consensus on how often you should do a liver detox. Some sources suggest doing a detox 2-4 times a year, typically with the change of seasons. However, many health experts, including those at Johns Hopkins Medicine, do not recommend routine liver cleanses due to a lack of clinical evidence supporting their efficacy.
Symptoms That May Go Unnoticed
If you feel the symptoms written below, then you should get a liver test done and go for liver detox.
1. Initial signs that might be overlooked are abdominal discomfort, bloating, fatigue, nausea, weight fluctuations and digestive discomfort and some progressive symptoms include, jaundice, itching on the skin, edema etc.
2. Our livers are blocked when dealing with the constant stream of dirty blood that your body sends through. As a result, the liver forces things such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema to expose on your skin.
3. A poor diet, high in processed foods and sugars, can lead to fatty liver disease, where fat builds up in liver cells. The liver is trying to help with elevated blood sugars by removing excess sugars from the bloodstream but is not designed as a storage organ for these extra calories. This condition can impair liver function and lead to liver inflammation.
4. Hormonal imbalances and joint pain are one of the major symptoms due to liver problems further causing irregular menstrual cycles in women and arthritis in men.
Tests for Liver
Several tests may be performed to diagnose Fatty Liver or Liver Issues
1. Blood Test: Liver Function Tests (LFTs) may be done to check for increased liver enzymes. This is the most common and simple liver test.
2. Imaging tests: Ultrasound CT Scans or MRIs may be done to check for fat accumulation in the liver
3. Fibroscan: This specialized ultrasound is done to measure liver stiffness.
4. Liver Biopsy: In some cases, a small tissue sample is taken from the liver to check for liver damage.
Benefits of Liver Detox
There are many benefits of liver detox.
1. It is beneficial in enhancing digestion and boosts immune function.
2. After liver detox, the energy level in the body increases.
3. It improves skin health and skin remains healthy and hydrated after liver detox.
4. Liver detoxifying improves metabolism, which is helpful in healthy weight management.
Conclusion
"Remember, loving your liver health can give you a more active and joyful lifestyle."
The liver is the most important organ of our body. If the liver is healthy, then our body remains healthy too. Due to increasing pollution, unhealthy lifestyles, and alcohol consumption, there are high chances of having liver issues, so take care of your liver. Adopting a healthy lifestyle and getting our liver checked regularly will lead to a healthier life. If you notice any problem in your liver, consult a doctor immediately.