A Goal for 2022: A Healthier Liver

New Year, New Liver. The beginning of the year is often a time to think of “getting healthy.” And here’s a thought: Liver health should be an important part of those plans.

After all, the liver is as essential to us as our heart and our lungs. Everything we eat must first pass through the liver before the rest of the body can use it. In fact, if the nutrition from our digestive tract were to go directly into our bloodstream without first being processed by the liver, it would be poisonous to us.

We should all pay more attention to liver health. The rise in obesity worldwide has also seen a rise in a condition known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), where fat begins accumulating in the liver. Up to a quarter of the people in the world are affected by fatty liver disease, which can progress to more serious liver diseases such as liver fibrosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and NASH cirrhosis. Some 20 million people worldwide are likely to eventually die due to what’s been called a “hidden epidemic.”

The good news is that the liver is a highly resilient organ with remarkable powers of regeneration, so healthy living can help improve liver health. Research has shown that small changes in weight, exercise, and diet can work wonders:

● Maintain a healthy weight

There is a clear connection between body weight and the risk of NASH. If you are overweight, losing as little as 10 percent of your body weight can result in a much healthier liver.

●Follow a healthy diet

A diet that supports liver health should be high in fiber and low in fat, sugar, and salt. You should balance meals with plenty of grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and beans, milk, and oil.

● Exercise

A mix of 150 minutes of aerobic and resistance exercise every week has a beneficial effect on NAFLD and NASH, improving insulin resistance, fatty acid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and liver inflammation. Activity appears to help keep your liver healthy, even if you don’t lose weight. Studies show that resistance training has the same benefits as aerobic exercise.

Those three — weight, diet, and exercise — form a firm foundation for a healthy liver. Here are some other ways we can promote liver health:

● Avoid excessive alcohol

It shouldn’t be a surprise that too much alcohol is not good for our livers. What is less well known is how much is “too much alcohol.” More than one drink a day can shave years off our life expectancy. And the definition of a “drink” is a 12 oz beer, a 6 oz glass of wine, or a 1.5 oz pour of hard liquor. A pint of a more potent craft beer or a 3 oz margarita might mean we are
drinking more than we think we are.

● Be careful of nutritional supplements

Too much of something that is supposed to be healthy can actually be very bad for us. Certain nutritional supplements and herbal remedies can damage the liver. Too much iron or vitamin A, for example, can be harmful to the liver. Before beginning any new supplements, talk to a doctor.

● No illicit drug use

This may seem obvious, but avoid using drugs that risk exposure to blood from others. There is a serious risk for hepatitis.

Finally, we should get in the habit of discussing liver health with our doctors. A simple, “How’s my liver?” We’ve all most likely been given routine blood tests measuring liver enzyme levels, which may
indicate problems. We should also always ask about potential negative liver effects from prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and vitamins we might be taking.