The liver is known for its role in cleaning toxic substances from our bloodstream. However, this is only one of more than 500 functions that it does to keep the body functional and healthy. The most advanced dialysis machines invented, used when the liver no longer functions sufficiently well, cannot really fill the complex and multitude of tasks the liver plays. It can only accomplish a very small portion of its job. This is how important the liver is and should thus be cared for accordingly through moderation and a healthy liver diet.
Because of the multiplicity of its role in the body, the liver is susceptible to a myriad of diseases. A significant number of these problems stem from two factors, overworking the liver and not providing it with the raw materials it needs to repair itself.
Take drug damage, for instance. Doctors when prescribing medication for long term diseases include in their calculations the ill effects these drugs have on the liver. Even over the counter medication like acetaminophen (paracetamol), which we take to lower fever, is detrimental to the liver in the long run. Another example is our food and beverage intake. What we take in shows that we do not really know the principles behind a healthy liver diet, one which not only provides it with the necessary nutrition but also does not subject it to excessive amounts of toxins that it has to clean up.
The liver, though, is a very robust organ and is not easily knocked out of action. Extensive damage has to have occurred before symptoms of liver disease are even felt. This is largely due to this organ’s capacity for compensatory growth. Health professionals state that as long as a quarter of the liver remains fully functional, it can compensate for, or take over the functions of, the other three-quarters lost to disease and grow back into a whole liver. Provided it has the necessary nutrients that eating a healthy liver diet can provide.
Holistic care of the liver has two important ingredients. As mentioned earlier, they are moderation and a healthy liver diet.
The liver like any other organ has limits to its capacity. Even though in the case of the liver, this capacity is quite formidable. It has become common knowledge that drinking a little red wine after a meal helps with digestion. Guzzling alcoholic beverages, however, leads to cirrhosis of the liver. Out cells need fat because the membrane that surrounds it is composed mostly of fat. But if we eat too much fatty food, this may result in an unhealthy fatty liver.
The liver also needs specific nutrients to fuel its functions and help it maintain itself. Carrots and beets for instance provide flavonoids and beta-carotene that the liver can use to help with overall function. The body can synthesize its own glutathione from raw nutrients taken from avocados. The liver can then use it to cleanse certain toxins circulating in the bloodstream. All in all, the liver, if not overworked and provided with sufficient nutrition, can take care of itself and help us enjoy the benefits a healthy body can provide.
