January is love your liver Month

January is love your liver Month

Your liver is the biggest organ inside your body; in adults, it is about the size of a rugby ball.
It carries out hundreds of essential jobs that keep your body working. It cleans the blood by removing poisons and other toxic substances, including alcohol and harmful drugs. It makes vital proteins that help stop you bleeding when you are cut or injured; processes food once it has been digested; regulates fat breakdown and distribution into the bloodstream, and stores sugars, vitamins and minerals. The liver also gives you the energy to do every day tasks. On top of all of this, the liver has the ability to repair itself. However, this is limited; continuous injury can lead to permanent scarring and eventually to it not working at all. Injury can occur without you even knowing; your liver has no nerve endings, which means you may not notice any symptoms for some time.
Mike Hedges AM urges everyone to follow these top tips for looking after your liver and it doesn’t have to be difficult! • Enjoy more fruit and veg and avoid sugary drinks. • Exercise regularly to burn the fat off your liver and other organs. • Take 2-3 consecutive days off alcohol a week, to let your liver cells recover and repair themselves.
Liver disease is now the fifth largest cause of death in the UK. The good news is that most forms of liver disease can be prevented or reversed.