World Liver Day 2024: Keep your liver healthy by avoiding these 7 habits

Maintaining optimal liver health is critical for overall well-being, given its central role in detoxification and metabolic processes. A healthy liver supports digestion, stores essential nutrients, and helps regulate blood sugar. To safeguard this vital organ, there are practices one should adopt, such as consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Regular exercise, staying hydrated, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption are also crucial. While there are several practices one should adopt to maintain liver health, Dr Vinit Shah, Consultant Liver Transplant Physician & Hepatologist at Ruby Hall clinic, Pune, suggests a few habits that are bad for liver.

Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can harm your liver. It causes problems like fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. The liver gets overwhelmed trying to break down all the alcohol, so it stores fat and gets inflamed. Over time, this leads to scarring, making it hard for your liver to work properly. To keep your liver healthy, it's important not to drink too much. Even though having a drink now and then might seem okay, it's best to know your limits. For most women, one drink a day is safe, and for most men, two drinks a day is okay. But remember, even a little alcohol can be dangerous for some people, depending on their medical history, medications, and genes.

Use of illicit substance: In addition to avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, one should also avoid using illicit substances and be informed about medications and supplements that may affect liver health. One should use such substances responsibly and under the guidance of a healthcare professional.