Liver is one of the largest internal organs in the body. It is a complex hardworking multitasking organ, tirelessly performing many functions. The efficiency of your liver is the key to your enjoying a good healthy life. Your lifestyle and environment compel your body to be continuously exposed to harmful toxins in the form of your medicines, the polluted air you breathe and the artificial additives in the food you consume. Since the liver protects your body from these harmful elements, it is up to you to retain the good condition of liver and keep it optimally functional.
The major functions of the liver:
- Filter out toxins including bilirubin and ammonia from your bloodstream.
- Produce bile to break down fats
- Help absorb nutrients in the intestine from the processed food
- Regulate blood composition to balance protein, fat, and sugar.
- Produce essential chemicals to aid blood clotting.
- Destroy old blood cells
- Break down some hormones
- Store minerals, iron and vitamin A
- Store glycogen, to be broken down when necessary to release energy.
If these functions are affected due to improper care or malfunction of liver, you may suffer some of these ill effects:
- Jaundice
- Impaired digestion
- Bloating of abdomen and dyspepsia
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Darkening color of urine
- Chronic fatigue
Ways to take Care of your Liver
It is necessary to keep the liver healthy to ensure its efficiency. It is imperative to detoxify your liver to enable it to effectively rid your body of toxins as well as perform all the beneficial tasks that it is intended to. Some of the means to do this are:
- Drink enough water.
- Consume foods that are rich in fiber.
- Exercise every day to stimulate the liver and other internal organs.
Can Drinking Water Help your Liver?
You can detoxify your liver with water. Water is considered an important part of our life and central to the existence of all life forms. Human body constitutes about 70% of water making water an essential ingredient in sustaining the vital life functions. Water is important to the body because:
- It hydrates and lubricates the body.
- Maintains viscosity of blood.
- Eliminates waste.
- Regulates body temperature
- Transports vital nutrients through the body
- Supports digestion and absorption of ingested food.
- Ensures smooth bowel movement
Water is thus the primary requisite that nourishes your liver. Water flushes out the liver and cleans it of toxic substances that hamper its performance. Along with the liver, it also supports the functioning of kidney as both these organs purify the blood, whose viscosity impacts their abilities. Efficient detoxification depends on sufficiency of water.
Ensuring Availability of Ample Water
You are often told by your elderly kin, doctors, dieticians, nutritionists etc. that you should drink enough water. In the normal course, the body loses water through urination, perspiration, bowels and even respiration. It is further dependent on your physical involvement, individual physiology and environment. In order to replenish this loss adequately, you should drink 10 to 12 glasses of plain water daily, apart from what is imbibed through food and other consumed liquids. Deficiency in the intake of water may cause dehydration, manifesting in some of these symptoms:
- Headaches
- Joint and muscle pain
- Reduced concentration
- Fatigue
- Constipation
It is important to drink water throughout the day, rather than be guided by thirst to obviate insufficiency of water in the body. Obviously, this will condition the liver to function best.
Conclusion
Since the liver is fundamental to your general good health, it is your responsibility to retain its functions and good health properly. Avoid consumption of unhealthy beverages, harmful foods, and embrace beneficial habits.
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