Every organ within a human body has its specific function and is essential for a healthy life. The liver lies under the rib cage right beside your abdomen. This small organ within our bodies has a very important role that any other organ cannot perform, which is why you must prevent harming this vital organ.
The most crucial role of the liver is to regulate certain chemical levels in your blood while excreting bile. One of the liver’s most vital tasks is carrying away waste products from the liver. The blood leaving the intestines and stomach passes through this organ.
Optimal liver function refers to a healthy liver that performs its tasks without facing any unwanted issues. You can perform specific tests to check and ensure the condition and health of the liver. For this purpose, many non-invasive procedures are introduced in the market to check the health of your liver.
Let us dive into the importance of optimal liver function in a human’s life and the ways to keep your liver healthy.
Liver Functions And Their Importance
As stated earlier, an essential function of a liver is to regulate chemical levels. When the blood from the stomach and intestines passes through this vital organ, it processes this blood while breaking down and balancing drugs to a form that is easier to use for the rest of the body. It also creates the nutrients in the process and metabolizes the medications so that they become nontoxic for the human body.
There are around 500 vital functions identified by humans as the functions of the liver in the human body, but some of the more important ones are listed below:
- Bile Production: A substance known as bile is produced from the liver. This has a significant role in carrying away waste and breaking down the fats in the small intestines in the digestion process.
- Protein for Blood Plasma: Certain proteins are produced by the liver essential for the blood plasma.
- Cholesterol: This organ is responsible for the production of cholesterol in the human body. Cholesterol and other particular proteins produced by the liver carry fats through the human body.
- Glucose Conversion: Another vital function of the liver is to convert the excess glucose into glycogen for storage purposes. This glycogen is later converted back to glucose for energy. This balances the glucose needed by the human body.
- Amino Acid Levels: It regulates amino acid levels in the blood, which form the building blocks of proteins.
- Hemoglobin Processing: Iron is essential for our body, and the liver processes the hemoglobin for the use of its iron content. This means that your liver stores iron.
- Ammonia Conversion: Ammonia is a poisonous substance that is converted to urea by the liver.
- Clearance of Drugs: This organ is also responsible for the clearance of drugs and certain other poisonous substances from your blood.
- Regulation of Blood Clotting: The liver is also known for its function of regulating any type of blood clotting.
- Stronger Immune System: This organ plays a vital role in building up stronger immune functions for the body. It does this by removing any kind of bacteria present in the bloodstream.
Keeping your Liver Healthy
Now that you know the importance of a healthy liver and its functions, you must do everything possible to keep this organ in its optimal condition. Human intervention cannot control certain natural factors to keep the liver safe from diseases. But several unnatural factors can be controlled by you to keep your liver working as usual.
Specific lifestyle changes might help a lot in keeping your liver working at its optimal capacity.
- Exercise Often and Maintain a Healthy Weight: Obesity is known to be one of the biggest culprits of liver diseases. If you are obese or overweight according to your Body Mass Index, you are in danger of forming a fatty liver. This can cause a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Learn more on what is NASH and how to prevent it.
- Balanced Diet: Eat a balanced diet and avoid high calorie-meals, redefined carbohydrates, saturated fat, and sugar.
- Avoid Toxins: These toxins include direct contact with cleaning and aerosol products, chemicals, insecticides, and also smoking.
- Use Alcohol in Moderation: Overconsumption of alcohol plays a significant role in forming certain liver diseases.
- Don’t Share Needles: Never share the same needle to inject any substance into the body and dispose of the used needles after use.
- Safe Sex: Practice safe sex and always use condoms.
- Never Share Personal Hygiene Products: Razors, toothbrushes, and nail clippers are never to be shared with anyone.
- Get Vaccinated: If you are at risk of contact with hepatitis A and B, make sure to get vaccinated.
Live a Healthy Life with a Healthy Liver
Your health is connected with the health of your liver. Make sure to keep your liver safe from any possible damages or diseases to keep living a healthy life. By practicing certain lifestyle changes, you will be able to take care of your liver without the use of any unnatural procedures.
