Health

Warning signs your liver needs help

Oct 09, 2016

Your liver is a large organ in your abdomen involved in a number of detoxifying activities and is also important for blood clotting. It filters the blood coming into your digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body.

While the body does a good job of self-cleaning, from time-to-time it needs a helping hand.

How do you know if your liver needs assistance?

If you:

experience abdominal bloating pain or discomfort over your liver

have excessive abdominal fat, a pot belly or a roll around your upper abdomen

have trouble digesting fatty foods

have had your gallbladder removed

suffer acid reflux or heartburn

have dark spots on the skin, such as liver spots

you regularly overheat and experience excessive perspiration

have unexplained weight gain

are unable to lose weight even when you restrict your calorie intake

your liver isn’t working to the best of its ability and you might want to give it a detox.

What can you do about it?

If you want to give your liver the best chance of recovery you might want to start by looking at your diet and eliminating those foods that could be putting a bit of extra strain on your body.

Read more: Six steps to a cleaner liver

Cut out the added sugars, skip the soft drinks, avoid alcohol (as best you can) and trim the trans-fats.

Instead include more leafy green and colourful vegetables, fruits and whole grains into your diet. Look at the amount of protein you are eating and opt for lean sources, including nuts and seeds and beans.

There are a lot of fancy liver detox products on the market, but you don’t have to buy them if you make use of any one of the following five common food items:

1. Lemons: Warm lemon water first thing in the morning is a great way to detox your liver.

2. Garlic: Adding garlic to your cooking can help activate the enzymes in your liver. Garlic contains allicin and selenium, which are both good for liver protection.

3. Avocado: Studies have found avocado contains a compound that can protect your liver from damage.

4. Cilantro: This herb can be added to almost any dish and has been found to remove heavy metals from the body, which is often something the liver struggles to deal with.

5. Turmeric: There are a long list of reasons what turmeric can do for your body and now you can add ‘protects and regenerates the liver’. Not only that but turmeric can increase the natural production of bile and can keep your body toxin-free.

In addition to your diet, you can also reduce the number of toxins you’re exposed to around the home. These include plastic food containers, household cleaners, scented candles and air fresheners.

If you have any of the above symptoms or think your liver might be in trouble, it’s always a good idea to have a chat with your health care professional.