Unhealthy things that can damage your liver

By Doosuur Iwambe

The liver is one of the internal organs that is responsible for the storage and metabolization of nutrients, destroying of toxins and production of bile. Once the liver is damaged, it stopped carrying out its primary functions in the body.

Among other outcomes, a damaged liver can lead to swelling of the legs and ankles, itchy skin, abdominal swelling and pain, chronic fatigue and jaundice.

However, the alteration of the functions of the liver in the body system does not occur in isolation; it is tied to other things. While revealing some of the unhealthy things that can damage the liver from functioning well, the following among others were disclosed by WebMD in article titled, “Surprising Things That Can Damage Your Liver”.

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1. Sugar. Consumption of excess refined sugar is not just unhealthy for the teeth but can also cause harm to the liver. Drinks that contain added sugar such as pastries, candy and soda should be avoided.
2. Herbal supplements. Even though they are supposed to be harmless and “natural”, certain herbs such as kava kava (primarily used to treat menopause issues) has been revealed by studies to be harmful to the liver. Get the approval of your doctor before you take any herbal supplements.
3. Excess weight. Overweight can also be a threat to the liver, because it can build up fats in the cells of the liver, which can lead to the swelling of the liver.
4. Excess vitamin A from supplements. Inasmuch vitamin A is healthy for the body, if it is not gotten directly from plants such as vegetables and fresh fruits, the ones obtained from supplements can endanger the liver.
5. Soft drinks. Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), a common liver problem is mostly connected to people who consume too much of soft drinks.
6. Trans fats. These are non – natural fats made by man, that can be found in baked goods and packaged foods.