If you think you’re overworked, consider your liver.

This football-sized organ, tucked away in your upper right abdomen, is the ultimate multi-tasker, performing more than 500 essential roles. Its primary duties include:

• Detoxification: Purifying the blood by filtering out toxins, alcohol, and medications.
• Digestion: Producing bile to help the small intestine process fats.
• Storage: Housing vital nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and glucose to be released whenever the body needs them.

Despite the heavy lifting, the liver is incredibly hardy; it stands alone as the only organ capable of completely regenerating itself, even after suffering significant damage or partial removal.

And yet, it has its limits too. “Generally, maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle has a direct impact on your liver,” says Angelo B. Lozada, MD of top hospital in the Philippines, Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed). “But ingesting certain substances that aren’t necessarily toxic could also do the liver harm. And like many diseases deemed ‘silent killers’ because they only present symptoms in their advanced stage, liver damage tends to go unnoticed because it shares similar symptoms with less life-threatening diseases.”

While some causes of liver damage are obvious, others may come as a surprise:

Alcohol is certainly top of mind when it concerns liver health. Occasional moderate drinking is considered safe, but to protect your liver, replace alcohol with a healthier alternative. “Drinking water helps the liver flush out toxins.”

Pain killers bring instant relief to a migraine, fever, or muscle ache. “Make sure you follow the dosage recommended by your healthcare provider,” says Dr. Lozada. “While over-the-counter pain killers like paracetamol, acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium are safe and effective to use, taking too much can harm the liver.”

Supplements address certain nutrient deficiencies, boost athletic performance, and enhance overall well-being. But despite being labeled as “natural,” some supplements can damage the kidneys and liver. “High doses of vitamin A, for instance, are not good for the liver. Best to get it from real food like salmon, leafy green vegetables, and orange and yellow veggies,” explains Dr. Lozada.

Obesity doesn’t just make you a candidate for heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain cancers. It can lead to fatty liver disease, or the buildup of fat in the liver. “Fix it by cutting sugary food and trans-fat from your diet, exercising regularly, and getting down to your ideal weight.”

Smoking isn’t just bad for your lungs and heart. The numerous toxic substances in one stick alone force the liver to work overtime, causing oxidative stress that can progress to cirrhosis. Additionally, the chemicals in cigarette smoke are carcinogenic, increasing your risk for liver cancer. “There is nothing beneficial in smoking cigarettes and vaping,” says Dr. Lozada. “Quit today.”

For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632.88888 999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph. Follow @IamMakatiMed on Facebook and Twitter.