Suffering from Liver disease? 6 Fruits & Veggies to Get Rid of Them

The liver is the largest body inside the human body. It helps you remove toxins, digest food, and store energy. Liver disease is a condition that prevents the full range of functions of the liver and damages it in the long run. 

The liver or liver functions include the regulation of chemical levels in the blood while excreting a product called bile. A few other well-known functions of the liver are:

• Clearance or flushing out of excessive bilirubin from red blood cells. Excessive bilirubin turns the skin and eyes yellow
• Bile production which helps metabolize fat during the process of digestion in the small intestine;
• Resistance of infections by removing bacteria from the bloodstream while making immune factors 
• Particular protein production for blood plasma
• Regulating the clotting of blood
• Production of special proteins and cholesterol to carry fats through the body
• Conversion of ammonia to urea which is later excreted via urine
• Storage of excess glucose as glycogen which can later be converted into glucose again as and when needed
• Hemoglobin processing for the use of the iron content as the liver is where the iron is stored.
• Regulation of building blocks of protein as blood levels of amino acids are regulated. 

However, the functions of the liver are severely affected due to liver diseases. 

Liver Diseases

A few kinds of liver diseases are:

• Inherited or genetic diseases such as Wilson disease and Hemochromatosis 

1. Wilson disease is a rare genetic disorder that prevents the liver from getting rid of excessive copper in the body. Copper in small amounts is good for the human body. However, excessive copper not being flushed out of the body by the liver can cause damage to the brain, kidneys, and eyes as it is released in the bloodstream. 
2. Hemochromatosis is popularly known as Iron overload disease, where excessive iron builds up in the human body. When a person has Hemochromatosis, they absorb more iron than they need. The human body can't get rid of the excess iron without the help of the liver, and excessive iron often causes damage and permanent organ failure.

• Disease caused by any virus such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C.

1. Hepatitis A causes a short-term, acute viral infection. 
2. Hepatitis B can cause acute short-term or chronic long-term viral infection (chronic liver disease).
3. Like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C can be either acute short-term or chronic long-term viral infection (chronic liver disease).

• Diseases or disorders caused by too much alcohol or drugs Examples of such diseases may be cirrhosis and fatty liver disease.

1. Fatty liver disease is nothing but the build-up of fat in a person's liver which may be further subdivided into two types, such as:

• Alcoholic liver disease (Alcoholic fatty liver disease), also popularly known as alcoholic steatohepatitis, is caused by heavy consumption of alcohol. The liver has to break down most of the alcohol so it can be removed from the body. The process of breaking down alcohol often generates harmful substances which can further weaken the body's natural immune system, damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and many more. Thus, the more a person drinks, the more he is harming his liver. Alcoholic liver disease can further result in alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the build-up of fat in the liver with little to no liver damage. Damage of the liver and inflammation, in this case, can cause scarring, or fibrosis of the liver or liver cancer, or cirrhosison.

         2. Scarring of the liver tissue is known as liver cirrhosis which forms as a result of long-term damage or injury. Mostly,             scar tissues are unable to do what a normal liver tissue can do, such as storing energy, digestion of food, cleaning             of the blood, helping the body fight infections, and making of protein. :

• Gallstones
• Easy bleeding or bruising, nosebleeds
• Severe itching
• Swelling of the legs or abdomen
• Jaundice
• Enhanced sensitivity to certain medicines
• Kidney failure.

If you have any of the above-mentioned liver diseases, you must be wondering how to cure liver disease, right?

Here's how you can cure a liver disease by consuming specific fruits and veggies:

• Garlic – Not only does it add flavor to your food, but it also helps you maintain your weight 
• Beetroot – It is a source of antioxidants called betalains and nitrates, which may further help in reducing inflammation and oxidative damage.
• Cruciferous vegetables such as mustard greens, brussels sprouts, and broccoli are popularly known for their distinctive taste and high content of fiber. Broccoli and brussels sprouts help protect the liver from damage along with increasing levels of detoxification enzymes.
• Blueberries are rich in polyphenols which help provide protection against NAFLD (Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), a range of conditions caused by a build-up of fat in the liver, which is a direct result of high cholesterol or obesity.
• Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, etc., have shown positive results in the prevention of fat building up in the liver.
• Nuts are rich in Vitamin E and good fats, which has given positive results when consumed by people having NAFLD.

Thus, liver disease, when taken care of from the beginning itself, turns out to be less hazardous. More often than not, both kinds of fatty liver disease can be cured with medicines suggested by the doctor, a healthy diet full of the proper nutrients is required for recovery, and cutting down on alcohol along with sugar as well as both of these can enhance inflammation in the liver. Alcohol-related liver damage can be reversed totally depending on how early you stop drinking after the detection of your disease and during your recovery period. 

However, the process of healing the liver is directly dependent on the amount of damage that has been done already. The higher the amount of damage, the higher will be the recovery period