How does the liver detox?

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The liver represents the key filtering system of the human body, converting toxins into waste, cleaning the blood, metabolizing nutrients and medicines to provide the body with a number of important proteins. So how does the liver detox and how to keep it healthy?

1. How does the liver detox?

The adult liver weighs about 1.4 kg, located in the upper right abdomen, below the diaphragm. As one of the largest organs in the body, the liver performs many important metabolic functions, including:
Converting nutrients in the diet into substances the body can use Store these this nutrient and supply it to cells when needed Absorbs harmful substances and converts them to harmless substances or detoxifies them through the liver With the help of vitamin K, the liver produces important proteins in the process of blood clotting, while also breaking down old or damaged blood cells. Liver tissue is made up of many smaller cell units, with many blood and bile channels running between. Blood from the digestive organs flows through the portal vein to the liver, carrying nutrients, medications, and toxic substances. After reaching the liver, these substances will be processed, stored, changed, detoxified and transferred back into the bloodstream or eliminated. This way, the liver can remove alcohol and the byproducts of drug breakdown from your blood.
The liver plays a central role in every metabolic process of the body. For example, when metabolizing fat, liver cells break down fat and create energy, and produce about 800-1,000 ml of bile per day. This yellow, brown, or olive green liquid is collected by the small ducts and then transferred to the main bile duct. The bile ducts continue to carry bile to the duodenum - part of the small intestine. Bile is important for the breakdown and absorption of fats.
During carbohydrate metabolism, the liver makes sure your blood sugar stays constant. If your blood sugar rises, such as after a meal, the liver removes the blood glucose supplied by the portal vein and stores it as glycogen. If blood sugar is too low, the liver breaks down glycogen and releases sugar into the bloodstream. Like glucose, the liver also stores vitamins and minerals (iron and copper), and releases them into the bloodstream when needed.

In addition, the liver also plays an important role in protein metabolism. Specifically, liver cells change amino acids in food to produce energy, creating carbohydrates or fats. The toxic ammonia is a by-product of this process. The liver cells convert ammonia into urea - a much less toxic substance. Urea is then released into the bloodstream, transported to the kidneys, and eliminated from the body in the urine. This is the answer to the question of how the liver detoxifies?

2. How to keep the liver healthy?

As a fundamental part of the overall body process, it is very important to keep the liver healthy and limit insatiable activity. In recent years, many products have been launched on the market with the aim of detoxifying and cleansing the liver, maintaining liver function or restoring liver that has been damaged after parties with a lot of food and alcohol. . A liver doctor explained common myths about liver health, as well as determining the value of liver detoxification as follows:
2.1. Although liver cleansing supplements claim that this is a daily method of protecting liver health and overcoming overeating, hepatologists say use is not recommended. Because many of these products are not regulated by health authorities, they are inconsistent in quality and have not been fully tested in clinical trials.
There are several popular liver detox ingredients that have been shown to have positive results, such as milk thistle (hemp/holy thistle) which reduces liver inflammation and turmeric extract against liver damage. However, there are still insufficient clinical trial data in humans to recommend routine use of these natural compounds.
Drinking less alcohol and consuming less heavy food is always good for liver health. Meanwhile, cleaning agents have not been proven to protect the body from damage caused by "drunk binge".
MORE: How does alcohol affect the liver?
2.2. Watch out for liver detoxification through the skin for weight loss Many liver detox products are also sold as weight loss pills. However, there are no clinical data to support the effectiveness of these substances. In fact, some supplements can actually harm and damage the liver, so use with caution.
2.3. How to protect yourself from liver disease. There are many steps you can take to prevent liver disease, including:
Don't drink excessively: No more than 3 drinks a day for men and 2 drinks for women to prevent liver disease caused by liver disease. Alcohol. Avoid weight gain: Maintain a normal BMI (18 to 25) by eating healthy and exercising regularly to reduce your risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Avoid the risk of viral hepatitis : Do not use illegal drugs or have unprotected sex with multiple partners. Know your risk factors: If you use alcohol excessively or have a family history of liver disease, it's important to get tested, as chronic liver disease can go unnoticed for years and go undetected. presently.

Nearly 50% of hepatitis C patients do not know they are infected, so it is important to talk to your doctor about screening if you have the following risk factors:
Have had a blood transfusion before five years. 1992 Ever or currently using illegal drugs Patients on hemodialysis Patients with HIV Health workers with needles contaminated with blood contaminated with hepatitis C Have tattoos done in an uncontrolled environment.
2.4. Treatment of liver damage Liver cleansing has not been shown to treat existing liver damage. Here are some types of liver disease and treatment options:
Hepatitis A and B: You should get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B if you are not immune or do not have underlying liver disease. In addition, patients with chronic hepatitis B infection also have highly effective oral medications available. Alcoholic liver disease: Alcohol should be stopped to give the liver a good chance to recover. The liver has a remarkable ability to regenerate and heal once the damaging effects have stopped. Hepatitis C: A highly effective, well-tolerated oral drug is now available to treat hepatitis C. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: The most effective treatment is weight loss, which has been shown to reduce liver fat and adipose inflammation. 2.5. Obesity increases the risk of liver disease Obesity significantly increases the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. As mentioned, fat in the liver can cause inflammation, leading to the development of fibrosis and cirrhosis. Due to the rise of obesity in the United States, the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is rapidly increasing and is expected to overtake hepatitis C as the indication for liver transplantation in the next 30 years.
Finally, you can do to keep your liver healthy by taking good care of it. Avoid excessive consumption of harmful foods and alcohol, maintain a healthy diet and exercise, and seek medical attention if you have risk factors for liver disease. If you have liver damage, work with your treating doctor to come up with the healthiest and safest plan for your condition.

With the goal of comprehensive health care in general and preserving liver function in particular, Vinmec International General Hospital System is a reliable address for all families, especially middle-aged members. when risk factors for liver damage have gradually formed. When customers come to check, Vinmec's team of professional and experienced doctors will welcome and graciously inquire about current unpleasant symptoms, history of liver disease, history of alcohol consumption, history of hepatitis. personal and family history. If it is found that the client has high risk factors for liver disease, the doctor will order laboratory tests to evaluate and screen. The system of means, machines and testing equipment at Vinmec is modern, up to international standards and of international quality in order to bring customers the most accurate results. Accordingly, laboratory tests for underlying liver disease may include:
Blood tests - check the level of liver enzymes in the blood. If levels are high, this will be evidence of liver damage. At the same time, blood tests also help evaluate liver function through blood clotting function, blood protein, bilirubin. In addition, blood tests also help find the cause of cirrhosis such as finding viral hepatitis antigens, quantifying copper and iron accumulation in the blood in metabolic liver diseases. Liver ultrasound – With ultrasound waves, the shape and structure of the liver is shown, helping doctors find abnormalities as early as possible, even when there are no symptoms. The most sensitive feature on ultrasound is the presence of stones in the bile ducts in the liver parenchyma or stones in the gallbladder. Liver Biopsy - For liver lesions that cannot be explained by conventional tests or for prognostic diagnoses, a liver biopsy for microscopic observation of hepatocytes is indicated. In addition, Vinmec International General Hospital has implemented many other specialized tests in liver examination packages, suitable for each subject. This is an expression of our commitment to comprehensive health care, giving everyone the opportunity to have a healthy and long-lasting liver.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

References: healthline.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, hopkinsmedicine.org