Liver & Gallbladder – Hello Doctor

The best foods for your liver

May 3rd, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

Your liver is an important organ with many vital functions. It plays an important role in regulating different processes in your body, including metabolism; secretion (a process when substances are produced and discharged from a cell), energy storage, and detoxification (when the body gets rid of unwanted toxins).

Your liver controls most chemical levels in the blood and releases a product called bile. Bile helps carry away waste and breaks down fats in the small intestine during digestion. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines pass through the liver.

The liver then processes this blood and breaks down, balances, and creates nutrients for the body to use.

The liver also:

Stores and releases glucose as needed.
Stores iron.
Produces cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fats through the body.
Clears the blood of drugs, medication and other harmful substances.
Regulates blood clotting.
Resists infections by producing immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream.

When the liver has broken down harmful substances, they’re released into the bile or blood. Bile by-products enter the intestine and ultimately leave the body in the faeces (poo). Blood by-products are filtered out by the kidneys and leave the body in the form of urine.

To keep your liver healthy, you need to eat the right foods.

Avocado

Avos are rich in fibre and packed with healthy fats. They produce a powerful antioxidant called glutathione which helps with the removal of harmful toxins from the body.

Garlic

Garlic helps your liver activate enzymes to flush out toxins. It also has the compounds allicin and selenium that assist the liver to detoxify.

Apples

Apples have high levels of the chemical pectin. This substance helps the body cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract.

Grapefruit

This fruit is packed with Vitamin C and other antioxidants that protect your liver. They help reduce inflammation and prevent cell damage.

Grapes

Studies show that grapes and grapeseed extract protect the liver from damage, while also increasing antioxidant levels and fighting inflammation.

Fatty fish

Fatty fish are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. They’re healthy fats that reduce inflammation and have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and blood pressure

Vegetables

Veggies like broccoli and cauliflower contain glucosinolate, which helps the liver make detoxifying enzymes. They also contain sulphur compounds that keep your liver healthy. Leafy vegetables contain good amounts of chlorophyll to help filter toxins out of the bloodstream and neutralise heavy metals.

References:

How to look after your liver (before it’s too late)

April 20th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

After your skin, the liver is the largest organ in your body and is crucial for keeping your body in its best condition. This important organ has many functions. It produces bile, prevents blood clotting and controls the way fat and amino acids work. Most importantly, it clears out toxins by converting them into harmless substances or releasing them from the body.

When your liver is overloaded with work though, it may struggle to clear the toxins. There are also hundreds of diseases that can affect your liver. These may result in a congested liver or liver-related conditions.

Potential liver problems include:

Cirrhosis. This is fairly common in South Africa with alcoholism as a leading cause. In this condition, dead or damaged cells are replaced by fibrous tissue, causing fibrosis.

Hepatitis. This is when your liver becomes inflamed. In South Africa, we have three viruses that create hepatitis; A, B and C. In fact, these three viruses are completely unrelated to one another, but they all happen to target the liver during an infection.

Liver congestion. Your liver can become congested for a few reasons. One is when your liver can’t get rid of toxins in your body and can’t function properly as a result. Other reason are because it’s not able to produce enough bile, makes too much carbohydrates, or can’t keep your glucose (sugar) levels balanced.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease. Accumulation of fat in the liver in people who drink too much alcohol.

Iron overload. Too much iron in the body can poison the liver.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Accumulation of fat in the liver due to reasons other than alcohol. Obesity plays a big role in this condition, and about 80% of obese people have this disease.

Risk factors:

Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
Sharing needles
Exposure to other people’s blood and body fluids
Unprotected sex
Obesity
Diabetes
A family history of liver problems

Signs to watch for:

Jaundice. The whites of your eyes and skin can turn yellow from an excess of bilirubin (a yellow pigment) in the system. This is caused by malfunction of the liver.

Pain and swelling of the legs and abdomen. Fluid accumulates within the abdomen and the legs, causing these to swell.

Enlarged liver. This can be seen in a variety of causes of liver disease.

Skin problems. The skin can become itchy and spiderlike blood vessels form on the face and chest.

Bleeding in the oesophagus and stomach.

Blood abnormalities. A decreased number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Excessive bleeding and easy bruising can be the result of these abnormalities.

Hormonal abnormalities. Decreased fertility in women and erectile dysfunction in men.

Confusion. This happens when the brain struggles to function because of a build-up of toxins in the blood.

Help your liver

There are ways to keep your liver in shape.

Talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated for hepatitis.
Drink alcohol in moderation and remember that high-risk drinking means more than eight drinks a week for women and 15 drinks for men.
Talk to your doctor before using prescription and non-prescription medication.
Avoid contact with other people’s body fluids.
Drink a cup of coffee or tea every day to increase antioxidants in the liver and decrease inflammation. This lowers the chance of liver disease like fatty liver.
Eat broccoli and Brussels sprouts as they may increase the liver’s natural detoxification enzymes. This helps protect your liver from damage.
Stay away from foods with added sugar.
Avoid eating white bread, rice and pasta, which can raise blood sugar.
Eat red meat in moderation as it contains saturated fat.

References:

Is your gallbladder acting up?

December 8th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

You have a nagging pain in your stomach. It might be gas, it could be a pulled muscle, or the after-effects of last night’s dodgy pizza.

Or… it might be your gallbladder.

If this sounds like a tiny, unimportant little organ you’ve never heard of before, you’re half-right. The problem though, is that, if your gallbladder does act up, you could land in hospital, or worse.

When things go pear-shaped
Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ, tucked under the liver. The job of the gallbladder is to store bile, a substance that helps you digest fat and fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients. This bile comes from your liver; it travels along in a tube (hepatic duct) that connects the two organs.

So, for a relatively small organ, your gallbladder has an important job – and if it stops working properly, it can cause a lot of pain.

There’s a problem if you:

Feel pain in your back between the shoulder blades or pain under your right shoulder.
Feel nauseous and frequently vomit after eating.
Find your stomach bloating consistently.
Can’t tolerate fatty or oily foods.
Find yourself unable to digest food.
Feel pain in your chest or under the breastbone when you lie down after eating.

These symptoms could mean:

Gallstones: Stones that form when fat and bile causes crystals to form. These stones can be as grainy as sand, or as big as a golf ball!
Perforated gallbladder: This is serious and you need urgent medical care. A perforated gallbladder happens when the gallstones have been untreated and have now breached the wall of the gallbladder (made a hole in the wall). The longer it goes on, the more damage it can cause as it could infect other parts of your body.
Inflamed gallbladder: Here, the excess bile is trapped in the gallbladder and can’t get out, thanks to an obstruction by the gallstone, causing irritation and inflammation – and eventually shutting down completely.
Gallbladder cancer: This isn’t hugely common, but it is a possibility.

When to go to the doctor
If you’ve noticed any of the symptoms occurring more frequently, it’s time to see a doctor. You don’t want to ignore the signs and end up on the surgery table with an inflamed gallbladder! This is a costly operation, and recovery can take up to three months as your body adjusts to its new situation.

If you frequently experience fever, nausea and vomitting (especially after eating), see you doctor. Pain in the upper-right part of your body and behind the shoulder blades that doesn’t go away within a few hours, also needs a doctor visit. Depending on your gallbladder problem, your doctor could admit you into hospital for surgery. If you’re one of the lucky ones, the problem resolves itself and you never have an attack of pain again.

Gallbladder problems can strike anyone but you’re particularly at risk if you’re female, diabetic, overweight, or have a family history of gallbladder problems.

References:

Let’s get to know your liver

May 26th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Your liver. Just the name itself is quite innocuous, isn’t it? It may not be the most glamorous organ in your body, but it’s one of the most hardworking.

Think of your liver as a powerful engine. It’s responsible for lots of functions, from detoxification and producing bile, to controlling the way fat and amino acids in your body work.

Large and in charge

Your liver is the largest internal organ in your body*. It is crucial in keeping your body functioning properly. This powerhouse sits in the upper right-hand side of the abdomen, just underneath your ribs. Amongst its many jobs:

Processing the body’s nutrients.
Regulating blood clotting.
Breaking down potentially toxic substances for the body to use or get rid of.

Overworked and underpaid?

Yes, your liver, thanks to its hundreds of functions, can overwork itself to a standstill, and all manner of illnesses and sickness can attack. In fact, there are over a hundred diseases that can affect your liver, so it’s not surprising that there’s a wide range of symptoms when it comes to liver disease. These symptoms differ in intensity and severity. It’s important to know that some people are born with liver problems, while others develop problems later in life.

Potential liver problems include:

Cirrhosis: This is fairly common in South Africa with alcoholism as a leading cause of the problem. In this condition, dead or damaged cells are replaced by fibrous tissue, causing fibrosis.
Hepatitis: This is when your liver becomes inflamed. In South Africa, we have three viruses that create hepatitis; A, B and C. In fact, these three viruses are completely unrelated to one another, but they all happen to target the liver during an infection.
Liver cancer: People with liver disorders need to pay special attention to diet for the liver to function optimally.

Watch out for:

Jaundice. The whites of your eyes and your skin can turn yellow because of an excess of bilirubin in the system. This is caused by malfunction of the liver.
Pain and swelling of the legs and abdomen. Fluid accumulates within the abdomen and the legs, causing swelling.
Enlarged liver.
Skin problems. The skin can become itchy and spiderlike blood vessels can form on the face and chest.
Bleeding in the oesophagus and stomach. (You may see blood in your sputum, or vomiting up blood – signs to see a doctor ASAP!)
Bruising easily.
Blood abnormalities. A decreased number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Excessive bleeding and easy bruising can be the result of these abnormalities.
Hormonal abnormalities. Decreased fertility in women and erectile dysfunction in men.
Confusion. This is the result of a deterioration of brain function because of a build-up of toxic substances in the blood.

Good liver guide

Alcohol is NOT your friend if you want a healthy liver. Keep those drinks to a minimum.
Avoid infection through hepatitis. You can get immunised against hepatitis A and B.
Safe sex – always!
Know what medications you’re taking and how to manage them properly. Mixing medications or taking the wrong types can do your liver immense harm. Make sure you always follow the dosage instructions. If you’re taking more than one medication, ask your doctor about the potential side-effects.

*Your skin is the largest organ in the human body.

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