Non-Alcoholics Who Drink Daily Need To Give Their Liver A Rest, Warn Health Experts
Most People Who Die Of Liver Disease Tend To Drink Little And Often
Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK
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Many people enjoy a tipple after work. The reality is that half of that bottle of wine or those few bottles of beer, which seem harmless enough, could actually be causing more damage than good.
While it might help you to unwind, your daily alcohol consumption could be playing havoc with your liver - with life-threatening results.
"The majority of people who die of alcohol-related liver disease are not alcoholics," Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust told the Daily Mail.
He added that over the past decade there's been a 25% rise in alcohol-related liver disease deaths.
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"At the moment liver disease is the 5th biggest killer in the UK," Langford said. "If we don't do anything about it by 2025 it will almost certainly be one of the top two, it is a major epidemic."
Alcohol causes damage to the cells in your liver, which can lead to inflammation and scarring as it tries to repair itself.
Dr Paul Zollinger-Read, chief medical officer for Bupa, explains to HuffPost Lifestyle that the liver can only handle so much alcohol at a time. "If you don’t give it time to recover and continue to drink alcohol regularly, your liver won’t be able to cope," he adds.
“Even though you might think you’re not drinking too much – several glasses of wine a night is going to increase your risk of liver disease."
This ability to knock back a fair few beverages without getting drunk is referred to by medical experts as ‘hazardous drinking’.
It means that a person regularly drinks over the recommended safety limits but no major alcohol-related problems have occurred as of yet.
Dr Nitin Shori, Medical Director of the Pharmacy2U Online Doctor service and a working NHS GP, says that "frequently drinking too much raises the likelihood of developing certain health conditions including some types of cancers."
But how can we remedy this without becoming staunch non-drinkers?
Langford suggests that if you drink every evening you should "take two to three consecutive days off every week to give your liver a chance to rejuvenate".
"The important word here is 'consecutive'," he adds. "Your liver needs at least 48 hours to start repairing itself."
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How To Keep Your Liver Healthy
Balance That Diet(01 of16)
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"The liver likes a balanced diet, just like the rest of your body," explains Dr. Nancy Reau, vice president of the American Liver Foundation's Board of Directors. She notes that an extreme elimination diet is generally not good for your system, and any benefit it may give you disappears once you go back to eating regularly. For the liver (as well as the rest of your body), look to high-fibre vegetables and lean proteins. (credit:Shutterstock)
Get Some Exercise(02 of16)
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Exercise not only makes you look good on the outside, but it is hugely beneficial to your organs as well. "Exercise builds muscle, which produces anti-inflammatory signals," notes Dr. Reau. In addition, muscle helps to clear toxins from your system, and performing weight bearing exercise regularly prevents osteopenia (the precursor to osteoporosis). (credit:Shutterstock)
Keep The Drinking To A Minimum(03 of16)
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While some alcohol use can be beneficial for your health in moderation, binge drinking is definitely costly and dangerous. As is well known, regular heavy alcohol use can lead to permanent liver damage, as well as other health problems. If you have indulged too much, drinking a lot of water is your best solution to get back on track. Coffee, meanwhile, has also been linked to reducing cirrhosis (particularly alcoholic cirrhosis), so don't fear the java. (credit:Shutterstock)
Avoid Supplements(04 of16)
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"A well-balanced diet is much safer than adding additional nutrients into your system," says Dr. Reau. Some dietary supplements have been linked to liver damage, as the New York Times reported last year. (credit:Shutterstock)
Juice Cautiously(05 of16)
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Dr. Reau readily notes that juicing can be an easy way to add fruits and vegetables into your diet, but points out that it can take some of the fibre out of the food, reducing the nutritional value. As well, some concentrated drinks can be higher in calories than you might expect, so you'll want to account for those in a balanced diet. (credit:Shutterstock)
Don't Cleanse(06 of16)
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Programs that claim to cleanse your liver (and kidneys, for good measure) aren't doing a thing except for making you buy into them. "The liver is a self-cleansing organ," says Dr. Reau. "That is its main job." (credit:Shutterstock)
Garlic (07 of16)
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Garlic helps your liver activate enzymes that can flush out toxins. It also has a high amount of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that aid in liver cleansing, says holistic nutritionist Hermeet Suri. (credit:ShutterStock)
Grapefruit (08 of16)
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Eating or drinking grapefruit juice can help your liver flush out carcinogens and toxins. This fruit is also high in both vitamin C and antioxidant properties. (credit:ShutterStock)
Beets (09 of16)
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Beets are high in plant-flavonoids, which can improve the overall functions of your liver. (credit:ShutterStock)
Leafy Greens (10 of16)
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Leafy greens like spinach and lettuce have the ability to neutralize metals, chemicals and pesticides that may be in our foods, and act as a protective mechanism for the liver, Suri says. (credit:ShutterStock)
Green Tea (11 of16)
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Green tea is full of plant antioxidants known as catechins, which have been known to improve the functions of our liver. (credit:ShutterStock)
Avocados(12 of16)
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Adding more avocados to your diet can help your body produce a type of antioxidant called glutathione, which is needed for our livers to filter out harmful materials, Suri says. (credit:ShutterStock)
Cruciferous Vegetables (13 of16)
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Cruciferous veggies like broccoli and Brussels sprouts also increase the amount of glucosinolate (organic compounds) in our bodies that help create enzyme production for digestion, Suri says. (credit:ShutterStock)
Lemons(14 of16)
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We all know citrus fruits like lemons are full of vitamin C, but lemons also help our bodies cleanse out toxic materials and aid the digestion process. (credit:ShutterStock)
Turmeric (15 of16)
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Used as a spice, tumeric has been known to help our bodies digest fats and stimulate the production of bile. It can also act as a natural form of detox for your liver. (credit:ShutterStock)
Walnuts (16 of16)
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Walnuts are also high in glutathione and omega-3 fatty acids, which help support our livers through their cleansing process. (credit:ShutterStock)
Meanwhile Dr Shori tells HuffPost Lifestyle that it's best to avoid drinking every night and to keep an eye on the number of units you consume during the week.
He adds: "A large glass of wine for example, could actually exceed your recommended daily number of units if you’re female.”
Dr Zollinger-Read agrees: “Guidelines recommend not regularly drinking more than three or four units a day for men, and two or three units a day for women. Although ‘regularly’ means every day or most days of the week, it’s a good idea to have at least two alcohol-free days a week so you don’t go over the limits.
"Over a week, men shouldn’t have more than 21 units and women shouldn’t have more than 14 units.”