This keeps our metabolism center in good shape

Life without the liver is not possible. It is the central metabolic organ of the human body and fulfills a multitude of vital tasks.

“Among other things, the liver is involved in regulating fat and sugar metabolism as well as the mineral and vitamin balance and stores important nutrients such as sugar, fats, vitamins and minerals,” explains Prof. Markus Cornberg from the German Liver Foundation.

As a detoxification center, it filters pollutants from the blood. It also forms many vital substances such as proteins, which are important for blood clotting, among other things.

If the liver is sick, you often do not feel it or feel it for years. “When symptoms occur such as tiredness or concentration problems, they are often very unspecific,” says Ingo van Thiel from Deutsche Leberhilfe. The liver has no pain sensation. “However, some patients have tenderness in the right upper abdomen when the liver is enlarged and presses on the surrounding tissue.”

Typical symptoms such as yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes therefore only occur in comparatively few people. “In the final stages, however, severe symptoms such as a water stomach, sudden vomiting of blood or brain disorders are possible,” says van Thiel. “Some people only then notice that they are sick.”

Most people associate liver disease with alcohol abuse, but alcohol is only one of the top three causes. Fatty liver and the hepatitis viruses B and C are very often the cause.

In order for the liver to stay healthy, it is therefore not enough to “just” do without schnapps, wine and beer. Smoking also attacks the organ. You should also avoid too many sugary sodas and juices, as these can cause fat to accumulate in the liver. Fatty liver can develop.

“We are very concerned about fatty liver diseases caused by the metabolic syndrome,” says liver aid expert van Thiel. The combination of obesity, high blood pressure and sugar and fat metabolism disorders can make the liver seriously ill.

So far there are no drugs against fatty liver. But: Coffee can help, for example. “It has a protective effect and can cause the liver values ​​to drop,” says doctor Cornberg. The risk of developing liver cirrhosis and liver cell cancer decreases.

In contrast, there is no explicit liver cure or diet for people with a healthy organ, says Cornberg. “A balanced diet with fresh and natural foods and an active lifestyle are nevertheless beneficial.”

If you already have liver disease, however, proper nutrition can play an important role. “This applies, for example, to those affected with storage diseases such as hemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease, to patients with cirrhosis of the liver and to people with fatty liver disease,” says Cornberg.

If the liver is inflamed with the hepatitis viruses A, B, C or D, prevention is possible. Everyone aged 35 and over can have a one-time free health check-up for hepatitis B and C.

There is also vaccination against the A and B viruses. “The vaccinations are safe, well tolerated and offer reliable protection against these viral infections,” says Cornberg. “The vaccination against hepatitis B also protects against infection with the D virus.” Both can become chronic and lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cell cancer in the course of time. “This vaccination is therefore also a vaccination against cancer,” says the doctor.

There is currently no vaccination against hepatitis C. Cornberg: “However, this disease can now be cured in almost all patients with almost no side effects.”

German Liver Foundation (Ed.): “The Liver Book. How do I keep my liver healthy? New therapies and current research ”, humboldt – Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft, 200 pages, 19.99 euros, ISBN-13: 978-38426304-7.

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