Be kind to your......LIVER

Be kind to your liver means understanding how it works, avoiding activities that harm it, and supplying it with the right nutrients for optimum function.

Are you at risk or liver disease?
(Tick the statements that are true to you)

- you are exposed to blood or bodily fluids on the job
- you are regularly exposed to toxins or chemicals such as aerosol cleaners,
  bug spray, paint fumes and tobacco smoke
- you have injected drugs, especially if you shared a needle
- you have had frequent, unprotected sex with multiple partners
- you have had a tattoo or piercing with an unsterile needle
- you consume alcohol, even moderate amounts can be toxic
- you use certain herbs or herbal remedies or consume mega doses of
  vitamins
- you have certain conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, or high triglycerides

Note : if you answer yes to any of the statements above, you should see
           your doctor and ask for a liver enzyme test.

The cure
Treatment for liver disease varies according to the type of disease. It may include lifestyle changes(e.g. avoiding alcohol), medications(e.g. corticosteroids) or surgery(e.g. a shunt surgical procedure). In advanced cases of liver failure, the only treatment option is liver transplantation.

There's no doubt you should take good care of your liver, an organ that is so critical to your health and well being. Being kind to your liver means understanding how it works, avoiding activities that harm it, and supplying it with the right nutrients for optimum function. To do so, follow these basic guidelines :

1. Drink beer, liquor and wine in moderation
    - for example, one or two glasses of wine or other alcoholic beverage 
      each day

2. Be careful about the drugs you take
    - all drugs are chemicals, and when you mix them up without a doctor's
      advice, you could create something poisonous that could damage your 
      liver badly

3. Don't mix other drugs with alcohol
    - Acetaminophen(Tylenol or others) can be toxic to the liver even if you
      drink alcohol in moderation

4. Take care about the aerosol sprays you breathe
    - your liver detoxifies what you breathe in. When you're around aerosol
      cleaners, mildew sprays and paint sprays, for example, make sure the
      room is well ventilated or wear a mask

5. Every time you are around insecticides
    - cover your skin with gloves, long sleeves, a hat and mask. These
      harmful chemicals can enter your body through your skin and destroy
      cells in the liver

6. Avoid contact with other people's blood and body fluids
    - hepatitis viruses can be spread by accidental needle sticks, improper
      clean up of blood or body fluids, and sharing intravenous needles. It's
      also possible to become infected by sharing razor blades or toothbrushes
      or by having unsafe sex

7. Avoid fried and processed foods
    - hydrogenated fats and the chemicals found in processed foods cause
      the liver to work harder, increasing the burden on an already taxed organ

8. Eat a well balanced, healthy diet
    - eating a well balanced and healthy diet that 's low in fat, sugar and
      salt but high in fibre and take lots of vegetables, fruits, beans and
      whole-wheat cereals. A balanced diet with its good mix of nutrients can
      actually help a damaged liver to regenerate new liver cells. Since most
      of what we eat, breathe, and absorb through our skin must be refined
      and detoxified by the liver, special attention to nutrition and diet can help
      the liver healthy

9. Get vaccinated
    - if you're at an increased risk of contracting hepatitis or if you've already
      been infected with any form of the hepatitis virus, talk to your doctor
      about getting the hepatitis B vaccine. A vaccine is also available for
      hepatitis A.
      In the future, liver disease treatments may include genetic therapy,
      as well as new vaccines and anti-viral drugs to prevent and treat
      hepatitis C and other hepatitis viruses that cause permanent liver
      damage. Researchers are also working to develop an artificial liver that
      performs the liver's filtering functions, just as dialysis filters blood in
      people with kidney failure.

For now, though, the best way to control liver disease is to keep it from starting. When you take good care of your liver's health on a daily basis, your body's immune system becomes strong and healthy, and this allows it to help fight off any potential liver problems that might otherwise develop.

(info is from www.liverfoundation.org)