Making sure to drink your water after waking up, before eating a meal, before and after physical activity and before bed can ensure your liver has what it needs to function properly.
Water helps the liver filter and remove all the toxins that it has absorbed from what we ate, drank, inhaled, or put on our skin. Not drinking enough water can cause these toxins to build up in the liver which can as a result affect the rest of your body and put you at risk of illnesses.
Drinking enough water also aids in maintaining a healthy weight which helps to reduce the risk of developing or worsening fatty liver disease.
"Alcohol is the worst drink for your liver as it makes it harder on the liver to break down and remove toxins from the body," says Minerva Valencia, RD. "Alcohol is known to cause damage to this vital organ, but a wide variety of alcoholic drinks can also pose health risks," says Janet Coleman, RD at TheConsumerMag.
In addition to causing several physical symptoms, dehydration can greatly affect liver function, especially the ability to detoxify blood. On average, people should drink 8-10 glasses of water a day; some people with health conditions may need to increase their water intake beyond the recommended amount.
First few hours: To be sure, symptoms of a detoxing liver start approximately 10 hours after alcohol abstinence. It is common for a person to experience nausea and abdominal pain. Psychological symptoms begin to appear, including anxiety. In general, a person feels tired but restless.
A strict 900kcals diet that is low in dietary carbohydrate and fat will encourage your body to use up glycogen (carbohydrate that is stored in the liver) and fat stores, thus helping to shrink the size of the liver. A very low calorie diet (VLCD) is designed to completely replace usual food intake.
Our circadian rhythm is our master 'internal clock' and ensures that all of our organs and internal biological systems work harmoniously together. It is during the period between 1 and 3 AM that the liver works it's hardest to cleanse and detoxify our body while we sleep.
“People with poor night time sleep and prolonged daytime napping have the highest risk for developing fatty liver disease. Our study found a moderate improvement in sleep quality was related to a 29 percent reduction in the risk for fatty liver disease," Liu said.
It typically takes seven days for the liver to detox but a couple of months for the symptoms to eventually disappear. Alcohol abuse patients are recommended to enrol in medically-assisted alcohol liver detox to manage symptoms accordingly.
Dehydration affects the body as our bodies are made of 75% of water. The liver needs ample amounts of fluids to stay efficient and drinking less than the requisite amount will lead to liver problems. Water consumption helps the liver to maintain its reserves and dehydration leads to an increased risk of illness.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Incredible detoxification actions of ACV work to flush out the harmful toxins from the liver that hinders its normal functions. Studies discloses that regular intake of ACV promotes weight loss, diminishes cholesterol levels, lessen inflammation, and uplift the overall health of the liver.
Some alcohol-related liver damage can be reversed if you stop drinking alcohol early enough in the disease process. Healing can begin as early as a few days to weeks after you stop drinking, but if the damage is severe, healing can take several months.
The liver begins to cleanse toxins. 1-3 a.m. — Liver — Cleansing of blood and processing of wastes. This is a common time to wake up. At 2am, our blood sugar drops to its lowest point.
Lemon water can also benefit your liver health. Studies have observed that the liver produces more enzymes in the presence of lemon when compared to other food items. Enzymes are essential to stimulate, accelerate, and catalyze various chemical reactions in the human body.
A good general rule of thumb is to aim for 4 liters of water per day. Stay away from carbonated water or water in plastic beverage containers. 2.
Too Much Alcohol
Alcoholic fatty liver, which causes liver inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis), eventual scarring (cirrhosis) and even liver cancer, is a process that begins on as little as four drinks a day for men and two for women. By the time you show symptoms, your liver may be damaged beyond repair.
Factors that may increase your risk of liver disease include: Heavy alcohol use. Obesity. Type 2 diabetes.