Five Surprising Things That Can Damage Your Liver

The liver is the largest internal organ of the body and one of the most important too. Its functions include making proteins and blood clotting factors, manufacturing triglycerides, cholesterol glycogen synthesis, and bile production, amongst others. I don’t need to tell you how important it is to keep this powerhouse safe and working at optimum. Here’s a list of things which you may have no idea is hurting your liver. Vitamin A Vitamin A is very important for the proper functioning of the body, especially for the maintaining of a healthy immune system, skin, and vision. It’s important to include it in your diet by consuming eggs, oily fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Nevertheless, You should be very careful with the consumption of supplements which contain vitamin A because, in excess, it can increase the risk of liver and bone damage. Hepatitis C Hepatitis C is a virus that can infect the liver and if left untreated, can cause long-term and potentially life-threatening damage to the organ; cirrhosis and liver failure inclusive. In most of the cases, people get infected with hepatitis C by sharing unsterilized needles when injecting drugs. Other ways of contacting it are sharing razors and shaving equipment, toothbrushes and occasionally even through unprotected sex. If you think you might be at risk, you should get tested as soon as possible. With the latest medications, the infection is highly treatable in its early stages. Lack of sleep Surprisingly, sleep deprivation can have some serious effects on your body cells. According to a study with lead author Carol Everson,  published in the December 2014 issue of Sleep, sleeplessness can cause oxidative stress to the liver. Sugar Excess sugar isn’t just bad for your teeth, it causes harm to your liver too. Too much refined-sugar in excess of calorie requirements causes a fatty build-up that leads to liver disease. Some studies show that sugar can be as damaging to the organ as alcohol, even when you are not overweight. This is one more reason to limit foods with added sugars, like fizzy drinks, pastries, and sweets. Fuel exhaust Auto and diesel exhaust contains dozens of liver damaging poisons such as; lead, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, acetaldehyde, cadmium, and peroxyacetyl nitrate. Avoiding excessive toxin exposure is an important step in reducing the impact of liver disease. The most common sign of toxic overload is fatigue, while headaches, nausea, and dizziness come close behind.