Yahoo Lifestyle 'I'm a Hepatologist—Here's How to Know If Your Liver Needs a Detox'
Now that we're all in holiday recovery mode, you're probably looking back on just how indulgent your holiday season was. Not that there's anything wrong with that! Part of what makes the holidays so enjoyable is getting to eat certain foods that we don’t get the rest of the year. Peppermint bark, cheesy sausage balls, holiday cookies and pies…These tasty foods are often accompanied by alcoholic beverages, like wine or eggnog. After all, drinks often play a central—or at least a supporting—role in celebrating.
You likely already know this, but overindulging in alcohol and fatty or carb-heavy holiday treats isn't exactly good for liver health. Even if you don’t drink alcohol, eating an excess of nutrient-poor foods can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, one of the most common causes of liver disease in the U.S.
Ready to get back on track? Here’s the best way to do so, according to doctors specializing in liver health.
Related: This Is the #1 Most Important Habit for Liver Health, According to a Hepatologist
How Much Does Overindulging During the Holidays Impact the Liver?
Here’s what’s tricky about the liver: It’s hard to know how well it’s functioning (or not) until you’re in a really bad place. “For the most part, even when the liver is pretty stressed, an individual may not have symptoms. And if they are experiencing symptoms, common complaints—like fatigue—are so non-specific that they aren’t useful warning signs,” says Dr. Nancy Reau, MD, the Chief of the Section of Hepatology at Rush University Medical Center.
Dr. Gareth Morris-Stiff, MD, the Global Chief Medical Officer at The Liver Clinic, adds to this, saying that liver disease doesn’t have any symptoms until its later stages. “You can get some discomfort under the ribs on the right side, particularly if you drink too much alcohol because the liver is inflamed when it’s dealing with that excess alcohol. But generally, the [early] symptoms of liver damage are very minimal,” he says.
Related: The Very Best Foods for Your Liver, From Berries to Coffee and Green Tea
This is why, both doctors say, it’s important to prioritize liver health well before you notice any symptoms of liver damage. Dr. Ritu Nahar, MD, a gastroenterologist with Allied Digestive Health, says symptoms of liver damage can include fatigue, jaundice, dark urine, pale stools, abdominal pain or swelling and unexplained weight loss. “Other signs might include easy bruising, chronic itching or confusion, which could suggest more advanced liver disease,” she says.
Since these symptoms don’t happen until there is significant liver damage, Dr. Reau says that the biggest early red flag that your liver needs a break is self-awareness, or knowing that you’ve not been eating healthfully or you have been drinking in excess.
Can overindulging for a couple of months during the holidays impact the liver all that much? Dr. Morris-Stiff says that, unfortunately, it can. “When you indulge in [nutrient-poor] foods or alcohol, it puts the liver under strain. If you overindulged in food and alcohol during the holidays, there is no doubt that your liver needs a break to recover. Otherwise, if you keep [overindulging], it will become scarred,” he says.
Related: The One Surprising Habit That Could Drastically Improve Your Liver Health
How To Help Your Liver Recover From Holiday Overindulging
Maybe learning this was the wake-up call you needed and you’re ready to help your liver recover. What’s the best way to do it? Fortunately, the same habits that support the rest of the body (maintaining a nutrient-rich diet, getting regular exercise and minimizing alcohol consumption), are the best ways to take care of your liver.
“The key to preventing liver disease is avoiding things that may be harmful to the liver, including alcohol and unhealthy foods,” says Dr. Allyce Caines, MD, a transplant hepatologist and senior staff physician with Henry Ford Health and a clinical assistant professor at Michigan State University.
Dr. Reau recommends avoiding ultra-processed foods, which can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Dr. Morris-Stiff also condemns ultra-processed food and recommends a balanced diet. He also says that it's best to have smaller portions of quality food to prevent damaging the liver.
As for exercise, this has also been shown to benefit the liver. Scientific research shows that getting an additional 2,500 steps a day is linked to a 38% in liver disease and a 47% reduction in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Wondering if you have to do any special liver detox program or take any additional supplements? If you know that you have liver damage or have already been diagnosed with fatty liver disease, Dr. Morris-Stiff says that taking a liver health supplement formulated with antioxidants may be beneficial. (His company offers one called de-liver-ance.) Or, add extra antioxidants to your diet by prioritizing foods like berries, nuts and vegetables.
However, the vast majority of people don’t need to go on a special liver detox program. “The term ‘liver detox’ is often misleading,” Dr. Nahar says. “For most people, the liver doesn’t require a specific ‘detox’ because it’s already designed to filter and eliminate toxins efficiently. However, adopting liver-friendly habits like improving diet, reducing alcohol intake and staying hydrated can help optimize its function. For individuals with specific liver conditions, any regimen should be supervised by a healthcare provider to avoid harm.”
If you do decide to take a liver health supplement, Dr. Morris-Stiff says to do your homework first by making sure the supplement company you are considering has clinical data backing up its product. Dr. Reau adds that it’s always helpful to talk to your doctor before taking a supplement or doing any sort of detox program.
Dr. Caines says that taking a liver detox supplement can be dangerous. “The dangers of supplements and liver detoxes are that the majority of these substances have not been FDA approved, so their safety profile is unknown and the contents of these detoxes are not monitored. For these reasons, these products can cause serious liver damage leading to liver failure. We have performed liver transplantation on patients who have suffered liver failure from advertised liver detoxes and supplements.”
If you have already been diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, don’t give up. Dr. Morris-Stiff says that this health condition can be reversed through healthy diet and lifestyle habits.
Don’t wait until you are showing signs of liver disease to prioritize your liver health. Take care of your liver and, in turn, your liver will take care of you!
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Sources
Dr. Nancy Reau, MD, Chief of the Section of Hepatology at Rush University Medical Center
Dr. Gareth Morris-Stiff, MD, Global Chief Medical Officer at The Liver Clinic
Dr. Ritu Nahar, MD, gastroenterologist with Allied Digestive Health
Dr. Allyce Caines, MD, transplant hepatologist and senior staff physician with Henry Ford Health and a clinical assistant professor at Michigan State University
