Liver disease has long been a dark cloud hanging over China's head. According to the statistics of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, there are millions of cases of viral hepatitis in China every year, some of which may develop into cirrhosis and liver cancer in the future.
Five functions of the liver
The liver is the largest digestive gland in human body and the center of metabolism in the body. It is estimated that there are more than 500 chemical reactions in the liver. Specifically, the liver is mainly engaged in the following five "jobs".
1, synthesis function.
Grains enter the digestive tract, are digested and hydrolyzed into glucose, then transported to the liver, and then absorbed and utilized by the human body. After glucose is transported to the liver, part of it is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen for later use. Amino acids absorbed by digestive tract also undergo protein synthesis, deamination and transamination in liver. The liver is also the main synthesis site of various coagulation factors. There are 12 kinds of coagulation factors in human body, 4 of which are synthesized in liver.
2. Decomposition function.
The liver is the main detoxification organ of the human body, which can protect the body from harm. After liver treatment, some metabolic wastes or spoilage products of intestinal bacteria in the body, as well as drugs taken, and toxic substances become non-toxic, low-toxic or soluble substances and are excreted. This process is called detoxification.
3. Filtering function.
Hormones are synthesized in endocrine organs and slightly regulate various functions of human body. Most hormones undergo chemical changes in the liver and are excreted. For example, thyroid hormone, estrogen, aldosterone and antidiuretic hormone are all metabolized in the liver. Therefore, when liver disease is serious, there will be an imbalance in hormone levels, which will affect the normal function of the body.
4. Storage function.
The liver can store fat-soluble vitamins, and 95% of vitamin A in human body is stored in the liver. The liver is also the storage and metabolism place of vitamins C, D, E, K, B 1, B6, etc. Iron is an important component of hemoglobin, and the liver stores more iron than all the blood in the body.
5. Produce bile.
Bile is digestive juice, which helps to absorb lipids and fat-soluble vitamins. The liver produces bile, which is then transported to the gallbladder and stored, concentrated in the gallbladder and discharged into the duodenum.
Beware of 9 kinds of liver killers
Eating a full meal with an empty stomach, skipping breakfast, losing too much weight, and staying up late … these habits are no strangers to busy modern people. But you know what? They are all "liver killers"! Life Times listed the "nine killers who hurt the liver the most" according to the summaries of many experts from the United States, Britain, Canada, India and Israel. Everyone must be vigilant.
1, lack of sleep.
Many people have the habit of working or playing at night, but staying up late is the easiest way to get liver disease. The reason is that the human body will enter the self-repair mode during sleep, and staying up late often not only leads to insufficient sleep, but also affects the self-repair of the liver at night.
Neil Middott, an expert from the American Sleep Association; Professor Colin said that "late sleepers" should try to adjust their schedules, and it is best to fall asleep before 1 1 every night, and ensure that they sleep for 7-8 hours every night, so as to effectively detoxify the liver and ensure overall health.
2, do not urinate in time after waking up in the morning.
Daniel Middot, an expert of the European Association for Liver Research; Dr Paradi said that detoxification in the body can be carried out through urination, perspiration and defecation. Urinating as soon as possible after waking up in the morning can excrete toxins accumulated overnight in time to avoid toxins staying in the body and causing liver "poisoning".
3, overeating.
Many people know that eating too much will increase the burden on the stomach and induce fatty liver. Dr Paradi pointed out that overeating is not only harmful to gastrointestinal health, but also easy to lead to a large increase of free radicals in the body. The key function of the liver is to help the human body deal with free radicals, eliminate toxins and purify the blood. The more free radicals in the human body, the more serious the damage to liver function.
4. Don't eat breakfast.
Nutrition experts say that eating breakfast helps to neutralize stomach acid, protect the liver and reduce the risk of diseases such as pancreatitis, diabetes, gallstones and constipation. Dr. Hermite middot Suri, a holistic nutritionist in Ontario, Canada, said that a healthy breakfast can prolong satiety and avoid liver damage.
5. Take too many medicines.
A study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology shows that long-term use of painkillers and other drugs will increase the burden of liver detoxification and lead to liver damage. Dr Kenneth middot Simpson, research director and expert of Royal Edinburgh Hospital, said that many drugs and their metabolites can easily cause liver damage, leading to drug-induced hepatitis.
These drugs include antibiotics, antipyretic and analgesic drugs, antipsychotics, antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs, sedatives, antithyroid drugs, antineoplastic drugs, hypoglycemic drugs and cardiovascular drugs. Therefore, taking medicine must strictly follow the doctor's advice and take it under the guidance of a doctor.
6. Excessive intake of processed food.
Dr. Hida Chiran middotZara middot Hussein, a registered nutrition therapist in India, said that many food additives such as preservatives, pigments and artificial sweeteners were added to many processed foods. These additives contain a variety of chemicals that are difficult for human body to decompose, which will increase the burden of liver detoxification and induce liver injury after entering the human body.
7. I prefer fried food.
A study reported by CBS found that eating fried food for a month can cause obvious changes in the liver and trigger changes in enzymes similar to hepatitis. The famous American medical expert Drew Middot; Dr. Auden pointed out that the accumulation of oil and saturated fatty acids can lead to fatty liver. Unhealthy cooking oil will increase the risk of heart disease and liver disease. Relatively speaking, olive oil and sesame oil are healthier.
8. Eat undercooked or burnt food.
Dr. Hussein said that undercooked food or overcooked burnt food (especially meat) can also easily lead to liver damage. Studies have found that drunken shrimp, oysters and half-baked shellfish often carry bacteria and parasites. Once acute gastroenteritis and dysentery occur, it is easy to aggravate liver disease and even induce hepatic coma.
9. Excessive drinking.
Dr Nemo middot Ashi, a hepatologist at Zef Medical Research Center in Israel, said that excessive drinking will reduce the liver's ability to purify blood, lead to an increase in toxins in the body, and induce liver injury and various diseases. In addition, alcoholism can easily lead to liver poisoning and induce hepatitis. Long-term excessive drinking can easily lead to cirrhosis. Dr. Ashe said that drinking more than two glasses (25 ml) of high-concentration wine every day would damage the liver.
The liver likes to eat five kinds of food.
The liver is the largest detoxification organ in the human body. A healthy liver can avoid burping, abdominal distension, constipation and other troubles, and also plays an important role in regulating blood sugar. According to Rodale's report, Life Times summarized the following favorite diets of the liver.
1, cruciferous vegetables.
Contains a variety of plant nutrients, flavonoids, carotenoids, sulforaphane and indole, which can help the liver dissolve various chemical toxins and carcinogens. Common cruciferous vegetables are cauliflower, cabbage, cabbage and radish.
2. seaweed.
Seaweed such as kelp and laver can help the liver to detoxify and prevent the human body from absorbing toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and other environmental toxins. A study by McGill University in Canada found that compounds contained in brown algae can reduce the absorption of radioactive particles by bones.
3, sprouts.
Bean sprouts are rich in various enzymes, which can promote the decomposition and absorption of protein.
4. Foods rich in sulfide.
Onion, garlic, onion and other vegetables rich in sulfide can promote the production of glutathione in the liver, neutralize free radicals in cells, and play the role of detoxification and anti-aging.
5. berries.
Berries such as blueberries and strawberries are rich in phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and polyphenols, which have strong antioxidant effects and can help the liver protect human cells from free radicals and oxidative stress.
Five signals of vigilance against liver disease
When the liver is not good, there are usually some manifestations. Cai Changchun, chief physician of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery in central hospital of wuhan, told the reporter of Life Times that if the following signals appear, you should be careful of liver diseases.
1, loss of appetite.
Liver injury often leads to indigestion, and in severe cases, symptoms such as anorexia, greasy, nausea and vomiting may occur. This is mainly due to a large number of liver cells damaged, bile secretion function decreased, thus affecting the digestion of fat.
2, easy to fatigue.
Loss of appetite and blocked digestion and absorption caused by liver problems will further lead to lack of energy, leading to long-term fatigue, difficulty in concentration, dizziness and tinnitus.
3. Spider nevus and liver palm.
Some patients with liver cirrhosis will have spider nevus and liver palm. Spider nevus is more common in the face, neck, chest, back and other parts. The liver palm often appears on both sides of the palm.
4, jaundice.
When the liver is abnormal, it will lead to biliary obstruction. At this time, bilirubin will not be excreted smoothly, and bilirubin metabolism will be abnormal, causing jaundice, usually manifested as yellowing of eyes, skin and urine. People with jaundice may also have itchy skin all over the body a few months before jaundice or a year after jaundice.
5, bleeding.
When the liver is abnormal, it will cause abnormal synthesis of coagulation factors. At this time, there will be symptoms such as bleeding gums and nosebleeds.
An authoritative expert on liver disease, the classic of protecting liver
How to protect our liver is something that many people are eager to know. Fortunately, protecting the liver is not mysterious. Life Times interviewed three authoritative experts in the field of liver diseases and asked them to talk about their experience in protecting the liver, which can be used as a reference.
Zhuang Hui: I never drink.
Zhuang Hui, an 80-year-old academician of China Academy of Engineering, honorary chairman of Hepatology Branch of Chinese Medical Association and professor of peking university health science center, doesn't look like a man in his 70s. Although he is not tall and has a gentle voice, there is a spirit in his bones. Talking about the topic of protecting the liver, Academician Zhuang Hui smiled: "The liver really needs to be nourished bit by bit from daily life." Everyone knows that drinking alcohol is harmful to the liver. To protect the liver, alcohol restriction is the first priority.
Studies have shown that drinking more than 50 grams a day can cause alcoholic liver injury. This amount is converted into 2 ounces of 50-degree white wine, half a catty of 13-degree wine and 2 bottles of ordinary beer. Experts believe that there are individual differences in people's physical endurance, that is, the amount that is "safe" for one person may be "unsafe" for another.
"So I never drink, and my family has no habit of drinking. I feel that the eating and drinking atmosphere in the society is not good now. Many people even regard drinking as a social skill, as if they cannot drink. "
Over the years, in addition to controlling drinking, Academician Zhuang Hui also strictly controlled his weight. "One of the major hazards brought by obesity is fatty liver. So it is important to control diet and exercise. My weight has always been standard.
Academician Zhuang Hui is engaged in virology research. He told reporters that at present, there is no vaccine except hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D and hepatitis E, and it is still under study. Hepatitis D must rely on hepatitis B to survive, so it is necessary to prevent hepatitis B. "Hepatitis C is spread through blood, so I never go to a foot washing shop to wash my feet or set up a stall in the street to treat my hair. Instead, I went to a regular barber shop for a haircut, only a haircut without shaving, because it is difficult for a barber shop to thoroughly disinfect the equipment.
Jia Jidong: Use drugs with caution.
Like Academician Zhuang Hui, Professor Jia Jidong, director of the Liver Disease Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, basically does not drink alcohol. At the same time, he is also determined to stay away from smoking. "Smoking not only hurts the lungs, but also hurts the liver."
In addition, Professor Jia Jidong believes that strictly speaking, any drug is harmful to the liver. Among them, anti-tuberculosis drugs, tumor drugs and antibiotics are harmful to the liver. It should be emphasized that drug-induced liver injury varies greatly among individuals, and no one knows which drug he is allergic to, so try to take less medicine. "I usually have a cold and the symptoms are really heavy. I will take some antipyretic and analgesic drugs. Only when there is a definite bacterial infection will I take antibiotics. Be careful when taking medicine. "
Hou Jinlin: Vaccination is the key.
Professor Hou Jinlin, deputy director of the Infectious Diseases Branch of Chinese Medical Association, director of the Infectious Diseases Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of the First Military Medical University, is mainly engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis. Professor Hou, 52, said when talking about his experience in protecting the liver: "Viral hepatitis is the most common liver disease, especially for us clinicians, who have to deal with diseases every day and have many opportunities to get in touch with viruses, so it is very necessary to get a hepatitis B vaccine. At the same time, doctors and nurses in our department will also check hepatitis A antibodies, and those without antibodies will also be vaccinated against hepatitis A. "
In addition to detoxification, the liver is also the largest digestive gland in the digestive system, and the role of diet in the liver is naturally very important. When talking about his eating habits, Professor Hou Jinlin said: "I have two eating habits: an eight-point saturated balanced diet. This will reduce the burden on the liver. "
"There is the famous Baiyun Mountain in Guangzhou near our hospital. I will go climbing with my colleagues on weekends. We will meet at seven o'clock in the morning and return at noon. Baiyun Mountain is more than 300 meters above sea level, and the amount of exercise is moderate. Beautiful scenery and vast space will give us a happy mood. Being in a good mood is also good for the liver. "