The liver is an amazing organ in that it is the only organ in the body that can replace damaged tissue with new cells rather than with scar tissue. Not only is this ability exceptional but also, it often proves beneficial to individuals who live with certain medical conditions or who make less than healthy lifestyle choices. Barring complications, a person’s liver — regardless of the extent of damage — can repair itself completely within as little as one month.
That said, when the liver is under constant attack — such as from a virus or a constant barrage of drugs or alcohol — the liver may become overwhelmed. When this happens, it may struggle to repair itself, in which case it has no choice but to patch itself up with scar tissue. Once scar tissue develops, a person may be able to reverse the damage, but doing so can prove difficult. As more scar tissue develops, a person develops what is called “cirrhosis,” which is not reversible.
Ideally, you will take steps to reverse liver damage before it becomes permanent. Reversing liver damage requires an extensive lifestyle change, but it is well worth it, as progressive liver disease is painful and, in the most severe cases, fatal.
The liver is one of the most essential organs in the body, as it is responsible for more than 500 vital functions. Among these functions include its ability to create bile, convert nutrients from your diet, control blood sugar and hormone levels, and store iron. Its most well-known functions are also among its most important: to metabolize toxins —including fats, medications and alcohol — into forms that are either easier to use for the body or that are non-toxic, and to cleanse the blood of toxins.
Without the liver performing these essential functions, the rest of the body will struggle to perform optimally. Eventually, without the liver’s support, other organs — such as the spleen and kidneys — will begin to fail as well, causing a domino effect that could have serious implications. To better understand what the liver does and why its health is essential to your overall health, consider the following liver functions:
Most of the byproducts of the liver leave the body either via bile or blood. If the byproducts leave via bile, the bile goes through the intestines and exits the body via feces. Blood byproducts go through the kidneys and leave the body via urine.
Regardless of your current state of health, it does not hurt to familiarize yourself with the risk factors for liver disease. By understanding the risk factors, you can better understand what you need to do to reverse any existing damage and keep your body healthy.
One of the number one reasons the liver sustains damage is because it is repeatedly exposed to toxins. Though it is the liver’s job to cleanse toxins from the blood, overexposure to harmful substances can overwork the liver and, eventually, damage it. Though drugs, alcohol and Tylenol products are among some of the most harmful substances to which you can expose your liver, chemicals in cleaning products and on the foods you eat can also take a toll on your organs.
As many as 20% of liver injury cases are the result of exposure to harmful herbs and supplements. Just because a label says a supplement is “natural” does not mean it is good for you. In fact, common herbs such as aloe vera, cascara, black cohosh, comfrey, kava, chaparral and ephedra have been associated with toxic liver disease. Before taking any supplements, read the label to ensure they do not contain these ingredients. Taking supplements that contain two or more of these ingredients, or combining supplements that contain toxic herbs, can only compound liver issues.
Heavy alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of all liver disease-related deaths worldwide, with 20.6% of liver deaths in women and 27.3% of liver deaths in men being caused by cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the end stage of liver disease.
Alcohol liver disease (ALD) progresses slowly and begins with alcohol fatty liver, which causes inflammation of the liver — otherwise known as alcoholic hepatitis. In the fatty liver stage, liver disease is completely reversible. However, if one does not take steps to reverse the damage in this stage, fatty liver disease can and often does turn into scarring, or cirrhosis. In some cases, ALD can cause liver cancer.
ALD is a lengthy process that can take decades to come full circle. However, it begins innocently, and in women and men who have as few as two or four drinks per day, respectively. By the time one begins to show symptoms of ALD, the damage is already done beyond repair.
Alcohol is not the only cause of fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease occurs when the body, for lack of another place to store it, begins to store fat on the liver. Though some fat on the liver is fine, if more than 10% of your liver’s weight is fat, it will begin to suffer. Like in alcoholics, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can progress into non-alcoholic hepatitis and eventual cirrhosis.
NAFLD is becoming increasingly common, affecting up to 25% of people worldwide. Not only is it common but also, it often cooccurs with obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes. In fact, 75% of people who have both diabetes and obesity, and 90% of people who have Class III obesity, also have NAFLD.
The number one cause of NAFLD is obesity. Obesity has several causes, including poor diet and nutrition, metabolic syndrome, and genetics. In addition to being linked to obesity, NAFLD also affects persons who have high blood pressure, high BMI and high blood lipid levels.
Finally, if you have a family history of liver disease, you may be more susceptible to liver damage in your lifetime. Conditions that you may inherit that often lead to liver disease include hepatitis B or C and hemochromatosis. Liver conditions that you may inherit include alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency and Wilson disease. If an immediate family member has one of these conditions, you should take steps from a young age to protect your liver against unnecessary damage.
In the early stages, liver damage is reversible. Even if scarring has already begun, there are lifestyle changes you can make to stop it and live a long, healthy, symptom-free life. However, it is crucial that you commit to these lifestyle changes if you hope to keep your liver healthy. If you already have liver scarring, a full commitment to these lifestyle changes may mean the difference between life and death.
If you have fatty liver disease, consuming alcohol in excess will only worsen your condition, as it places greater demand on your liver. In this stage, it is best to avoid alcohol altogether until your liver can fully recover. However, if you do drink, drink in moderation, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as one drink or less a day for women and two drinks or less a day for men.
If you have alcohol use disorder and cannot control how much you drink, abstinence is best.
If scarring has already begun on your liver, the best thing you can do is avoid alcohol altogether.
If you have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, chances are your weight is what is causing your issues. If this is the case, losing weight is the key to obtaining optimal liver health. Depending on your current weight, your doctor may recommend that you lose 3% to 5% of your weight. Even losing such a small percentage can take the pressure off your liver and reduce inflammation.
Depending on your circumstances, losing enough weight may prove difficult. One of the best places to start, however, is with your diet. The best diet for reversing fatty liver disease is the Mediterranean diet, which is a largely plant-based diets. The fats in such a diet are healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado and Omega-3s. Outside of adopting the Mediterranean diet, some additional steps you can take are as follows:
By changing your diet, you can lose weight the healthy weight. However, it is important to note that losing too much weight too soon can have an adverse effect on your liver. If you are losing more than two pounds per week, talk to your doctor about what you can do to achieve your weight loss goals safely.
Exercise is another tool in your liver health arsenal. Not only can exercise help you reach your weight loss goals and, therefore, reduce the fat on your liver but also, it can reduce inflammation in and around your liver. Exercise also helps to increase blood flow to the liver and change the composition of bacteria in your body — an outcome that helps ease the stress on your liver.
Data supports the assertion that exercise is an effective way to reduce fatty liver disease. Per one 2018 study, moderate exercise — with or without dietary changes — lead to a reduction of fat on the liver. Moderate exercise, for the purposes of this study, is defined as 20 to 60 minutes of light exercise four to seven days a week, or more than 200 minutes of exercise per week.
An earlier study of 154 participants found that dietary interventions and exercise in people with NAFLD resulted in the remission of fatty liver disease in 64% of participants.
Though efforts to treat fatty liver disease directly can prove helpful, you can see the most benefits by treating other conditions as well. For instance, controlling your diabetes and cholesterol levels can help you keep your weight in check and ease the stress on your internal organs. The same goes for treating high triglycerides (fat in the blood), hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome.
If you struggle with sleep disorders, eating disorders or mood disorders, do not be afraid to seek professional help. Many of these disorders cause individuals to overeat, undereat and/or engage in risky behaviors. Despite your best intentions, without help for these cooccurring conditions, you may eat or drink substances that counteract any efforts you take to improve liver health.
How long it takes to reduce fatty liver disease depends on the underlying cause, your current weight and BMI, and your overall health. However, studies show that you can begin seeing results after losing as little as 1% of your current weight. For substantial results, experts recommend losing 3% to 5% of your current weight.
If alcohol is the reason for your fatty liver disease, stop drinking alcohol until your liver returns to normal. Depending on the extent of damage, this can take months or even years. If you have an otherwise healthy diet and are of a healthy weight, however, abstinence from alcohol for as few as six weeks can help return your liver to normal.
Unfortunately, once scarring of the liver has begun, it is rarely possible to reverse it. However, if your condition is diagnosed early enough, and if you take steps to treat the underlying cause immediately, you can limit further damage.
The liver is a vital organ that needs to be in optimal health if you hope to live in optimal health. That said, it is not uncommon for people to abuse their livers, intentionally or unintentionally, and for it to sustain considerable damage. If your healthcare provider detects damage to this essential organ, do not wait for it to get worse. If caught early enough, you can reverse the damage with concerted efforts. If considerable damage has already occurred, you can still take steps to safeguard your liver against further harm and protect your long-term health.