How effective is a liver detox cleanse?
Liver cleanses are not effective. A key function of a healthy liver is to transform potentially harmful substances into benign ones for elimination. The liver is an excellent detoxification system in and of itself. If you’re regularly ingesting toxins such as excessive alcohol or acetaminophen, you should focus on eliminating the harmful substances from your routine rather than cleansing your liver. The best way to keep your liver healthy is to eat a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, lead a healthy lifestyle that includes maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising and avoid substances that may cause liver damage.
Does alcohol cause liver problems?
Absolutely. Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of liver disease in the United States. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to fatty buildup in the liver, which may be reversible if you stop drinking. If you keep drinking, cirrhosis can develop. Cirrhosis is not reversible and can be fatal. Plus, those with cirrhosis have an increased risk of liver cancer.
What are symptoms of poor liver function?
Liver disease may not cause symptoms until damage is already considerable. Early symptoms may be nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms like indigestion, bloating or gastrointestinal discomfort. You may notice weight loss and yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes as well. This stage is generally considered compensated cirrhosis, meaning you have cirrhosis, but you still have enough liver function to keep up with most of your body’s needs. Eventually, if your liver disease keeps progressing (e.g., if your liver disease is due to alcohol consumption and you keep drinking), you may develop decompensated cirrhosis. In decompensated cirrhosis, your liver can no longer keep up and your abdominal cavity can fill with fluid that escapes your liver due to excessive pressure in your liver circulation. You may need to have this fluid surgically drained repeatedly. You may become delirious due to hepatic encephalopathy, which is caused by buildup of toxins that your liver would normally process and eliminate. The progression of advanced cirrhosis culminates in liver failure and the only hope for survival is a liver transplant.
