Medicines and Diet That Harm Your Liver

Introduction of liver

The liver is located in the hypochondrium region on the upper right side of the abdomen. Its shape is like a cone, it is dark reddish brown in color.

Main functions of liver are

• Production of bile, which carry waste and break down fats in small intestine during digestion,
• Production of certain proteins from blood plasma
• Metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

Various symptoms indicate you are suffering from liver problems; some of them are:

•  Jaundice is the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. It may be difficult to see on black or brown skin.
•  Loss of appetite
•  Pale stool
•  Itching of skin
•  Tiredness
•  Bruising easily
•  Dark urine
•  Swelling in the legs and ankles
•  Nausea
• Vomiting

Many factors cause liver problems. Such as:

• Unhealthy lifestyle
• Certain medications
• Obesity
• Junk food and many other factors.

Which medicines are harmful for liver?

More than 1,000 different medications can cause liver damage. This occurs in a process called Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI).

1. Antibiotics (Amoxicillin etc), NSAIDs and tuberculosis medicine are the commonest cause of liver disease like fatty liver because the liver is a major site for drug metabolism. As a result, this is the area where the toxins within the medications affect the most.
2. Paracetamol, also known as Acetaminophen, causes the greatest number of DILI (Drug induced liver injury) cases. This is because when the liver metabolizes the drug, it can create too many reactive metabolites, which can lead to cell and body tissue death. So, avoid taking medicines as much as you can.

Diet

Avoid consuming

• White rice, white bread
• Packed foods
• white refined flour
• frozen vegetables
• dried and frozen pulses
• table salt, cheese, condensed milk
• pork, red meat, smoked and canned fish
• intake of alcohol
•  Too much refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup causes fatty buildup that can lead to liver disease.

Foods that can help to repair the liver

• Oats, brown rice, millet, wheat, whole grain cereals
• Grapes, apples, papaya, all fruits that are rich in fiber.
• All freshly home cooked pulses.
• Chia-seeds,  sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds
• bitter gourd, carrots, coriander leaves, spinach, fenugreek leaves, potatoes, ginger
• Buttermilk, coconut water, aloe-Vera juice, green juice.
• Should eat such food which does not put too much pressure on the liver.
• Consume food before sunset that is called time-restricted eating.

Important tips

• Avoid having dinner after 8pm
• Eat light food, Avoid heavy meals
• Alcohol and milk tea are strictly prohibited

Weight: Excess fat can accumulate in your liver cells, resulting in inflammation and damage to the surrounding tissues.

Fortunately, weight loss has an overwhelmingly positive effect on liver health; the more weight you lose, the healthier your liver will be. This is a very simple formula, with the help of regular exercise; you can maintain a healthy weight and maintain the health of your liver.

Planet Ayurveda has a very effective herb formulation for liver & that is YakritPlihantak Churna

It mainly contains 8 ingredients that are

•  Bhumi Amla ( Phyllanthus niruri)
•  Kalmegh ( Eclipta alba)
•  Bhringraj ( Andrographis paniculata)
•  Sharpunkha ( Tephrosia purpurea)
•  Kasni ( Cichorium intybus)
•  Katuki ( Picorrhiza kurroa)
•  Makoy ( Solanum nigrum)
•  Punarnava ( Boerhavia diffusa)

All these herbs work very well in maintaining liver health.

• It clears the toxins from liver by regeneration of liver cells and these herbs also stimulate the liver cells.
• It is useful in Fatty Liver, Jaundice, Hepatitis, Hepatomegaly, Liver cirrhosis, Liver fibrosis, Liver failure, Liver infection, Weak Liver function etc
• The herb Piccorhiza kurrao increase the bile production and exertion, whereas Solanum Nigrum, eclipta alba and Andrographis paniculata improve liver functions.
• Boerrhavia diffusa and Phyllanthus niruri regenerate liver cells and useful in liver enlargement and inflammation. Tephrosia purpurea and Cichorium intybus are immunodialator and corrects the liver metabolism