Your liver has the important function of removing toxins from the body so you need to keep it healthy. With this in mind, you might be tempted by one of the many liver detox programs out there. Unfortunately, doctors have stated that these programs usually aren’t as effective as they claim to be.
Generally, detox programs depend on you eating or drinking specific foods for a certain period. Doing this can throw off the balance of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to make you ill.
Some of the symptoms you may experience include headaches, nausea, dizziness, delirium, vomiting, an irregular heartbeat, and seizures.
Your liver is responsible for converting toxins into waste products and cleaning your blood. Under regular circumstances, it can do this without suffering damage.
However, if you have liver disease, taking some of the supplements or herbs that are recommended by detox programs can make liver damage worse.
Some detox programs can increase your risk of infections. For example, coffee enemas can cause inflammation of the colon and rectum. They can lead to muscle spasms and at worst, perforated bowels. This will, in turn, result in the spread of an infection in your digestive system.
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One popular detox program relies on you drinking raw or unpasteurized juices. While this is touted as being healthy, you should know that pasteurization is often necessary to remove microorganisms that can be harmful. Without that step, you may be exposed to microorganisms that will make you sick. This exposure can be particularly deleterious for those who have a compromised immune system, pregnant women, and older adults.
If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, making sudden changes to your diet can have serious implications. You may throw your blood pressure or blood sugar levels completely out of whack and end up in a health crisis. It’s always best to talk to your doctor before undertaking any diet changes.
The steps for taking care of your damaged liver will vary according to how extensively your liver has been compromised. Given enough time, your liver can repair damaged cells if you don’t do anything else to encourage injury.
However, if the damage has gotten to the point of scarring, this can’t be undone. However, it’s possible to reduce the likelihood of liver disease getting worse with the help of your doctor.
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Your exact regimen for living healthily with liver disease may vary but there are certain things that your doctor may recommend. Firstly, you might need to adopt a Mediterranean-style diet where you eat more whole foods and fewer processed ones. A few of the changes you can expect to make are eating more legumes, beans, fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meats, extra virgin olive oil, and whole grains.
Studies show that maintaining a healthy weight can have a positive impact on your liver function so the second thing your doctor may recommend is being physically active. The third factor to consider is keeping up to date with your vaccinations. Having liver disease can increase your risk of contracting certain illnesses so some of the vaccinations your doctor may recommend are pneumococcal, meningococcal, and influenza.
The final change that you’ll have to make is to cut alcohol, smoking, and unhealthy herbal supplements from your lifestyle. All of these can contribute to making your liver disease worse.
If you have liver disease, your body can have trouble getting rid of toxins. The last thing you want to do is make things worse. That’s why doctors recommend avoiding detox programs and sticking to the proven methods of keeping your liver healthy. Working with your doctor is the best way to ensure that you keep living a quality life with your condition.
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