In the "health map" of our body, the liver occupies an extremely important position, just like a precision factory that runs day and night, silently escorting our body. But nowadays, with the fast-paced life, many people's bad habits are quietly putting a heavy burden on the liver. Staying up late to brush your mobile phone, the liver should be resting in the middle of the night but is still "working overtime"; The wine is continuous, and the alcohol is like a "small bomb" wreaking havoc in the liver; There are also all kinds of junk food, which also makes the liver miserable. Many people don't realize that there is something wrong with their liver until they see that the liver enzymes on the report are soaring like a rocket.
What's even more worrying is that some liver diseases are particularly "cunning" in the early stage, silently, and when the body has obvious symptoms, go to the hospital for a check, it may have reached the advanced stage of liver cirrhosis or even liver cancer. At this time, patients often regret it. Therefore, everyone is looking for whether there is a simple and effective way to give more care to the liver and protect our health in daily life. Recently, the claim that "eating an apple a day helps liver health" has been going viral on the Internet, is this true? If you really want to keep your liver healthy, what are two things you must do consistently? Today, let's talk about this topic that is closely related to the quality of life.
With an apple a day, can the liver really be "worry-free"?
As the old saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." This catchy saying has left a deep impression on the hearts of many people. From a nutritional perspective, apples can be described as a nutritious "treasure fruit". It is rich in dietary fiber, like a "little cleansing guard" in the intestines, which can promote intestinal peristalsis and make the intestines smoother; Vitamin C is like an antioxidant in the body, helping us to defend against external damage; There are also flavonoids and various antioxidants, all of which are quietly contributing to our health. But can eating apples alone rejuvenate and rejuvenate the liver? The answer is that eating apples is good for the liver, but it is far from achieving the effect of "one trick wins".
The magic of apples for the liver
A little help to reduce the risk of fatty liver: apples contain a soluble dietary fiber called pectin, which is the "probiotic breeder" of the gut. Pectin can create a good environment for probiotics in the gut to thrive and improve the ecological balance of the intestinal flora. What's the use of that? It turns out that once the intestinal flora is disturbed, like a group of mischievous children, it will aggravate the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The pectin in apples "soothes" these gut flora and reduces the entry of endotoxins into the liver, thereby reducing the risk of fatty liver. Imagine that the gut is a big garden, probiotics are beautiful flowers, and pectin is the hard-working gardener, carefully caring for the garden, so that the liver, the "neighbor", is less disturbed.
Antioxidant "shelter from the wind and rain" for the liver: staying up late for a long time and eating an unhealthy diet will make our body produce a large number of free radicals, which are like little devils who are destroying everywhere, attacking our liver cells and making the liver suffer from oxidative stress. The polyphenols and flavonoids rich in apples are like a strong "antioxidant armor" for the liver, which can effectively neutralize these free radicals and reduce the burden on the liver. For those who always stay up late to catch up on dramas and eat supper, eating an apple every day is like sending an intimate care to the tired liver.
Assist in the regulation of transaminases: When there is an abnormality in liver function, aminotransferases act as a sensitive "signal light" that can reflect the health of the liver. Some studies have found that the phytochemicals in apples may have a moderating effect on mildly elevated aminotransferase levels, like a little "semaphore". But be clear, this is not a one-size-fits-all "magic". If the liver function is severely impaired, it is like a crumbling edifice, and it cannot be re-stabilized by eating apples.
Therefore, eating an apple a day can indeed bring some benefits to the liver, such as adding a little "little energy" to the liver, but it is unrealistic to expect it to carry the banner of protecting the liver alone. There are two other more critical habits that can really determine the health of the liver.
Want to keep your liver energized? These two things are more important than eating apples!
Controlling Weight and "Reducing the Burden" on the Liver
Fatty liver has now become a major "invisible killer" of modern people's liver health, quietly spreading among the population. Many people think that fatty liver is just a minor problem and not a big deal, but in fact, if left untreated for a long time, fatty liver is like a "time bomb" lurking in the body, which will gradually develop into liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, and even increase the risk of liver cancer, with unimaginable consequences.
Looking at these data, it is simply shocking: according to the authoritative "Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease in China", the prevalence of fatty liver disease among adults in mainland China has reached 25%-30%. This means that one out of every four people walking down the street is suffering from fatty liver. Studies have also shown that obese people are 4-5 times more likely to develop fatty liver than normal-weight people, especially those with large belly obesity, and the liver is in the "high-risk zone".
Why is fatty liver so scary? As mentioned earlier, the liver is the "chemical factory" of the human body, which is busy detoxifying and removing harmful substances from the body, and also participates in fat metabolism to maintain the normal functioning of the body. When liver cells are surrounded by layers of fat, it is like a factory full of debris, and the machine is not running smoothly, and the liver function will naturally be impaired. Over time, it may lead to liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, and eventually liver cancer.
So how can you effectively prevent fatty liver?
Keep your mouth shut: High-sugar, high-fat foods, especially those containing trans fats, such as fried foods, a bite full of greasy, and milk tea, which tastes sweet but hides a "crisis", as well as all kinds of pastries, which seem to be delicious, but are actually the "burden source" of the liver, should be eaten as little as possible. Our diet should be rich in nutrients and healthy foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to provide high-quality "raw materials" for the liver.
Open legs: Exercise is essential for liver health. Get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, like a leisurely walk in the park, at a moderate pace to enjoy the scenery and exercise at the same time; Swimming, stretching your body in the water, as if incarnating a free fish; Ride a bike, face the wind, and feel the joy of sports. Studies have shown that these aerobic exercises act like industrious "fat carriers", effectively reducing fat accumulation in the liver, and also improve insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to better metabolize sugar and fat.
Be particular about weight loss: If you are already suffering from fatty liver, you should pay attention to it when losing weight. It is recommended to lose no more than 2 kg per month, if you lose weight too quickly, it is like slamming on the brakes while driving, which may worsen liver damage. Therefore, weight loss must be gradual to give the liver a process of adaptation.
In reality, many fatty liver patients wait until their liver function is abnormal and their bodies turn on a red light before they realize the seriousness of the problem, but at this time, they often miss the best intervention period, which is really regrettable. Therefore, weight control is the first priority to protect liver health.
Stay away from alcohol and don't let your liver "poison"
"Wine is poison for the liver." This sentence is not alarmist, but a real medical conclusion. Alcoholic liver disease has now become one of the important causes of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, like a terrible "health killer", threatening people's lives.
Alcohol is more harmful to the liver than we can imagine:
90% of the alcohol in the body is metabolized in the liver, which is a "big factory". Long-term drinking is like taking out garbage in a factory, and the liver can't "digest" it at all, which will slowly lead to alcoholic fatty liver disease. The condition may then deteriorate further, progressing to alcoholic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and eventually cirrhosis, with a gradual loss of liver function.
Research in the Lancet medical journal shows that people who have been drinking heavily for a long time have more than 10 times the risk of liver cancer. This is not a small amount, and it means that the liver of alcoholics is always at risk.
There are also misunderstandings that only drunk can hurt the liver, and it is okay to drink a little wine. But in reality, even a small amount of alcohol can put a strain on the liver. Just like a small ant moving a mountain, accumulating little by little, the liver will also be overwhelmed.
Someone might ask, "I don't drink liquor, I just drink some beer, it's all right, right?" Wrong! Any alcoholic beverage, whether liquor, beer, or wine, can cause liver damage. The key is the total amount of alcohol we consume, as long as alcohol enters the body, the liver has to work hard to metabolize it, and it will be affected. The World Health Organization (WHO) has long made it clear that there is no such thing as a "safe" amount of alcohol, and that the best way to truly protect the liver is to drink no alcohol.
If you already have an alcoholic fatty liver disease, the only effective treatment is to quit drinking. Don't believe in the so-called "liver protectors", which simply can't counteract the serious damage that alcohol does to the liver. Therefore, if you want to keep your liver healthy and stay away from alcohol, it is much more important than eating apples.
In short, although apples are good and have certain benefits for the liver, they are only a "small boost" for liver health, and they are far from replacing a truly effective liver protection action. To have a healthy liver, to control your weight and to stay away from alcohol, you must stick to these two things. After all, the liver does not have pain nerves, it bears everything silently, and by the time it really "cries out the pain", it is often terminally ill. Don't wait until there is a problem on the medical examination report to start paying attention, from now on, take action and take good care of our liver!
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