January is Love Your Liver Month!

January seems to be coming the official detox month, however, experts at the British Liver Trust have said that to abstain for one whole month without changing habits all year round is pointless and provides no recovery or protection long term, as many return to their habits as the month ends. Consultant hepatologist Dr Mark Wright advises 'detoxing for a month in January is medically futile'. 

The advice given to ensure a healthy liver is to drink within the guidelines set for health - 21 Units of alcohol for men and 14 Units for women (except in pregnancy) per week and make at least two days per week alcohol free. This gives the liver time to recover between drinking. However this does not mean that units can be 'saved up' with binge drinking on the other days.

The liver which, as the largest organ in the body performs over 500 functions; including, turning food into energy, fighting infection, cleaning the blood, and destroying toxins can also be damaged by obesity. Being overweight puts a strain on the liver and if you also drink alcohol you are three times more likely to contract liver disease. Eating healthily in steady way, avoiding crash diets and taking regular exercise - at least half hour per day, are the best solutions to keeping the liver healthy as well as a good guideline for general health.

If you are worried, have regularly overdone alcohol and fatty food and feel persistently weary it is recommended that you ask your GP for a liver function test. The liver has no nerve endings to transmit pain so problems are not immediately obvious. Liver disease, the fifth largest killer is called the 'silent killer' as there are often no symptoms until too late to do anything.

For more information on how to keep your Liver healthy visit http://www.loveyourliver.org.uk/