How Much Do You Know About Your Liver?
What do you know about liver detoxification?
When comes into detoxification, most of the people are confused between the colon detoxification and liver detoxification. Theoretically, colon detoxification is responsible in clearing the large quantities of stagnant, toxic waste that encrusted on colon walls. The type of colon detoxification is actually very different with liver detoxification.
Liver detoxification is very important to our body. We might put heavy burden on liver sometimes. Just like the car engine, the oil in the car will become dirty over time after day-to-day wear and tear. It will lead to dirts accumulation and blockage, which eventually causing malfunction and engine breakdown. Similar to our liver, it is very important for us to maintain our liver health.
Function of Liver
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Liver is the largest internal organ in our body and also the only organ that can regenerate itself. It weighted about 1.8kg in men and 1.3kg in women. It holds approximately 13% (0.57 L) of total blood supply and is dark reddish brown in color. About 60% of the liver is made up of liver cells called hepatocytes which absorb nutrients and detoxify and remove harmful substances from the blood.
Our liver performs over 500 different functions that are vital to our life. The functions including:
Cleanse blood
Manufacture bile
Store vitamin and mineral such as Vitamin A, D, E, K, iron and copper
Regulate hormones
Neutralize drugs and toxin
Produce essential protein and enzyme that are responsible for chemical function
Combat infection
Liver is described as a main key leading to healthy life. You need a balanced diet and regular exercise to keep track of it.
Nutrition
Eat a balanced diet with plenty fruits and vegetables to pack the diet with various antioxidants.
Malaysia dietary guidelines recommend Malaysian to consume at least 5 serving of vegetables a day to obtain sufficient antioxidant required. There are numerous antioxidants in fruits and vegetables such as beta-carotene, lycopene, selenium, vitamin C and E.
Beta-Carotene can be found in red-orange colored fruits and vegetables which including carrots, apricots, and pumpkin.
Lycopene can also be found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava and papaya.
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that found abundance in citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits.
Exercise
Regular exercise is vitally important to maintain liver health. Exercise enhances blood circulation and boost energy levels. Thus, it is able to tone the liver by increasing its ability to fill and drain at maximum capacity. It also reduces total body fat that will reduce the burden on the liver. Hence, it can help to maintain ideal body weight and prevent obesity-related diseases.
