9 Things That Are Bad For Your Liver

Herbal supplements

Be careful, just because it says “100% natural” on the label doesn't mean it's good for you. Some people use the herb kava (Piper methysticum), or a product containing the controversial kava, for relaxation or to ease menopausal symptoms, but extracts of that plant can disrupt the liver. Ingesting kava can lead to hepatitis and even liver failure. Like many others, our country has also blacklisted it, but the product is available online. Consult your doctor before taking herbs, to make sure they are not harmful.

Overweight

Extra fat can build up in your liver cells and lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic steatosis hepatitis (NASH). This can cause your liver to swell and over time, the liver tissue can harden or the liver cells can be replaced by scar tissue. Doctors call this cirrhosis. You are at higher risk for NASH if you are overweight or obese, middle-aged, or have diabetes. The good news is that it is reversible. With diet and exercise, you can stop the disease.

An excess of vitamin A

Your body needs vitamin A and it is a good idea to get enough of it through your diet, for example by eating fresh vegetables and fruits. Red, orange and yellow fruits are particularly rich in it. However, if you take food supplements that contain a high dose of vitamin A, this can be problematic for your liver. Ask your doctor first if it is necessary to take extra vitamin A if you are considering it.

soft drink

Research shows that people who consume a lot of soft drinks have a higher risk of developing NASH or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In these studies, there is no evidence that the soft drinks are the direct cause. If you are an avid soft drinker and you are planning to cut down on that, this may be a good motivation. It helps if you think more about what you drink.

Paracetamol

If you have a sore back, a headache or a bad cold, you often quickly reach for a painkiller. Make sure that you do not exceed the recommended dose. If you accidentally take too much paracetamol – it could be a combination of a product for headaches and another product for colds that both contain paracetamol – this can damage your liver. Read the package insert to see how much you can take daily, check how much both products contain and do not take more than the permitted maximum dose. Or simply ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Trans fats

Trans fats occur naturally in milk (products) and meat from ruminants and they are also created during the industrial partial hardening of fats. Therefore, avoid industrial food that states '(partially) hardened fats' in the composition. A diet that contains a lot of trans fats ensures that you store extra kilos more easily and that is not good for your liver. Look at the list of ingredients or the composition on the label. Even if it says '0' grams of trans fats, the product may still contain a small amount that weighs in the sum of all the products that you eat.

Infection

It can happen that a doctor or nurse is accidentally pricked by a needle that they used on a patient. The needle is not the problem, but the infection that may have infected them. Hepatitis C, for example, can be spread through the blood. Even if you were accidentally pricked only once by a needle that was used for someone else, or if you are at risk for other reasons (for example because you are HIV-infected or because your mother had hepatitis C while she was pregnant with you), you should still get tested. This applies to everyone born between 1945 and 1965.

Alcohol