One of the largest organs in the body, the liver, performs several essential functions. The liver is responsible for filtering the blood and supporting metabolism, digestion, and protein synthesis. Therefore, prioritizing liver health is crucial. It’s not just about the foods one eats but also certain lifestyle habits that can harm one’s liver. However, some common mistakes can be avoided to maintain a healthy liver. Some of these habits are:

Avoid foods that have refined sugar
Foods that contain high artificial sweeteners, additives, and refined sugar are not that great for the liver. While one may have an occasional treat, eating such foods can lead to the development of a lot of health problems. For starters, it will affect the health of one’s teeth. The development of insulin resistance and liver diseases often follows this. The liver’s health is adversely affected because the liver converts the fructose in refined sugar to fats, increasing the risk of fatty liver disease.

Having excess vitamin A foods
Vitamin A is one of the essential nutrients needed by the body. One can easily get this nutrient from foods, especially those yellow, orange, and red—these help maintain eye health, immune system, and reproductive health. In children, vitamin A is important for proper growth and development. However, it is crucial to have vitamin A within the limits of dietary requirements. Too much of it can be detrimental to liver health.

Drinking soft drinks daily
There are several reasons why regularly drinking soft drinks is not good for one’s health. These beverages contain a high amount of sugar. Moreover, many carbonated beverages and energy drinks contain a lot of caffeine. Both of these can cause damage to the liver. Drinking soft drinks daily can rapidly increase the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Eating foods that have excessive trans fats
Also known as trans-unsaturated fats, these are usually made by turning liquid oils into solid fats, such as margarine or shortening. Usually, packaged foods and baked goods contain high amounts of these trans fats. While it enhances the flavor and taste of these foods, trans fats can also cause a lot of harm to one’s health, particularly the liver. This happens when one fills up their meals and snacks with many packaged foods and baked goods daily.

Not maintaining a healthy sleep schedule
Not sleeping well can cause a lot of physical as well as mental health problems. One of these notable health issues is damage to the liver’s health. People who are sleep-deprived have often been observed to have high-fat accumulation in their liver. This happens because the function of the liver is impaired, and it cannot process all of the fat efficiently. Over time, this leads to liver damage. When people are sleep-deprived, their livers cannot process the fat efficiently. A healthy sleep cycle ensures that the body, including the liver, can repair itself to function optimally at all times.

Along with avoiding the above mistakes, one must change one’s lifestyle. Exercising regularly, having balanced meals, and getting enough sleep will ensure optimal liver and overall health.