7 Things You Can Do to Help Heal Your Liver

Weighing in at 3.5 pounds, your liver is the largest internal organ in your body and correspondingly one of the most important. Not only does it produce proteins that help in blood clotting, but the vital organ plays a key role in metabolic processes in your body, which means that any and everything we consume eventually gets filtered by the liver.

Unfortunately, that means the more toxins you ingest—such as alcohol, sugary foods and an abundance of trans fats—the harder your liver has to work. Over time, that can result in significant liver damage.

The good news is that your liver is regenerative and can bounce back from a hefty amount of damage—although you probably shouldn’t test out how much it can take before you commit to healing it. Some liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and hepatitis C, are irreversible.

Here are some powerful things you can do every day to keep your liver healthy and help it heal. 

1. STOP SMOKING

Smoking cigarettes can increase the chances for liver cancer and cirrhosis, due in part to both the direct and indirect toxic effects of cigarettes. Additionally, a 2018 study found cigarette smoking to be a significant risk factor associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) onset in nondrinkers.

2. PUT DOWN THE ALCOHOL.

The science behind this is simple: the higher your blood alcohol content, the longer it takes your liver to process alcohol. That means that if you’re imbibing more alcohol than your liver can process in a given amount of time, the excess alcohol begins circulating through your bloodstream, which can lead to the destruction of liver cells, scarring or even alter your DNA.

The easiest and most effective way to prevent this is to limit your alcohol consumption.

3. CUT BACK ON SUGAR.

The liver uses fructose—a type of sugar—to make fat, so a buildup of too much refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup in the body transforms into a buildup of too much fat which can eventually lead to liver disease. Cutting back on sugary sodas, candy and other high-fructose fare will help your liver handle its natural filtration process without added stress.

4. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT.

Healthy weights vary from person to person, and being overweight doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t live a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to your liver, obesity can put you at a higher risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

5. DRINK ENOUGH WATER.

Dehydration can inhibit your liver,’s kidneys’ and bowel’s ability to function optimally, causing toxins in your body to build up if they aren’t getting flushed out as readily.

“Dehydration can have a direct effect on our liver’s ability to properly detoxify our body,” Dr. Neil-Sherwood told Reader’s Digest. “So as the liver loses hydration, it also loses its organ reserve, or what it uses to take care of the rest of the body.” So make sure to drink up.

6. PRACTICE SAFE SEX.

Yup; practicing safe sex is crucial in protecting your liver, because it significantly lowers your risk of contracting hepatitis C—a virus that attacks your liver and leads to inflammation.

7. MEDICATE RESPONSIBLY.

You see the pattern here: just like everything else, drugs and medication are broken down in the liver after they’ve been metabolized by your digestive system. Make sure to follow the recommended dosage for both over-the-counter and prescription medication to ensure that your liver doesn’t incur any undue damage trying to process and filter more than it can handle.