World Liver Day is held each year on 19 April to generate awareness of how important the liver is to our survival.
Not only is your liver the largest organ inside your body, but it is also one of the body’s hardest-working organs: filtering good from bad, making and storing vitamins and minerals, and assisting with hormone production which can help regulate our mental health and blood sugar levels.
The liver manufactures, stores, and processes everything you put in your body, including food, alcohol, medicine, or toxins, which can come from our environment, food, cosmetics and cleaning products. A healthy human liver also holds about a two-year store of Vitamin A, which is responsible for boosting your immune system, supporting growth and strengthening your vision.
Following the adoption of a resolution during the 63rd World Health Assembly in May 2010, World Hepatitis Day was given global endorsement as the primary focus for national and international awareness-raising efforts and the date was changed to July 28, in honour of Nobel Laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg, discoverer of the hepatitis B virus, who celebrates his birthday on that date.
The resolution resolves that "28 July shall be designated as World Hepatitis Day in order to provide an opportunity for education and greater understanding of viral hepatitis as a global public health problem, and to stimulate the strengthening of preventive and control measures of this disease in Member States."
World Hepatitis Day is now recognised in over 100 countries each year through events such as free screenings, poster campaigns, demonstrations, concerts, talk shows, flash mobs and vaccination drives, amongst many others. Each year a report is published by the WHO and the World Hepatitis Alliance detailing all the events across the world.
Any disorder that affects the Liver and prevents it from working is typically referred to as cirrhosis.
The following are some of the most frequent liver diseases:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a type of liver disease that
Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B are two different types of hepatitis.
Cirrhosis of the Liver is a disease that affects the Liver.
Hepatitis caused by alcoholism
Hepatitis A is a virus that causes liver disease.
Cirrhosis of the Liver is the most prevalent chronic liver disease, and it occurs when diseased tissue replaces healthy liver tissue over time due to significant liver damage.
Nearly a third of people with liver cirrhosis are asymptomatic. According to estimates, cirrhosis of the Liver is expected to become the 12th most significant cause of death by 2020.
Overconsumption of alcohol causes this most frequent liver illness. If you drink too much alcohol and overload your Liver, the excess alcohol will circulate in your blood. As a result, our organs such as the brain and heart are affected, increasing drunkenness.
The following are the consequences of persistent alcohol abuse:
Liver cells are destroyed
The Liver becomes fatty
Inflammation of the Liver
Cirrhosis of the Liver is irreversible
Cancer of the Liver
Hepatitis refers to the inflammation of the Liver. Hepatitis is classified into five categories based on the virus that causes it. Ingestion of infected food/water causes Hepatitis A and E, while transmission/exposure to infective bodily fluids, blood, and sperm cause Hepatitis B, C, and D.
In a healthy body, the liver removes toxins and produces bile, a protein that breaks down fat into fatty acids so that they can be digested. Fatty liver disease damages the liver and prevents it from working as well as it should, but lifestyle changes can prevent it from getting worse.
The first line of treatment for NAFLD is weight loss, through a combination of calorie reduction, exercise, and healthy eating.
In general, the diet for fatty liver disease includes:
Fruits and vegetables
High-fiber plants like legumes and whole grains
Significantly reducing intake of certain foods and beverages including those high in added sugar, salt, refined carbohydrates, and saturated fat.
