Mind your liver

When Prometheus, a Greek Titan,  boldly climbed the Olympus, stole the precious fire from the heavens and passed on the fire to the humans, it made Zeus furious! He punished Prometheus by binding him to a rock, where an eagle used to come everyday to eat up his liver. Miraculously, this organ regenerated at night, but the torture got repeated during the day.

This Greek mythological story depicts the renewing power of our largest internal organ, the liver. Everyday, we inhale air filled with pollutants and we eat food swarming with harmful toxins. Despite all of this, we are healthy! Thanks to our amazing liver and its detoxicating ability.

The liver is ensconced in the upper right sector of our abdomen. The productive capacity of the liver is astonishing. It produces plasma proteins, certain hormones, many blood clotting factors, lipoproteins, cholesterol, triglycerides and so on. It is also able to store glucose in the form of glycogen, Vitamins A, D and B12, iron and copper, among others. It is also able to destroy excess red blood cells, thus maintaining the biological balance in the blood. The liver breaks down insulin and other hormones, too.

Problem areas

The liver is capable of maintaining our health, provided the fat content there is less than 10%. If it goes beyond that, we are in danger. The important liver cells, hepatocytes, get damaged and the area is replaced by fibrous tissue which blocks the blood flow. These fatty changes will also slow down the various other functions of the liver. This causes a condition known as cirrhosis, where the level of  clotting comes down and the patient bruises and bleeds easily.

The symptoms include nausea and vomiting. However, this often exhibits as jaundice as  there is excess bilirubin in the blood in the later stages. Liver function tests help in early diagnosis.

But, why does this happen? Of course, infection, excessive consumption of paracetamol and anti-cancer drugs can damage the liver. The main culprit, however, is the over-consumption of alcohol. Many youngsters are losing their health and lives due to this. The tragic truth is that cirrhosis is eminently a preventable condition. There are vaccines to prevent infections of the liver. Also, limiting alcohol consumption to 1 or 2 pegs a day is in our hands.

So, mind your liver please! Eat healthy, balanced food. Let it be low-fat and low-salt. Avoid bakery products as far as possible. Include plenty of vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. Remember, we have only one liver. Liver transplants can be performed today, but the best thing would be to preserve the organ we have been born with.

(The author is a gynaecologist & writer)