Love Your Liver

Love Your Liver is a national health awareness campaign organised by the British Liver Trust. This campaign is devoted to liver health and aims to raise awareness of liver disease, giving people vital information about how to look after their liver.

Did you know, the liver is the largest internal organ in the human body? It’s about the size of a rugby ball and sits above the stomach, under the diaphragm. The liver is a vital organ and performs over 500 tasks, without a functioning liver, a person cannot survive! Around three-quarters of people are diagnosed with liver disease when it is too late for effective treatment, however, 90% of liver disease is preventable!

What are the main functions of the liver?

• Removing harmful toxins from the bloodstream
• Producing bile (an important digestive liquid)
• Breaking down carbohydrates and storing energy in the form of a type of sugar called glycogen

Liver disease

Liver disease is a general term which refers to illnesses caused by a disturbance of the liver. There are many different types of liver disease which can be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating well and keeping fit.

Types of liver disease

Hepatitis - a viral infection of the liver causing inflammation and liver damage which prevents it from functioning properly.

Caused by: catching a viral infection and regularly drinking too much alcohol.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - the term for a range of conditions caused by a build-up of fat in the liver.

Caused by: smoking, being overweight, having type 2 diabetes.

Alcohol-related liver disease – inflamed and swollen liver. 6 in 10 people with liver disease in the UK have alcohol-related liver disease.

Caused by: excessive alcohol consumption.

What can you do to look after your liver?

• Stick to the recommended guidelines for drinking alcohol
• Work out – resistance training may help to reduce the fat in the liver
• Drink plenty of water every day
• Cut down on fatty and sugary foods