Your vital organs are called that way because they are indeed vital for your existence. One of the most important organs in the body is your liver. According to the experts, this massive organ performs more than 500 functions to keep you alive and healthy. Some of the roles the liver plays include metabolizing carbohydrates and fats, supplying the body with glucose, storing of nutrients such as vitamin A and iron, and fighting off infections especially that originate from the bowels.
Needless to say, you should really take good care of your liver. There are all sorts of home remedies to keep this really vital organ of yours in tip-top shape. Before you get to know them, it’s a wonderful idea to get yourself acquainted first with some interesting facts about your liver. Some of them will make you look at your liver differently while others will simply blow your mind away! Here they are:
- The normal human liver weighs anywhere from 3.20 to 3.70 pounds (1.44 to 1.66 kilograms). Other than being the heaviest internal organ, the liver is also the biggest! However, it’s only second to the skin in terms of size when both internal and external organs are concerned.
- The liver is the primary organ of detoxification your body has. It purifies the blood and detoxifies harmful chemicals such as alcohol and drugs that the body cannot process on its own. The liver is also the organ which breaks down excessive amounts of hormones in your body so that they may be flushed out.
- The only vital organ that is capable of growing back is the liver! This is the reason why it is possible for you to donate a fraction of your liver to another individual. Thanks to the regenerating abilities of the liver, experts say that both the donor and recipient may enjoy full-sized liver in just 3 months after the transplantation.
- About 10% of your total blood volume can be found in the liver at any given time. This doesn’t come as a surprise because of the numerous functions this vital organ performs — over 500 of them, say the experts.
- The liver serves as a storage space for a handful of nutrients. They include iron, copper and vitamins A, B12, D, E and K. What’s more, the liver stores glycogen in it and releases some of them when the body is in need of energy.
Now that you know some of the most interesting facts about this vital organ, it’s time to know some home remedies for keeping it strong, healthy and functional. Here are some of the best ones:
- Eat 2 to 3 cloves of raw garlic daily. Garlic is good for the liver in a couple of ways. First, it assists the liver in detoxifying the body. Second, garlic helps lower excessive cholesterol levels which may keep the liver from working optimally.
- Drink green tea regularly. Health authorities say that consuming 2 to 3 cups of green tea daily helps promote a healthier liver. That’s because green tea is packed with catchins — antioxidants that help keep fat and cholesterol from building up in the liver. Green tea also saves this vital organ from the damaging effects of toxins like alcohol.
- Add turmeric in your diet. Something as simple as making food zestier with turmeric powder helps keep your liver in an excellent shape. Turmeric contains compounds that aid in purifying the liver and metabolizing fats. What’s more, turmeric powder helps speed up the liver’s regeneration.
- Munch on apples. Certain compounds in apples such as pectin and malic acid help keep your liver functioning optimally. Experts say that eating apples saves the liver from being overworked because these luscious fruits help in removing toxins and other impurities in the blood.
- Eat broccoli regularly. Just like apples, broccoli is capable of eliminating poisonous substances in the body, thus keeping the liver from doing more tasks than it can handle. More over, broccoli is also packed with vitamin E, a particular kind of antioxidant that’s highly beneficial for the liver.
- Consume apple cider vinegar. Before you have your meal, it’s a good idea to drink a glass of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed into it. Apple cider vinegar helps in detoxifying the liver, as well as promotes breakdown of fats to keep them from building up in the liver.
- Have ripe papaya. Papaya is a fruit known to be very beneficial especially for people suffering from liver cirrhosis — a condition wherein healthy liver tissue turns to scar tissue. It is also said that powdered papaya seeds mixed with lime juice is an effective remedy for liver cirrhosis.
