The liver is the largest organ within the body and helps digest food, store energy and remove toxins, according to MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine.
Also, according to San Francisco’s largest health care system, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, the liver is a triangle-shaped, dark reddish-brown organ that weighs about three pounds and it is situated in the upper right part of the abdominal cavity, below the diaphragm and above the stomach, right kidney, and intestines.
Additionally, more than 500 vital functions of the liver have been identified, but the best known are:
- Bile production (helps transport waste and break down fats in the small intestine during digestion).
- Production of certain proteins for the blood plasma.
- Production of cholesterol and special proteins to help transport fats throughout the body.
- Conversion of excess glucose to storage glycogen (This glycogen can later be converted back to glucose for energy.)
- Balance and produce glucose as needed.
- Regulation of amino acid levels in the blood (they are the protein-forming units).
- Processing of hemoglobin for the distribution of its iron content (the liver stores iron).
- Conversion of toxic ammonia to urea (urea is one of the end products of protein metabolism and is excreted in the urine).
- Purification of drugs and other toxic substances from the blood.
- Regulation of blood coagulation.
- Resistance to infections through the production of immunity factors and elimination of certain bacteria from the bloodstream.
- Bilirubin clearance (an accumulation of bilirubin would cause the skin and eyes to turn yellowish).
However, there is a possibility that the liver will fail due to some liver diseases such as:
- Diseases caused by viruses, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
- Diseases caused by drugs, poisons or toxins or by drinking too much alcohol. Examples include fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
- Liver cancer.
- Hereditary diseases, such as hemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease.
For this reason, Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clinical practice, education and research, explained that if you have orange urine, it could indicate a problem in the liver or bile ducts, especially if you also have light-colored stools
Consequently, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed that there are many things that can be done to protect the liver from damage:
- Limit alcohol consumption: If you drink alcohol, it is best to do so in moderation. Moderation means that drinking is not intoxicating (or intoxicated) and that you have no more than one drink a day if you are a woman and no more than two if you are a man.
- Do exercise: The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests engaging in moderate aerobic physical activity for at least 150 to 300 minutes or vigorous aerobic physical activity for at least 75 to 150 minutes, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous activity throughout the week .
- No Smoking: Within 20 minutes of quitting, blood pressure and heart rate recover from the cigarette-induced peak. Within three months of quitting, blood circulation and lung function begin to improve. Within a year of quitting, your risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker.
- Maintain an up-to-date vaccination schedule, including vaccinations against the different types of hepatitis.