Patient advocate: Keep your liver alive for a lifetime

Tucked under your ribs, next to your stomach on the right side, your liver may not be a body part you think about every day, but this three-pound powerhouse — our largest internal organ — performs a lot of important functions our bodies rely on.

And it’s up to us to keep it going.

Some liver diseases are caused by genetic mutations that can be inherited. Liver health, however, is largely dependent on our own lifestyle behaviors. Let’s take a moment to appreciate all our liver does for us, and how we can keep it in tip-top condition.

What does the liver do?

A lot. Your liver’s biggest job is filtering harmful substances and waste from your blood. Every day, your liver filters more than 250 gallons of blood. As if that weren’t enough, it also makes cholesterol, produces certain hormones, makes proteins, stores glucose to keep your blood sugar steady, and breaks down toxins and germs so your body can eliminate them.

How do you know if your liver is healthy?

A healthy liver doesn’t really call attention to itself. Typically, your regular bloodwork will look at albumin and bilirubin levels. Low albumin levels, typically below 3.5 grams per deciliter, can indicate liver malfunction. A normal bilirubin level is generally less than 1 milligram per deciliter; anything higher is associated with potential liver disease. Abnormal results in these measures may indicate further screening is needed.

A liver that’s feeling poorly will make you feel poorly, too, with fatigue, swelling in feet and ankles, abdominal pain, easy bruising or bleeding, and chills. Another telltale sign is jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes caused by the buildup of bilirubin.

What can go wrong with your liver?

One of the more prevalent liver disorders is inflammation classified as Hepatitis A, B and C. Hep A is caused by contaminated food or water, not a huge problem in the U.S. but more common elsewhere in the world.

Hep B and Hep C viruses spread through contact with infected blood and body fluids through unprotected sex or needle sharing. It used to be that blood transfusions were a common source of hepatitis, but today’s thorough screening methods make that very rare now. Vaccines help prevent Hep A and B. There’s no vaccine yet for Hep C because the virus takes many different forms.

The most common liver disorder is metabolic dysfunction — associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which is excessive fat build-up in the liver without another clear cause, such as alcohol use. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with this disorder.

What does alcohol do to your liver?

Heavy drinkers and binge drinkers are at particular risk for liver disease, but even moderate drinking can affect liver function. Alcohol stresses the liver by causing fat buildup, inflammation and eventually scarring, leading to conditions like alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.

The good news is that our livers are remarkably resilient. Going 24 hours without alcohol eases the burden on the liver, and taking a break for a full 30 days lets your liver go into full recovery mode. If you drink, try to take a 30-day break a couple of times a year, and then have a few “dry” days each week. Your liver will thank you.

How do you keep a healthy liver healthy?

A lot of the same foods in a healthy diet are also liver-friendly: lean proteins, fatty fish, cruciferous veggies (i.e. broccoli, kale, cabbage and the like), nuts and olive oil.

Some studies indicate that blueberry and cranberry extracts may be helpful, but more research is needed. Experts warn against so-called “de-tox” treatments for livers because they haven’t been through clinical trials or been approved by the FDA.

Other helpful behaviors include maintaining a healthy weight and exercising. No surprises there. Above all, limit alcohol intake and take booze breaks for a day, a week or a month.

Problems with our livers can creep up on us, causing few symptoms until significant damage has already been done. If you have a family history of liver disease, acquaint yourself with the symptoms and ask your doctor whether more screening should be done.

While liver transplants have become relatively common — more than 11,000 performed in 2024 — it’s likely you can keep yours going with some smart lifestyle choices.

• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg, R.N., a registered nurse and board-certified patient advocate, is the founder of NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com, which trains medical professionals to become successful private patient advocates. She is the author of “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones” and “Advocating Well: Strategies for Finding Strength and Understanding in Health Care,” available at Amazon.com. Contact her at Teri@NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com to set up a free phone consultation.