The 6 main aggressors of the liver (to be wary of)

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The 6 main aggressors of the liver to be wary

If the liver tolerates a deviation from time to time, it has much more difficulty in managing daily excesses, and does not like being confronted with aggressors who prevent it from regenerating. Zoom in on his main enemies.

A veritable sewage treatment plant, the liver is very much in demand by modern life: excess food (sometimes alcohol), pollution, chemicals… As a result, it can get tired. To regenerate it, it is put to rest at least 3 weeks a year by eating less, drinking plenty of water and cleaning it.

On the same subject

>> We do a detox cure: you can opt for the juice of a lemon in lukewarm water every morning on an empty stomach. Other option: detoxifying plants in herbal teas or food supplements: dandelion, milk thistle, boldo, rosemary, chicory root, meadow sorrel root… For quantities and mixtures, we seek the advice of a pharmacist or doctor. an herbalist.

How to pamper your liver?

  • By massaging it with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil mixed with 1 drop of essential oil of rosemary and 1 of basil. Lying down, hands flat on your stomach, perform circular movements in a clockwise direction, emphasizing the area located to the right, under the ribs, where the liver is located, until you feel that the organs are completely relaxed. We finish by applying a hot water bottle to the same area while breathing slowly and deeply for about ten minutes.
  • By eating healthy. We give pride of place to fresh fruits and vegetables, especially green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, turnip, arugula, watercress…), black radish, artichoke… Not to mention the garlic, onion, spices and fresh herbs (basil, ginger, turmeric, mint, tarragon…). We prefer fish to meat and we reduce the fat (cold meats, cheese, fried foods, ready meals, etc.). Refined sugar is limited (candies and other sweets, spreads, industrial biscuits, etc.). And above all, we do not abuse coffee (prefer green tea) and even less alcohol (75% of cases of cirrhosis in France are due to alcohol).

We vent our anger

In Chinese medicine, good liver health is essential to properly manage emotions, especially anger. Here is a gesture of shiatsu which allows the irritation accumulated and contained for too long to be evacuated.

  • Squeeze the abdomen under the ribs, breathing deeply for a few minutes, after warming your hands by rubbing them together.
  • Place the index and/or middle fingers between the 6th and 7th rib in line with the nipples. Squeeze while exhaling, maintain the pressure on inspiration and release at the end of inspiration. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

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le gras sucre

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2/6 –

fat and sugar
When the liver exceeds its capacity to store sugar, it turns it into fat. However, at high doses, fat acts as an aggressor for the liver. The WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars (those added in food: sugar, glucose syrup, honey, etc.) and naturally occurring sugars (in fruit juices, for example) to less than 10% of the total energy ration, and specifies that it would be even better for health to drop below 5%. This corresponds to 25 g, or 6 teaspoons, per day. Warning: pizza, sandwich bread, cold cuts or ketchup are part of this long list of processed foods that display sugar in their ingredients.

le tabac

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3/6 –

The tobacco
Without it, almost a third of cancer deaths could be avoided. It damages all levels: pharynx, lung, bladder… and the liver is not spared. It seems that smoking accelerates the transition to cirrhosis of liver diseases such as hepatitis B and C, or excessive alcohol consumption.

le surpoids obesite

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4/6 –

overweight and obesity
“When the body grows, so does the liver”, notes Dr. Jean-Louis Payen, gastroenterologist and hepatologist. To know where you stand, the BMI (body mass index) is a good benchmark. A loss of 5 to 10% of its initial weight makes it possible to modify its silhouette, but also to reduce the quantity of fat in the liver. It requires changing your habits over the long term.

les medicaments

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5/6 –

Medication
All drugs pass through the liver, and can do great damage there. This is the case of antibiotics, antidepressants, antiepileptics… and of a molecule which nevertheless seems, at first sight, above all suspicion: paracetamol. It is the most prescribed drug in France, but beware: exceeding the dose can destroy the liver. No question of depriving yourself of it, but as the ANSM reminds us, it must always be at “the lowest dose, for the shortest possible time.”

des parasites

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6/6 –

Parasites
It is called Echinococcus multilocularis, it is a tapeworm a few millimeters long. Little known, it can cause very serious damage in humans. “Contamination often occurs indirectly, for example by eating blackberries contaminated by a fox. This is indeed the main vector of this parasite, which will colonize the liver and deteriorate it.” How to make a diagnosis? With an ultrasound of the liver. If cases are rare in France, they can be fatal. However, more the earlier the diagnosis, the greater the chances of survival.

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