Liver ailments are among the top 10 leading causes of deaths in India. Hepatologists share tips on how to take care of this organ

Unhealthy lifestyles, stress and increasing exposure to toxins in food and water have in recent years led to a dramatic rise in lifestyle diseases including liver diseases. According to WHO, around 10 lakh Indians are diagnosed with liver Cirrhosis every year. As we battle a liver disease surge, adopting natuaral practices can go a long way in helping our population maintain a healthy and toxin free liver.

Liver ailments are among the 10 leading causes of deaths in India, with fatty liver disease emerging as a rising cause of liver damage. It is important to educate people about the need for following liver-healthy lifestyles and natural liver detoxification practices.

Jindal Naturecure Institute has restudied and revitalised a series of natural liver cleansing and detoxification therapies that have existed in India for thousands of years. Everyday kitchen staples such as lemons, apples, berries, amla, turmeric, beetroot and grapes among others can become potent tools to maintain a healthy liver if used with the right knowledge and regimen.

“Liver is an important organ with many essential functions including cleansing our bodies of harmful toxins. A number of factors have increased the toxin load on our livers. Regular consumption of processed food — especially white flour, refined sugar, saturated, rancid and hydrogenated fats, smoked meat and alcohol are toxic to the delicate operation of the liver cells. Additionally, the presence of additives and pesticides in food, pollution, drugs and anger — all have negative impact on liver health. This is why it is important to adopt naturopathy practices in our daily lives as a holistic approach to our health,” says Dr Babina NM, Joint CMO, Jindal Naturecure Institute.

To follow these simple yet time-tested steps of Naturopathy not only help in reducing excess body weight, abdominal girth, blood pressure levels, but also improves liver and renal functions.

“Some very simple solutions can help us maintain good liver health. We have a seven-day apple therapy to cleanse the liver naturally and druglessly. This therapy involves consuming six to eight apples every day for six days. On the sixth day, the patient must have no dinner but drink epsom salt water at 6 pm and 8 pm followed by drinking a mixture of concentrated lime juice (200 ml) plus olive oil (125 ml at 10 pm). On the seventh morning, the patient must consume tender coconut water, followed by sweetlime juice, little khichidi and curd for lunch. This is just one of the many wonderful natural treatments available to improve liver health,” says Sushma PS, Chief Dietician (Naturopathy), Jindal Naturecure Institute.

Nature cure treatments like enema, colon hydrotherapy, mud bath, mud pack, abdominal pack, hip bath, partial oil therapy to abdomen, hot and cold fomentation and castor oil pack are beneficial for improving liver functions. Maintaining a physically active lifestyle and practicing yoga are other important ways to improve one’s health.

Foods to look out for

• Lemons help the liver produce glutathione which neutralises toxins
• Apple Cider Vinegar reduces fat accumulated in the liver and reduces inflammation
• Green Tea is enriched with catechins which prevents non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Cruciferous vegetables like Broccoli sprout, up-liver’s natural detoxification enzymes
• Beetroot juice protects the liver from oxidative damage and inflammation
• Pear reduces liver inflammation and may protect from alcohol damage
• Grapes and grape seed extract protect the liver from cellular damage
• Berries are high in antioxidants; they help protect the liver and improve its immunity
• Turmeric improves the body’s ability to digest fats and prevent its accumulation in liver.
• Papaya and its seeds help burn dietary fats and prevent fatty liver disease
• Amla detoxifies liver and is an effective home remedy for fatty liver disease
• Olive oil decreases levels of fat in the liver and improves liver enzymes levels.
• Grape Fruit protects the liver by reducing inflammation and enhancing its protective mechanisms.
• Shun alcohol completely as it damages the liver’s functioning.
  Nature to the rescue

Liver (Yakrit) is a vital organ. It converts rasa dhatu to rakta dhatu (blood). It also produces bile (ranjak pitta) and detoxifies the body eliminating ama from the blood. Wrong diet and lifestyle damages the liver tissues and leads to diseases like jaundice, fatty liver and hepatitis.

Ayurveda can help. Include these five simple Ayurvedic herbs in your life to keep your liver healthy.

Kutki: This bitter tasting herb is cooling in nature and has a cleansing effect on the liver and gallbladder. In Ayurveda, kutki is prescribed to improve appetite and to treat jaundice or bile disorders. The herb is beneficial in skin disorders and to improve metabolism. You can take one Jiva Kutki capsule each day for a healthy liver.

Turmeric: The yellow herb supports liver functions and cleanses blood. It can also aid the process of transforming rasa into rakta. It also promotes elimination of toxins from the body. In most cases you do not need to take any additional turmeric if you already use it in your meals.

Guduchi: Guduchi is known for its detoxifying and blood cleansing properties. Ayurvedic herbal medicines prepared for liver problems contain guduchi. The herb also has known benefits in treating kamala (jaundice), hepatitis and fatty liver. Guduchi should be taken under the guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor.

Triphala: The mixture of amla, bibhitaki and haritaki helps in regularising metabolism and bowel movements. It cools down the body and balances all tridoshas in the body. Triphala churna can be taken by anyone every night before bed.

Aloe vera: Aloe vera juice flushes toxins out of the liver (hepatoxicity) and promotes good bowel movements. In addition to soothing the digestive system, Aloe vera also fights stress and strengthens the immune system.

The writer is Dr Partap Chauhan, Director, Jiva Ayurveda

DISEASES

Hemochromatosis: It is a disorder in which excessive iron builds up in the body and hampers the normal functioning of several organ systems. In simple terms it refers to iron overload.

The early symptoms of hereditary hemochromatosis are include joint pains, fatigue, lethargy, abdominal pain and loss of sexual drive.

The diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis is usually challenging as high index of suspicion is needed by the treating physician to entertain its diagnosis. Certain blood tests are done including serum ferritin, transferrin saturation to demonstrate excessive iron in the body.

Wilson’s disease: It is a rare inherited disorder in which excessive copper accumulates in the body, particularly in the liver, brain, and eyes.  In Wilson’s disease, the excretion of copper is defective which leads to its excessive accumulation in the body. The symptoms of liver disease include yellowing of the eyes (jaundice), lethargy, fatigue, loss of appetite, and abdominal swelling.

The diagnosis of the disease is based on blood and urine tests. Liver biopsy can also be performed to quantify the amount of copper in the liver tissue.

The Writer is Dr Sandeep Satsangi, Consultant, Hepatology & Liver Transplantation, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital, Bengaluru