Tips To Heal Your Liver Quickly After Alcohol Addiction
Liver damage is one of the most severe side effects of alcoholism. As the liver is responsible for alcohol metabolism, it suffers the most damage. If you have made a wise decision to get sober, then you may be wondering the time it will take for your liver to recover. But the liver is a regenerative organ (Organ that can heal).
Here is how alcohol affects the liver and the steps you can take to heal this regenerative organ.
How Does Alcohol Affect the Liver?
One of the roles of the liver is to remove toxins from the body. It also breaks down haemoglobin, destroys old blood cells, stores vitamins and iron and converts stored sugar into functional sugar. A healthy liver works hard to carry out its job, but, with the alcohol in the body, the liver has to work harder.
When alcohol dehydrates your body, the liver forcefully pulls the water from other sources to function properly. Also, when alcohol is broken down in the liver, the liver produces a toxin called acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde can damage the liver cells and can also cause scarring. Fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver are caused by the continued stress on the organ.
Tips for Healing the Liver
Your liver can begin recovering as soon as you stop drinking! The time spam for the process is different for every individual, which might take months or even a few years. The good news is that the liver is always in a state of regeneration.
Here are a few of the things you can do for your healing process, aside from not drinking.
- Quit smoking (As it is equally harmful)
- Drink a lot of water
- Eat a healthy diet (plant-based is preferable)
- Regular exercise
- Lose weight, in case you are overweight
- Avoid processed foods, saturated fats and sugars
- Pay attention to your medications
- Limit contact with other toxins (i.e., spray paints, insecticides, other toxic chemicals)
Some liver damages are permanent. But that doesn’t mean that you cannot restore yourself back to good health. Most importantly, work with your doctor to figure out the best possible direction for you. The doctor will measure your liver enzymes to know the exact problem.
So, are you ready to get clean and sober and start a healthy life? Call us to start an integrative treatment program that addresses an alcohol addiction as well as any co-occurring conditions.