The liver and its vital connection to our overall health
How the liver is part of our interconnected cardiovascular, renal and metabolic system and why we need to look after it.
Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease and obesity – most of us have heard of or know someone who deals with one or more of these conditions. But what about our liver? How much do you know about liver disease? And what does liver health have to do with the other diseases?
The above-mentioned diseases all belong to the cardiovascular, renal and metabolic system. Cardiovascular, renal and metabolic conditions are a group of diseases that are interconnected, co-exist and can amplify one another. For people who are affected by one or more of these conditions, serious health problems can worsen over time.
How does the liver contribute to this?
The importance of the liver is often overlooked. Think of a fuel tank in a car: it processes the fuel we put in and distributes it to the rest of the machine. Without it, the car couldn’t drive. The liver is a key part of the cardiovascular, renal and metabolic system and has a similar role. It is a vital organ that keeps our bodies healthy and functioning by governing our body’s metabolism, which is essential for our overall health.
The liver plays a central role in our body’s metabolic processes by converting nutrients in our diets into substances for the body. The liver also takes in, breaks down and converts toxic substances into less harmful substances for removal from the body. Our medical expert on liver health, Ramy Younes, explains, “Liver health is crucial for energy levels, detoxification, vitamin storage and absorption and much more. If the liver is damaged, these functions can be disrupted, affecting the body as a whole.” Cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, including metabolic liver diseases, should be managed together. A healthy liver can benefit the whole body more than we might realize.
Speaking to Ramy Younes about the liver, it becomes clear that our understanding of liver health has increased in recent years. “One of the most significant changes has been the change of names for certain liver diseases to reflect a better understanding of what causes them. Previously, we referred to two diseases as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). These terms suggested that these diseases were mainly linked to non-alcoholic factors.”
According to Ramy, however, we’ve since learned that these diseases are also closely linked to the workings of the metabolic system, so the terms have been changed to metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
What happens when the liver is not functioning properly?
Just as we can gain weight and have excess fat in our bodies, the same thing can happen to our liver. Ramy explains, “Fatty liver, or a build-up of fat in the liver, can happen along with metabolic disorders such as obesity or diabetes. When the liver does not process and break down fat effectively, too much fat accumulates in the liver, causing fatty liver disease.” This can have serious consequences, such as end-stage liver disease and liver cancer.
What can I do today to improve my liver health?
Start doing something for your liver health today. Here are five tips.
- Provide your car with good fuel: eat a balanced diet and avoid high-calorie meals, saturated fat, refined carbohydrates and sugars.
- Keep your car moving by including exercise and regular workouts in your day-to-day life.
- Just as getting your car inspected can prevent serious issues, regular check-ups by a healthcare professional can help keep you aware of your liver health.
- You wouldn't mix other substances with your petrol, would you? Avoid harmful substances, such as illicit drugs or alcohol, where possible and if not necessary.
- Stay hydrated. As for overall body health, it’s also important for the liver to get enough water to function properly.
Your liver health depends on the health of your interconnected cardiovascular, renal and metabolic system. It’s important to not only look at the individual parts of our body in isolation, but together – if individual parts don’t function properly, this affects the body as a whole.
You may have an increased risk of developing liver disease if you have a family history of liver disease or are living with another condition, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease or obesity. If you have any concerns, always discuss them with a healthcare professional.
“The liver is key in our metabolism and in our bodies as a whole. Treating it well is vitally important,” explains Ramy.