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Your liver is the body’s second-largest organ and is responsible for over 500 essential functions. Learn about the solid habits that can keep it healthy.
Know your liver.
The liver is a vital organ with more than 500 functions
The liver is responsible for over 500 vital functions in the body, from detoxifying harmful substances to breaking down the nutrients of the foods you eat, the liver acts as the filter for the whole body. Without a healthy liver, toxins accumulate, nutrient absorption falters, and metabolism weakens, impacting overall health.
MASLD: a growing global health challenge
If fat makes up more than 5% of the liver’s weight, it can cause inflammation, scarring, and cancer, with Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) linked to diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol. MASLD is often silent in its early stages, so ask your doctor about an elastography scan for early detection.
If you don't take care of your liver, it does not take care of you!
Up to 90 % of liver disease is preventable.
Small lifestyle changes, eating well, moving more, reducing alcohol and getting regular checks, can protect your liver and even improve existing conditions.
Your daily habits matter.
Over 100 diseases can affect your liver
They can affect ANYONE regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background.
The most common cause of chronic liver disease is steatotic liver disease, accounting for 59% of cases.
HBV (hepatitis B) and HCV (hepatitis C) account for the majority of chronic liver disease-related deaths globally.
Resources.
- Celebrating Food is Medicine on World Liver Day 2025 https://easlcampus.eu/wld-2025
- Why the food is medicine philosophy should be adopted by people and policymakers https://t.co/cOEHWOcvVx
- Fatty-Liver-Brochure.pdf
- From Status Symbol to Silent Epidemic: The Complex Relationship Between Obesity, Food Insecurity, and Liver Health: https://communities.springernature.com/posts/from-status-symbol-to-silent-epidemic-the-complex-relationship-between-obesity-food-insecurity-and-liver-health
- Liver-Health-Basics-Booklet – GLI – Adobe cloud storage
- AASLD Clinical practice guidelines clinical assessment and management of MASLD https://www.aasld.org/practice-guidelines/clinical-assessment-and-management-metabolic-dysfunction-associated-steatotic
- https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241599931
- https://gut.bmj.com/content/72/11/2138
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2792842
- https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/cells-maintain-repair-liver-identified
- Food inequity and insecurity and MASLD: burden, challenges, and interventions | Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology
- Dietary strategies in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease patients: From evidence to daily clinical practice, a systematic review – Hadefi – 2023 – United European Gastroenterology Journal – Wiley Online Library
- One size does not fit all; practical, personal tailoring of the diet to NAFLD patients – Zelber‐Sagi – 2022 – Liver International – Wiley Online Library
- FSN_UPF+Report_Digital+for+web,+June+2023.pdf
- Dietary strategies in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients: from evidence to daily clinical practice, a systematic review. Hadefi A., Arvanitakis M., Trépo E., Zelber-Sagi S.. United European Gastroenterol J. 2023; 11(7): 663–689. https://doi.org/10.1002/ueg2.12443
- Dietary strategies in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients: from evidence to daily clinical practice, a systematic review. Hadefi A., Arvanitakis M., Trépo E., Zelber-Sagi S.. United European Gastroenterol J. 2023; 11(7): 663–689. https://doi.org/10.1002/ueg2.12443
- “Meal Timing, Meal Frequency and Metabolic Syndrome” Nutrients Alkhulaifi, Fatema, and Charles Darkoh. 2022. 14, no. 9: 1719. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091719
- “Ultra-processed Foods (UPF) in the Diets of Infants and Young Children in the UK: What They Are, How They Harm Health, and What Needs to Be Done to Reduce Intakes.“Childs, Rachel, and Vicky Sibson. First Steps Nutrition Trust, June 2023.
- https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/that-diet-probably-did-not-work
- Health effects of vitamin and mineral supplements Zhang F F, Barr S I, McNulty H, Li D, Blumberg J B. BMJ 2020; 369 :m2511 doi:10.1136/bmj.m2511
- “Spices, Condiments, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Aromas as Not Only Flavorings, but Precious Allies for Our Wellbeing”Dini, Irene, and Sonia Laneri. 2021. Antioxidants 10, no. 6: 868. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10060868