The liver is in charge of filtering toxins out of your body. Environmental pollutants, medications and excess dietary fats are all filtered through your body so they can be eliminated. Liver problems can be deadly if not treated early and properly. Talk to your doctor if you experience symptoms like fatigue, jaundice, abdomen swelling and loss of fatigue. These can indicate liver damage and might require prescription medications.
Step 1
Give up drinking alcohol completely if you've been diagnosed with liver disease. If you're just trying to prevent future liver problems, limit your drinking to no more than one or two drinks per day. Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related problems than men, so they should control their drinking even more. A drink is the equivalent to 5 oz. wine, 12 oz. beer or 1 ½ oz. liquor.
Step 2
Reduce your calorie intake. Eating too much can put a strain on your liver, causing it to work harder than it should. If you're overweight, cut down your calorie intake by about 500 calories. This will result in a weight loss of about 1 lb. per week. If you don't need to lose weight, simply switch to items lower in saturated fat. For example, choose low-fat dairy instead of full-fat.
Step 3
Avoid combining alcohol with over-the-counter medications. Certain combinations, like taking acetaminophen with alcohol, can lead to sudden liver failure or hepatitis.
Step 4
Take silymarin. Silymarin or milk thistle is a plant used all over the world to treat liver problems, including poisoning from heavy metals, hepatitis and fatty liver, among others. Silymarin can be used as a preventive as well in people with a past history of liver problems. Take up to 210 mg three times a day. Consult with your health care provider before you begin.
Step 5
Reduce the amount of protein in your diet. When you eat more protein than your body needs, your liver must work harder than normal to process it. This damages the liver and leads to a buildup of toxins. As a general rule, you need about 0.5 g protein per pound of weight. This means a 150-lb. person should eat about 75 g protein per day.
