Exercise benefits your body in many ways, both internally and externally. In addition to managing your weight, reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, exercise also helps the liver function better. Lack of exercise, as well as a bad diet, may put you at risk for various liver diseases including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Liver Function
The liver is the body's major processing plant that breaks down protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol and fat; stores and sends nutrients to organs and muscles; helps convert food to energy and helps with metabolism. The liver also plays a role in breaking down toxic chemicals, such as drugs and alcohol, gathers metabolic waste and other unwanted byproducts, and creates bile, which is then sent to the gall bladder and digestive track.
Liver Diseases
Eating an unhealthy diet, exercising irregularly, taking certain drugs and regular abuse of alcohol may result in serious liver damage and diseases, including liver cirrhosis, alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver disease, and liver cancer. Some liver diseases, such as nonalcoholic liver disease, are treatable with simple, non-invasive lifestyle changes while others may require antibiotics, transplant surgery, chemotherapy and other forms of treatment.
Exercise and the Liver
Excess fat not only affects your appearance, it also affects your liver. According to Science Daily, eating unhealthy foods as well as living a sedentary lifestyle may lead to health complications including nonalcoholic liver disease, or the accumulation of fat cells in the liver. More than 75 percent of people suffering from obesity suffer from this disease. This disease also affects those who go from an active to an inactive lifestyle. Regular aerobic exercise not only helps get rid of excess body fat, it also helps get rid of excess fat cells in the liver. Exercise also helps improve liver function, increases the production of certain hormones and other chemicals which help reduce the risk of suffering from a heart attack, protects against inflammation and insulin resistance.
Other Considerations
In addition to regular aerobic exercise, eating a healthy diet helps maintain good liver health, too. Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains. Avoid foods with a high amount of saturated fat as well as fad diets as they may affect your liver. Watch your alcohol consumption, avoid smoking as well as illicit drug use and seek regular blood tests to help identify problems with your liver as soon as they occur.
References
- U.S. News and World Report; Aerobic Exercise May Curb Non-Alcoholic Fatty Acid Liver Disease; April 2011
- Love Your Liver: Nutrition, Exercise and Liver Health
- MedlinePlus: Liver Disease
- Science Daily; Exercise Prevents Fatty Liver Disease, New Study Suggests; October 2008
- Love Your Liver: 12 Top Tips for Good Liver Health
