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"Have you been feeling soreness and pain lately?" Dr. Zhang Daming frowned, stared at the pile of test reports on the computer screen, and asked.
Liu Xiaogang, 35 years old, an ordinary white-collar worker in a company, has been feeling unwell lately, especially in the lower back, and there is always a faint pain.
The pain made him wake up every morning like he had been run over by a truck. Finally, Liu Xiaogang couldn't help it and decided to go to the hospital for a check-up.
Dr. Zhang Daming is a senior internist in the city hospital, with rich experience in the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases.
After a series of blood, ultrasound and other examinations, Dr. Zhang found that Liu Xiaogang's liver had some abnormalities, although not very serious, but also needed attention.
"Your liver function indicators are a little high, although it has not yet reached the point of liver cancer, but in the long run, there is indeed this risk." Doctor Zhang looked at Liu Xiaogang and said with a serious expression.
When Liu Xiaogang heard this, his face turned pale with fright. "Doctor, what the hell is going on? I usually pay attention to my health, and I eat carrots every day, how can this be? ”
Dr. Zhang smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Liu, you may have misunderstood the health effects of carrots. In fact, long-term consumption of carrots, especially untreated raw carrots, may cause a certain burden on the liver. ”
Liu Xiaogang couldn't believe his ears. "Carrots? Isn't it said that carrots are good for the eyes and can also boost immunity? ”
"Yes, carrots do have many benefits, but nothing is too much. Carrots are rich in β-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body, and moderate intake is beneficial to the body, but excessive intake will lead to an increase in the burden on the liver and even cause liver problems. Dr. Zhang patiently explained.
Liu Xiaogang was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then realized that he might have really done something wrong.
Dr Teo went on to say, "Not only carrots, but also some other vegetables, which can also have adverse effects on the liver if consumed in large quantities over a long period of time. For the sake of your health, it is recommended that you avoid the following four vegetables. ”
First, Dr. Chang mentioned spinach. Spinach is rich in oxalic acid, and excessive intake can easily combine with calcium in the body to form calcium oxalate stones, which can lead to kidney stones. The kidneys and liver are two important detoxification organs that are closely connected, and kidney stones will further increase the burden on the liver, which may cause damage to the liver in the long run.
Next up are leeks. Leeks are spicy foods, and although they have a warming effect, they are also easy to irritate the gastrointestinal tract. For some people with poor liver function, the spicy ingredients of leeks may increase the metabolic burden on the liver, leading to liver damage.
The third type is garlic sprouts. Garlic sprouts contain a large amount of sulfide, which has a certain bactericidal effect, but for people with poor liver function, excessive intake may affect the liver's detoxification function and further increase the burden on the liver.
The last one is tomatoes. Although tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and lycopene, eating raw tomatoes may cause certain irritation to the liver, especially for people with liver insufficiency.
Liu Xiaogang was terrified when he heard this, but he didn't expect that what he usually thought was a healthy diet might be the culprit of his liver problems.
Seeing that Liu Xiaogang's face had become solemn, Dr. Zhang patted him on the shoulder and comforted: "Actually, your condition is not too serious, as long as you pay attention to your diet and adjust your living habits, the liver has a strong ability to repair itself." ”
In order to make Liu Xiaogang more understanding, Dr. Zhang shared some case stories.
Dr. Zhang mentioned a patient named Li Ming, 50 years old, who was a taxi driver. Li Ming is usually busy with work and has an irregular diet, and likes to eat some heavy foods, especially fried leeks and garlic sprouts, and never loses one meal a day.
After a few years, Li Ming felt a dull pain in the liver area, and went to the hospital to check and found that the liver function was seriously impaired, and there were even signs of liver cirrhosis. After adjusting his diet and reducing his intake of spicy foods such as leeks and garlic sprouts, Li Ming's liver function gradually recovered, and the pain in the liver area was gradually relieved.
The other patient is Zhang Li, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mother. Zhang Li usually likes to eat raw vegetables, especially tomatoes and carrots. She believes that these vegetables are highly nutritious and that eating them raw will maximize the retention of nutrients.
As a result, after a few years, she felt unwell, especially the obvious pain in the liver area, and went to the hospital to check and found that the liver function was abnormal. After the doctor's guidance, the frequency of eating raw vegetables was reduced, and Zhang Li's liver function gradually returned to normal.
After listening to these stories, Liu Xiaogang felt a cold sweat. It turns out that what seems to be a healthy diet may be a potential threat to the liver.
In order to consolidate Liu Xiaogang's cognition, Dr. Zhang explained some knowledge of liver health in detail.
Dr Teo explained that the liver is the body's largest detoxification organ and is responsible for metabolizing various toxins and waste products. If you ingest substances that are harmful to the liver for a long time, the burden on the liver will gradually increase, which may eventually lead to impaired liver function.
The β-carotene in carrots, the oxalic acid in spinach, the spicy ingredients in leeks and garlic sprouts, and certain irritating substances in tomatoes are all causes of a possible burden on the liver.
In addition, Dr. Zhang also mentioned that in addition to diet, lifestyle habits also have a great impact on liver health. Factors such as staying up late, drinking, and being stressed will all increase the burden on the liver. In order to protect the liver, you should maintain a good lifestyle, work and rest regularly, avoid excessive alcohol consumption, maintain a good mood, and exercise moderately.
Finally, Dr. Zhang reminds that regular check-ups are also an important measure to maintain liver health. Through regular check-ups, liver abnormalities can be detected at an early stage and timely measures can be taken to avoid further deterioration of the problem.
After listening to this, Liu Xiaogang felt as if he had been taught a vivid health lesson. He is determined to change his diet and lifestyle habits from today to protect his liver.
However, Liu Xiaogang still has a question in his mind. "Doctor, are there any vegetables that are particularly good for the liver and can be eaten a little more?"
Dr. Zhang nodded, smiled, and said, "Of course." For example, although excessive intake of carrots is not good for the liver, moderate intake is still beneficial. In addition, such as green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower), red dates, wolfberries, etc., are all foods that have a protective effect on the liver, and you can eat more in moderation. ”
Liu Xiaogang was like a treasure, and wrote down these suggestions for healthy eating.
Through this communication with doctors, Liu Xiaogang understood that maintaining liver health is not only a simple dietary issue, but also a comprehensive lifestyle issue. As long as you maintain scientific eating habits, good living habits, and regular physical examinations, your liver will be able to stay healthy and stay away from diseases.
Finally, let's explore a question that arises: In addition to diet and lifestyle habits, what other factors may have an impact on liver health?
The answer is environmental factors and drug use.
First of all, the emission of toxic substances in environmental pollution is a problem that cannot be ignored. A variety of harmful chemicals emitted from industrial processes, such as heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), enter the human body through air, water and soil and ultimately cause a severe toxic burden on the liver.
Long-term exposure to these pollutants requires the liver to continuously detoxify and metabolize these harmful substances, which over time may lead to liver cell damage, necrosis, and even liver poisoning. In particular, some heavy metal pollution, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, has been shown to be closely related to the development of liver cancer. These toxic substances not only directly damage liver cells, but also increase the risk of liver cancer by triggering chronic inflammation.
Secondly, occupational exposure is also an important factor in liver damage. In many industries, such as chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, printing and dyeing, etc., workers are exposed to toxic chemicals for a long time, and these chemicals enter the body through skin contact, inhalation or ingestion, which will cause varying degrees of damage to the liver.
For example, benzene and its derivatives, chlorinated hydrocarbons, ethyl acetate and other organic solvents are known hepatotoxic substances, and long-term exposure may lead to abnormal liver function and even chronic liver disease.
Substance abuse is also another major threat to liver health in modern society. Many common drugs produce toxic metabolites during liver metabolism. Antibiotics, analgesics, and lipid-lowering drugs are the most common classes of drugs, and long-term, heavy use of these drugs can lead to overburdening the liver and causing drug-induced liver damage.
For example, acetaminophen (acetaminophen) is a common pain reliever that can lead to acute liver failure if used in excess. Similarly, certain antibiotics, such as tetracycline and chloramphenicol, have been shown to cause severe hepatotoxicity at high doses or after long-term use.
In addition, some people abuse fat loss drugs and bodybuilding drugs (such as steroids) in order to lose weight quickly or for bodybuilding, although these drugs may be effective in the short term, but the long-term damage to the liver is irreversible. Long-term use of certain components in fat-reducing drugs, such as orlistat, can affect the fat metabolism of the liver, leading to the occurrence of fatty liver. Steroids, on the other hand, increase the risk of liver cancer by affecting the normal function of liver cells.
Therefore, in addition to diet and lifestyle habits, protecting the liver also requires attention to the cleanliness of the environment, avoiding long-term exposure to toxic substances, and rational use of drugs to avoid drug abuse. By taking these factors into account, we can fully protect liver health and stay away from liver diseases.
What are your thoughts on this? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!