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Heavy alcohol consumption is the most common cause of liver damage. When you drink alcohol, the liver gets diverted from its other functions and focuses mainly on converting alcohol to a less toxic form. Absorption of alcohol by the liver causes fatty liver disease, inflammation of the liver and cirrhosis.
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Exposure to chemicals in pesticides and heavy metals through vegetables, fruits and adulterated foods and can also damage the liver. These toxins get stored in liver over a lifetime to cause liver damage.
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People who are obese have excess amount of body fat which tends to accumulate around the liver, causing what is known as a fatty liver disease. Obesity is also linked to cirrhosis of liver and liver failure.
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Having diabetes increases the risk of liver disease by 50 percent. People with diabetes due to insulin resistance have high levels of insulin in their blood, which triggers abdominal weight gain. This causes the liver to store fat internally, causing fatty liver disease.
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High salt intake is well known to increase blood pressure, but it can also cause fatty liver disease by building up fluid in the liver (water retention) and swelling it up.
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Although cigarette smoke does not have a direct effect on liver function, harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke increase oxidative stress of the system after reaching the liver, causing irreversible damaging to the liver cells.
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Overuse of over-the-counter drugs and certain prescription drugs is known to cause liver damage. Some of these drugs include antidepressants, mood stabilizers, corticosteroids (used for treating inflammation) and pain relievers. It’s therefore important to review the side effects and adverse effects of medications before taking them.
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Research suggests that dietary or nutritional supplements can increase the production of certain liver enzymes when taken in excess amounts, causing damage. A well known cause of liver toxicity is overdose of vitamin A.
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You may switch to alternative remedies to avoid the side-effects of medicines. But herbal remedies, too, can be harmful to the liver in excess amounts.
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Viral hepatitis A, B and C and autoimmune hepatitis attack the liver cells directly causing inflammation. Without proper treatment, hepatitis can cause cirrhosis of the liver (hardening and scarring of liver tissue) and may gradually lead to liver failure. Tuberculosis, although clinically silent, can affect the liver once the bacteria causing tuberculosis gain entry into the liver and colonize it. In an attempt to fight infection, the liver responds to colonizing bacteria, leading to a tumor formation. This condition is called as hepatic tuberculosis. Intestinal infections caused by the yeast Candida interferes with the detoxification function of the liver causing damage.
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Ask a lay person what causes liver damage and you will get an invariable answer: heavy drinking. But it is not the only thing that can harm your liver. The liver is the largest internal organ of the body and is involved in more than 500 different functions of the body including digestion, metabolism, nutrients’ storage and removal of toxins.
