Debunking 5 Myths about Liver Health

As the body’s detoxification metabolizer palace, the liver is very important to human health. Regarding the behaviors that damage the liver, there are also various theories in the market. Many older generations are more convinced that “drinking alcohol at night” is very harmful to the liver; Are all the above statements correct? TOPick visited Dr. Li Dar-wing, a specialist in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, to deconstruct the myths about the five major livers.

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1. Will drinking alcohol at night hurt the liver?

The liver is a very important organ in the human body. Most of the metabolism is carried out in the liver, and the metabolism is often carried out during sleep. Therefore, although there is no research in Western medicine to prove that staying up late will directly damage the liver, it is certain that once there is not enough sleep, it may affect the body’s metabolism and easily cause other physical problems, such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. As for drinking alcohol, it may lead to fatty liver. Long-term alcoholism is more likely to cause liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, so drinking alcohol will really damage the liver.

2. Is it possible to complement the shape with shape?

There is a popular belief in dietary therapy that supplements the body, such as eating pork liver can protect the liver, but there is no medical basis for it. Because when citizens eat pork liver, the components of the pig liver will be transformed into other substances after entering the body, such as amino acids, or fats, carbohydrates, which cannot directly “replenish the liver”, so “replenishing the body with form” cannot help the health of the liver.

3. Can eating overnight meals cause hepatitis?

Acute hepatitis is usually caused by eating contaminated food, or undercooked seafood, such as shells, or oysters. The chance of hepatitis caused by eating overnight meals is relatively low.

4. Can eating at the same table transmit hepatitis B?

The main route of transmission of hepatitis B is mother-to-child transmission, that is, the mother is a carrier, and the baby has the opportunity to be infected by contact with the mother’s blood while leaving the mother’s body. Other routes of transmission include blood and bodily fluid infection, and sexual behavior is also one of the methods of bodily fluid transmission; while blood infection of course refers to wound contact of hepatitis B carriers.

As for eating at the same table, although hepatitis B can theoretically be transmitted through saliva, the risk is relatively lower than that of mother-to-child transmission and blood, and it is believed that many liters of saliva may need to be swallowed to occur. But for the sake of prudence, it is also recommended that everyone retain the habit of using serving chopsticks when eating.

5. Be careful with high liver enzymes?

Liver enzyme, referred to as ALT, is also called glutamate transaminase. The normal liver enzyme standard for women is 19, and the liver enzyme standard for men is 30. Generally speaking, when the doctor finds that the patient has chronic hepatitis B and the liver enzymes are high, they recommend taking medicine. Because the enzymes are high, or the virus is at a high level, and if the patient has diabetes, fatty liver, and frequent alcohol consumption, the chances of complications will be greatly increased in the future, and the chances of suffering from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer will also be higher.

▲ Li Darong, a specialist in Gastroenterology and Hepatology (photo by Huang Xintong)

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Reporter: Rong Huiling

2023-07-21 04:37:14

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