2024-07-04 03:24:19
Sitting down at the dinner table, you can understand a lot about the state of your body. For example, in middle-aged women, changes in taste may be a sign of menopause.
And for everyone, a metallic taste in the mouth when eating can be a warning sign that dementia is developing.
However, one symptom that you may notice during a meal is related to the liver. If you notice that you have less and less appetite, your liver may be to blame.
Dimitaras Marinov, MD, a doctor specializing in nutrition and dietetics, says that loss of appetite is one of the most common signs of poor liver health or liver damage.
According to Medical News Today, poor appetite is a common symptom of several different liver diseases, including hepatitis, liver cancer, alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and liver failure.
“The most common complication of the liver may be hepatitis, an infection that prevents the liver from doing its job.
In some cases, it’s hard to even know you’re infected with the virus, so loss of appetite, nausea and jaundice are what prompt a doctor to look at the liver,” says Mayuri Ramkolowan, a holistic health coach.
On the other hand, loss of appetite can appear as a symptom of alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or liver cirrhosis only later in the course of the disease.
The liver produces two important substances, bile, which converts fat into energy, and albumin, which helps carry hormones, drugs, and fatty acids around the body.
They also get rid of bilirubin, high levels of which can cause jaundice, and help remove toxins such as alcohol or drugs from the body.
The liver also works to maintain healthy blood sugar levels by supplying glucose to the blood when needed and removing it when there is too much.
“The function of the liver is to help metabolize most of the foods and drugs we consume,” explains Steven C. Nadler, MD.
“A malfunctioning liver can cause various toxins or undigested food to accumulate in the blood, causing a person to feel unwell or lose their appetite,” he added.
Untreated fatty liver can become complicated, it gradually becomes scarred and cirrhosis develops.
“The process is very long, it develops over decades. But in 20 to 30 years, without changing anything in your life, there is a risk that those scars will be so large, we will call it cirrhosis of the liver.
This means that the working liver tissue decreases and the amount of scarred, completely inactive tissue increases. The more it is, the greater the risk of developing primary liver cancer”, said a few weeks ago, gastroenterologist Dr. Arida Buivydienė.
You can find the doctor’s advice on how to preserve a healthy liver here.
2024-07-04 03:24:19