How Exercise & Yoga Help Your Fatty Liver Stay Healthy

The liver is one of the body’s most important organs that process blood and break down nutrients and chemicals that blood carries. It produces bile that turns fats into energy and controls blood sugar levels. The liver also creates albumin, a blood protein that helps carry hormones and fatty acids throughout your body. It also controls your blood sugar levels. The liver helps get rid of toxic substances in your body as well. Therefore, it is essential to take care of this organ.

What you need to know:

What is a fatty liver?
Yoga asanas to reduce the risk of fatty liver
Ways to keep your liver healthy

What is a fatty liver?

Fatty liver is the build-up of fat in liver cells. Obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides, smoking, genetic metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are also risk factors that can cause liver cancer. Fatty liver can cause non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Every time your liver gets injured, it tries to repair itself. Liver cirrhosis is a condition where the liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, which, in the long term, can cause liver cancer. Heavy alcohol consumption, drug intake, or toxins can lead to hepatitis.

Yoga asanas to reduce the risk of fatty liver

A healthy diet and regular exercise go hand-in-hand to reduce the risk of fatty liver. Certain yoga asanas also play an important role in keeping your liver healthy. Yoga assists in stimulating the functioning of liver enzymes and enhances the functioning of the spleen. Take a look at some yoga asanas that help you maintain a healthy liver.

Cow Face Pose

Sit with one leg crossed over the other. Keep your spine straight and extend your arms backwards such that one arm is over the rib area and another over the shoulder. Try to clasp your hands at the back and hold the pose for as long as possible. This yoga pose helps the blood circulation in the liver and enhances the metabolism of fat deposits.

Bow Pose

Lie down on your stomach. Raise your legs and torso at the same time. Extend your hands backwards to hold your ankles. Hold on to this position as long as possible as it stretches and strengthens the liver, so that fat deposits are used as a source of energy for your body.

Kapalbhati Pranayama

Sit cross-legged on the ground, straighten your spine, and place your hands on your knee. In this breathing exercise, inhale deeply and exhale forcefully through your nostrils to stimulate the liver and boost its function.

30-60 minutes of aerobics exercise, strength training, and weight-lifting workouts can also reduce excess fat in your liver.

Ways to keep your liver healthy

World Hepatitis Day is commemorated on the 28th of July every year to raise awareness of liver diseases. Autoimmune hepatitis is liver inflammation when your body’s immune system turns against the liver cells. Hepatitis may lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and cancer.

Take a look at ways to keep your liver healthy:

Avoid drugs and refrain from consuming alcohol.
Stay away from toxins, such as chemical substances, tobacco, and cleaning supplies.
Keep your sugar levels normal, especially if you have diabetes.
Don’t share needles, razors, toothbrushes, or other personal items.
Wash your hands after using the washroom or petting animals, and clean them properly before and after meals.

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