Not only too much alcohol is harmful to your liver. Many products that you do not expect can also be harmful!
Sugar
Too much sugar is not only bad for your teeth, it can also damage your liver. That organ uses one type of sugar, namely fructose, to make fat. An excess of refined sugar and syrups with a high fructose content causes an excess (buildup) of fat and that can lead to liver damage. Some studies show that sugar can be just as harmful to the liver as alcohol, even if you are not overweight. All the more reason to limit food with added sugars such as soft drinks, sweets and pastries.
Supplements based on herbs
Beware, it is not because the label says "100% natural" that the product is also good for you. Some people use the herb kava (Piper methysticum), or a product that contains the controversial kava, to relax or to alleviate menopausal symptoms, but extracts from that plant can disrupt the liver. Taking kava can lead to hepatitis and even to liver failure. Like many others, our country has also blacklisted it, but the product is available online. Consult your doctor before you take herbs, so you can be sure that they are not harmful.
Extra weight
Extra fat can accumulate in your liver cells and lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver or non-alcoholic steatosis hepatitis (NASH). As a result, your liver may swell and over time the liver tissue may become harder or the liver cells may be replaced with scar tissue. The doctors call that cirrhosis of the liver. You are more at risk of NASH if you are overweight or obese, middle-aged or have diabetes. The good news is that it is a reversible process. An adjusted diet and exercise schedule can stop the disease.
An excess of vitamin A from dietary supplements
Your body needs vitamin A and you are well advised to take enough of it through food, for example by eating fresh vegetables and fruits. Especially the red, orange and yellow are rich in it. But if you take dietary supplements that contain a high dose of vitamin A, it can become problematic for your liver. First ask your doctor if it is necessary to take extra vitamin A when you are considering that.
Soft drinks
Research shows that people who use a lot of soft drinks are more at risk of developing NASH or non-alcoholic fatty liver. In those studies, there is no evidence that the soft drinks are the direct cause. Are you an avid soft drinker and are you planning to reduce that, then this might be a good motivation. It helps if you think more about what you drink.
Paracetamol
If you have a sore back, a headache, or if you have a bad cold, you often go for a painkiller. Above all, make sure that you do not exceed the recommended dose! If you accidentally take too much paracetamol - it can be a combination of a headache product and another cold product that both contain paracetamol - it can damage your liver. Read on the package leaflet how much you can take on a daily basis, view how much both products contain and do not take more than the permitted maximum dose. Or simply ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Trans fats
Trans fats occur naturally in milk (products) and meat from ruminants and they also occur during the industrial partial hardening of fats. Therefore, avoid industrial food where "(partially) cured fats" is stated in the composition. A diet that contains a lot of trans fats makes it easier for you to store extra kilos, which is not good for your liver. Look at the ingredient list or the composition on the label. Even if it says "0" grams of trans fats, the product may still contain a small amount that weighs in the sum of all the products you eat.
Contamination
It can happen that a doctor or nurse is accidentally stung by an injection needle that they used on a patient. And in the illegal drug circuit, needles are sometimes shared. The needle is not the problem, but the contamination with which it may have been affected. Hepatitis C, for example, can spread through the blood. Even if you were only stung by mistake by a needle that was used for someone else, or if you are at risk for other reasons (for example, because you are infected with HIV or because your mother had hepatitis C while she was pregnant with you) test you! This applies to everyone born between 1945 and 1965.
Less alcohol than you might think
Everyone knows that too much alcohol is bad for the liver. But you may not be aware that "too much alcohol" may not be associated with alcohol addiction or alcoholism. You arrive "too much" quite quickly. Many of those glasses sometimes contain a lot of alcohol.
