Somebody did tell me once that alcohol would wreck one’s liver; but, it was not until I entered treatment for executive alcohol rehab in Florida that I really learned the ways in which I abused my liver. While I was recovering from decades of abuse at this executive alcohol rehab, they taught me a few remedies for repairing my liver – as much as it could be repaired, that is.
You can focus on the way that you eat to jumpstart the liver’s recovery. Eating milk thistle, Vitamin C, Selenium, Beta Carotene, and Vitamin E can help to restore your liver to its potential. Milk thistle is a part of the sunflower family and provides strong antioxidants for your liver. In addition to essential nutrients, this vitamin, found in most citrus fruits, boosts your immunity. Selenium – found in seafood, oats, brown rice, and nuts – fights free radicals. Carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mangoes, kale, and broccoli will deliver an immunity boost for your liver via their supply of beta carotene. Lastly, my dietician at the executive alcohol rehab explained the importance of Vitamin E and how it prevents fatty acids from oxidation and prevents the breakdown of body tissues. You can stock up on Vitamin E with mustard greens, spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, and vitamin supplements. So, in addition to abstaining from alcohol, I have reintroduced my body to these other nutrients in an effort to restore myself.
Your liver does regenerate; most people who know a little bit about physiology do know that. But there does come a point when your liver no longer knows how to repair itself. It happens in stages: fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. In the fatty liver stage, most damage is reversible as the fat is deposited on your liver simply by means of alcohol intake: subtract the alcohol intake and you subtract the fat deposits. That’s a simple enough solution. Alcohol hepatitis is slightly more severe because there are only some instances when this type of damage is reversible. In this stage of liver damage, you have replaced healthy tissue in your liver with scar tissue, limiting the functionality of your liver. Symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis are somewhat serious as well – fever, jaundice, and abdominal pain. The most advanced form of liver disease, however, is alcoholic cirrhosis; it is said to be diagnosed in 15 to 30 percent of heavy drinkers. It is a very serious condition because it is usually fatal as it distorts the internal structure of the liver. Alcoholic cirrhosis can also lead to the malfunctioning of the brain and the kidneys as well. I can remember learning all of these things in a high school health education class but they are easy facts to forget after a few glasses of wine.
Hopefully, with this information, I can convince some to abstain from alcohol. Of course, I would understand if you were skeptical as these pieces of advice do come from the lips and experience of a recovering alcoholic. But trust me, I have learned so much about the nuances of nutrition because of the resources that have been available to me after my treatment for executive alcohol rehab.
