About your liver
You only have one liver, it’s important to know how to look after it.
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body and does hundreds of essential jobs.
- Fighting infection and disease
- Destroying poisons and drugs (including alcohol)
- Cleaning the blood
- Controlling the amount of cholesterol
- Processing food once it has been digested
It works hard and can take a lot of abuse, but it is like an elastic band – it can only stretch so far before it breaks.
Find out more about your liver
Love Your Liver events
An important part of our Love Your Liver campaign is our national roadshow. The Roadshow comprises a mobile unit where people can take a free online screening test and find out if they are at risk. Free scanning will also be available using a non-invasive Fibroscan device. There will be expert advice on how to keep your liver healthy from healthcare professionals who will be on hand to provide advice on diet, exercise and healthy living.
Find out moreThree steps to Love Your Liver
Alcohol
The liver is your largest internal organ. As well as hundreds of other jobs, it processes the alcohol you drink. If you drink over the recommended daily guidelines (see below), your liver will be unable to process the alcohol you consume quickly enough, which damages the cells in your liver. Love Your Liver by:
- drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol per week
- taking 3 days off alcohol every week to give your liver a chance to repair itself
- avoiding alcohol if you are pregnant or trying to conceive
Read more
Fatty Liver
Your liver processes most of the nutrients and fats in the food you eat. If you are overweight you increase your risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease which over time can cause lasting liver damage. Help your liver to work properly by:
- eating a healthy balanced diet and drinking plenty of water
- eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, reducing portion sizes and cutting down on your fat and sugar intake
- taking some regular exercise – aim for a total of 30 minutes a day if you can
Diet and exercise have the best effect on your liver health – making long term changes that you can keep up is better than losing weight quickly.
Read more
Viral Hepatitis
Blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B and C can cause permanent liver damage and increase the risk of liver cancer. Hepatitis A and E are spread by faecal-oral transmission (usually through contaminated food or water). Avoid these viruses by:
- getting vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B when travellling abroad (there is no vaccine for hepatitis C or E)
- never sharing personal items like toothbrushes, razors, nail scissors or tweezers
- practising safer sex
- using only licensed tattoo and piercing parlours and making sure all equipment used has been sterilised
- always using clean needles, syringes and other equipment if using drugs
Read more
Get involved in Love Your Liver
Love Your Liver events are a great way to raise awareness of liver health. We can provide you with advice, support and materials to support your event.
Click on the sections below to find out about the different types of event and how each one works:
- For healthcare professionals interested in holding a Love Your Liver event, click here
- To organise a corporate wellbeing or awareness event, click here
- If you are an individual or club wanting to organise an awareness event or Perk Up! coffee morning, click here
Contact us today to discuss how you can help share the Love Your Liver message in your community
Phone: 01425 481320
Email: loveyourliver@britishlivertrust.org.uk
Post: Love Your Liver, British Liver Trust, 6 Dean Park Crescent, Bournemouth BH1 1HL
Play the Love Your Liver game
Love Your Liver game
PLAY our game to learn about the risks of hepatitis B, C, alcohol and fatty liver which can lead to liver damage. Help save Liverbod’s liver!
Download and play our game on iPhone
Download and play our game on Android
Videos
Donate
The Love Your Liver campaign is only possible thanks to donations.
Click to donate today. Thank you!
Donate