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The largest organ in your body – the liver – deserves special attention. Protected by the ribs and tucked under the diaphragm, it contributes to the metabolism of fats and proteins, helps maintain normal blood sugar levels, is responsible for the formation and storage of energy as glycogen, and secretes bile to aid the digestion of fat. Of equal importance to its various roles in metabolism, the liver is the body’s great detoxifier. It neutralizes alcohol, nicotine, drugs and poisons, and stores toxic substances that have no means of being excreted from the body. It is responsible for at least 22 chemical functions on which life depends.

You obviously need your liver, but how do you care for it? Unlike the muscular parts of the digestive system, which quickly let us know when something is wrong, the liver is a quiet organ that gives little trouble unless it has suffered serious damage. Here are some basic tips.

• Avoid recreational drugs!

• Avoid heavy drinking and excessive intake of spicy foods.

• Restrict intake of saturated fats from dairy products and fatty meats.

• Limit caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, tea and cola.

• Reduce your intake of refined sugar.

• Enjoy foods high in vitamin C. (Vitamin C may help the liver cope with detoxification, so enjoy strawberries, blackcurrants, green peppers, spinach and citrus fruit whenever possible.)

• Eat liver! It is a rich source of folic acid and vitamin B12. (These nutrients are needed for normal liver function. Other sources of folate include wheatgerm, nuts and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin B12 is found in lean red meat, eggs and fortified cereal.)

• Include oily fish in your diet at least once a week.

• Enjoy foods from plants, especially green leafy vegetables, artichokes and beetroot (see Chapter 4).

The liver regenerates itself to a certain extent, but will fail when overtaxed by alcohol or drug abuse, poor diet, infections or illnesses. Signs of chronic liver disease include yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin (jaundice), loss of body hair, distended abdomen and fever.