Do you know how Liver Fibrosis affects your brain health?

Do you sometimes feel like you forget everything, can't keep your mind in one place, and feel like you're too lazy to do anything with your brain? We often think that this is due to overwork or stress in life. But have you ever thought that the health of your liver could also be a reason for this? Recent research has found that damage to the liver directly affects the functioning of our brain. Today, let's talk about this surprising connection.

First, let's see, what is this liver? What is its function?

Think about it, the liver is the biggest, busiest factory in our body. It's actually the largest organ in our body. The work it does is no small feat.

• Blood purification: It helps filter out toxins from the food, drinks, and medicines we consume and remove them from the body.
• Aiding digestion: The liver produces a fluid called "bile," which helps digest things like fat.
• Energy storage: The extra sugar we get from the food we eat is stored as glucose and released when we need energy.
• Protein production: This factory makes a variety of proteins needed for blood clotting and fighting disease.

Simply put, if the liver stops working, the functioning of our entire body will be disrupted.

So what is liver fibrosis?

This is very easy to understand. When you have a wound on your skin, after it heals, a scar remains there, right? The same thing happens to the liver. When the liver is continuously damaged for various reasons, as it tries to heal the damaged areas, thickening, scar tissue forms there. The first stage of scar tissue in the liver is what we call liver fibrosis, or Liver Fibrosis .

What are the main causes of liver damage and fibrosis?

There are several reasons that are seen among many people in our country. It is very important to be aware of these.

Okay, now tell me, what is this connection between the liver and the brain?

Here's the story. The latest research has found that as liver fibrosis progresses, a person's cognitive functions decline. What is this cognitive function?

• Working Memory: The ability to remember multiple pieces of information at the same time and perform a task.
• Prospective Memory: The ability to remember to do something at a later time (e.g., remembering to pick up groceries from the store in the evening).
• Processing Speed: The time it takes to see, understand, and respond to something.

Researchers found that people with liver fibrosis also had a reduced volume of gray matter, which controls memory and thinking.

So how does this happen?

Simply put, a damaged liver produces inflammatory chemicals . Just as when a fire breaks out in one part of our body, the smoke from it spreads throughout the body and affects other organs, these chemicals travel through the blood and reach the brain. When they reach the brain, they damage the delicate cells there and cause inflammation in the brain. That is what causes memory loss and difficulty thinking.

How do I know if I have Liver Fibrosis? What are the symptoms?

This is the most dangerous thing and one we all need to be aware of.

Symptoms begin to appear after the liver has been severely damaged, which is when it reaches the stage of cirrhosis. This is when symptoms such as:

• Excessive fatigue and tiredness
• Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
• Abdominal distension (due to fluid retention)
• Swelling of the legs and ankles
• Itchy skin
• Easy bruising or bleeding

Therefore, it is wise to seek medical attention early if there are risk factors, rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.

So what should we do to save both our liver and brain?

The best solution to this is to prevent the disease before it develops and to detect it at an early stage.

1. Early detection and medical advice

If you have risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, or if you drink alcohol, be sure to talk to your doctor about this . He or she may order blood tests (Liver Function Tests - LFTs) and ultrasound scans. Sometimes a special scan called FibroScan may be recommended to accurately measure the extent of fibrosis in the liver.

2. A healthy lifestyle

This is the most important thing. These are the best things we can do to protect our liver.

• Healthy diet: Reduce sugar, sweetened beverages, fatty foods, flour foods, and processed foods as much as possible. Instead, add fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, fiber-rich foods, and lean proteins like meat and fish to your diet.
• Weight control: Try to maintain a healthy weight for your height. Obesity is a major cause of fatty liver.
• Exercise regularly: Engage in exercise such as walking, running, or cycling for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Avoiding alcohol: If you drink alcohol, it is essential to stop it completely or use it in very limited amounts.
• Do not take medications without medical advice: Do not take any medications, especially painkillers, that your doctor has not prescribed. Some medications can be harmful to the liver.

Liver Disease, Liver Fibrosis, Liver Fibrosis, Brain Health, Memory, Fatty Liver, NAFLD, Cirrhosis, Foods Good for the Liver