In Filipino culture, we often celebrate getting through a busy week or catch up with friends over some beers and good food like chips or crispy pata! Drinking is quite ingrained in Filipino society; it’s not rare to see people drinking on the side of the street or when they sing karaoke. But as the old saying goes, everything in moderation. To put things into perspective, too much alcohol and fatty food can negatively affect our bodies, particularly our livers, and make us vulnerable to many different illnesses, such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
These 3 diseases of the liver are connected. Dr. Roel Tolentino, a surgical oncolopgist from St. Luke’s Medical Center, explains that hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, can be caused by too much alcohol consumption. This is then known as alcoholic hepatitis. Hepatitis has different variants—Hepatitis A is caused by eating or drinking food with the Hepatitis A virus (HAV), and Hepatitis B can come from infected blood and other bodily fluids. Hepatitis B can also be passed from mother to child. All these forms of hepatitis can cause liver cirrhosis, which is the scarring of the liver from liver inflammation and damage. Some signs that someone may have hepatitis are the yellowing of their eyes and skin, fever, loss of appetite, and bulging of the stomach. The rest of your body, and not just your liver, show the symptoms of hepatitis and liver cirrhosis because your liver is one of the organs most responsible for filtering the chemicals and toxins our body is exposed to everyday. Of course, these can come from processed food, alcohol, cigarette smoke, and even pollution. It also helps process nutrients and fights against disease. Our liver helps clean our body every day, and if we are exposed to too much of these chemicals, then it will really have a hard time adjusting.
People with hepatitis and liver cirrhosis are at most risk for liver cancer. According to the Department of Health, liver diseases are now considered a “silent epidemic” among Filipinos. Liver cancer is also one of the most common cancers in the Philippines. Many doctors attribute this to an unhealthy lifestyle. To prevent liver disease, Dr. Tolentino says that one of the best ways is to include more natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, in your diet. You can try to have healthier snacks such as vegetable chips or fruit smoothies, instead of extremely fatty and salty foods. Of course, you also need to control how much and how often you drink alcohol. To prevent hepatitis, he also advises that you be careful of used needles, especially at the hospital, and to avoid having multiple sexual partners, since this is how the Hepatitis B virus can be passed around. To cap it off, he says it’s also a great idea to take food supplements such as Organique Acai Premium Blemd, which contains fiber, Omega 3, and antioxidants! What makes Organique Acai Premium Blend unique are its anti-inflammatory and immune-strengthening properties, which can help protect our bodies (and livers) from disease!
To know more about Organique Açaí Premium Blend, visit organique.com.ph or call hotline, 0969-1754233. Available in all Mercury drugstores, S&R outlets and other major drugstores and supermarkets near you.
