## Simple rules __Wash your hands often.__ This is especially true after trips on public transport, visiting public places, touching animals, and eating. Don't share combs, razors, toothbrushes, or other personal hygiene products with others. __Limit your exposure to toxins.__ These include cleaning products and various chemicals. Breathing fumes and contact with the skin cause dangerous substances to enter the body and accumulate in the liver. __Keep cholesterol levels within normal limits.__ Elevated cholesterol and other lipids often lead ===to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. __Watch your blood sugar levels.__ Excess glucose increases the burden on the liver and prevents it from functioning correctly. As a result, the liver enlarges in size and begins to put pressure on its lining. __Don't smoke.__ The liver has a large number of capillaries. Nicotine narrows capillaries, which impairs the exchange between the blood vessels and the bile ducts. As a result, bile stagnates, which may lead to blockage of the bile ducts and the formation of stones. __Watch your weight.__ Stick to a healthy, well-balanced diet. Avoid overeating and drink more water. __Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.__ Drinking alcohol regularly has a toxic effect on the liver. __Be careful when taking medications.__ Do not exceed permitted doses. Many medications have serious toxic effects on the liver. __Protect yourself.__ Use a barrier method of contraception during sex to reduce your risk of getting hepatitis or other diseases. __Don't forget to have a checkup.__ Have regular liver ultrasounds to detect pathological processes at an early stage. Even if you feel fine and do not have any symptoms of an issue, you should be diagnosed once a year for preventive purposes. ## Liver overview The liver is one of the most vital organs and performs more than 500 functions. Here are just the primary ones: - Produces bile, essential to the digestive process - Produces albumin, a blood protein that transports hormones, vitamins, enzymes, drugs, and other substances to organs through the bloodstream - Synthesizes prothrombin, which is responsible for blood clotting - Helps the body get rid of bilirubin, a substance found in bile - Filters the blood and removes toxins and other waste products - Regulates the production of amino acids - Fights infections - Stores vitamins and minerals - Regulates glucose levels