Drinking, especially binge drinking, is a well-known major taboo for liver health. There are many online discussions on how to drink without harming the liver, offering various tips for liver protection while drinking. But are they scientific? Do they really work?
Secret 1 for Liver Protection: Take Vitamin B
Efficacy: ★☆
Expert Review: For long-term, heavy drinkers, their dietary intake and nutrient absorption can be affected. Many people just have a plate of peanuts with their alcohol and consider that a meal. This can lead to an insufficient intake of nutrients, including vitamin B, and may even lead to clinical symptoms of vitamin B deficiency. In this case, supplementing with vitamin B is necessary. However, if you take vitamin B beforehand hoping for an immediate liver-protective effect, clinical evidence so far does not support its effectiveness.
Furthermore, from a nutritional absorption perspective, the human body's daily requirement for vitamins and trace elements is very small. Taking large doses of vitamin B could potentially lead to poisoning.
Secret 2 for Liver Protection: Drink plenty of water
Efficacy: ★★☆
Expert Review: This claim has some merit. Drinking more water increases the body's effective circulating blood volume, which in turn accelerates blood circulation. This ensures adequate kidney perfusion, leading to increased urination and thus accelerating the excretion of alcohol.
Secret 3 for Liver Protection: Avoid fast and heavy drinking
Efficacy: ★★★★
Expert Review: There are clinical lessons to support this. Drinking heavily in a short period of time causes far more damage to the liver than one might imagine.
Secret 4 for Liver Protection: Eat more soy products
Efficacy: ★
This claim is debatable. From a nutritional standpoint, the basis of life is protein. Soy products are a source of plant protein and can provide the body with a certain amount of protein and nutrients. However, whether eating soy products before drinking can protect the liver awaits further scientific confirmation.
Secret 5 for Liver Protection: Take liver-protecting and alcohol-metabolizing supplements
Efficacy: ★★
Expert Review: They may have some effect, but they are not a guaranteed solution. No drug is a panacea.
Expert Summary: It must be emphasized that the human body is a wonderful and complex system. It is not simple to measure whether the liver-protection methods mentioned here are effective or to what extent. It's not as straightforward as one plus one equals two. Furthermore, there are individual differences between people. Therefore, it cannot be said that these methods are effective or ineffective for everyone. The best way to protect your liver is to drink less and not binge drink.