Famous author F.Scott Fitzgerald supposedly once said "First, you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you". Food and drink are a constant in life these days, be it for survival or socialisation. Alcohol is similarly present throughout our lifetime, it's at parties during college, it's for bonding during work, and of course, for celebrations. It does leave one wondering, though what exactly happens to all the alcohol, it is greatly toxic to our body after all. Well the liver deals with just that.
What is the liver exactly? We are aware that it is an organ and that it filters out toxins but how does it actually carry out those functions? The liver is situated in the upper right hand portion of the abdominal cavity, and is underneath the diaphragm but above the stomach, right kidney and intestines. It is shaped like a cone and weighs around 1.36 kilograms. 500 vital functions in the body can be attributed to the liver, not only does it filter out wastes but it also maintains blood sugar levels. Along with the production of proteins, bile and cholesterol, with each process being carried out in a procedure of its own1. The liver works tirelessly day and night to ensure that toxins do not pass into the body.
However, what happens when the liver can no longer keep up with the workload it's been administered? In that case the liver starts to fail, time is not on your side, and it will continuously dwindle until your death. This is not even mentioning the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), which affects 1.66 billion globally2. MASLD rates continue to increase at an alarming rate, as the disease is caused by physical inactivity and diets with high added sugars3. A lifestyle that is consistent with the general populace today.
Knowing how essential the liver is, one may become alarmed that their liver may not be in the best condition due to lifestyle factors or even genetic ones. To ensure that your liver is operating well, there are a couple of things that you can do. For one, if you find yourself being sedimentary in your day to day life, getting up and participating in physical activity has always benefitted the body. Incorporating healthy habits bit by bit in your days will help you in the long run4. Another thing that is just as important is actually getting check-ups yearly and getting screened regularly to ensure everything is in order.
You need your LIVEr to LIVE after all, it’s time you start to take care of it too.
References:
1Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Liver: Anatomy and functions. In Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved 14 August 2026, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/liver-anatomy-and-functions
2Miao, L., Targher, G., Byrne, C. D., Cao, Y.-Y., & Zheng, M.-H. (2024). Current status and future trends of the global burden of MASLD. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism: TEM, 35(8), S1043–2760(24)00036-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2024.02.007
3Miller, D. M., McCauley, K. F., & Dunham‐Snary, K. J. (2025). Metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD): Mechanisms, clinical implications and therapeutic advances. Endocrinology, Diabetes &Amp; Metabolism, 8(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/edm2.70132
4World Health Organization . (2024). Physical activity. In World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity