Credit: Million Lands, Wellcome Collection on flickr Scientists have a long history of studying the liver, making it one of the best understood organs in humans. One of the most celebrated organs for its extraordinary regenerative abilities even after extended periods of exposure to alcohol is our liver. But not all of these tissues have the same ability to regrow, a feature that depends on how long and severely one uses alcohol.
Liver Regeneration Explained
Regeneration in the liver is like a repair mechanism, which replaces dead and damaged cells with new ones. The liver processes alcohol when it is consumed which kills of a few cells in the liver. On the plus side, they go on to say that your liver can create new cells and replace any damaged or dead ones. Recovery from this process however can start as soon as days to weeks after alcohol cessation, in particular when the damage was mild (e.g. alcoholic fatty liver disease)(124).
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The liver is known for its regenerative capabilities, but power drinks are infantile play compared to routine chronic abuse. As alcohol is consumed, the liver tries to filter a constant stream of this toxic substance from bloodstream and over time repeated exposure can result in extra fat storage which then progresses into alcoholic hepatitis, or even cirrhosis where scar tissue develops within the organ. Early-stage liver damage can, in some cases, be reversible upon cessation of alcohol consumption but advanced stages particularly cirrhosis generally result from permanent injury35.
Factors Influencing Recovery
The liver heals better and faster with:
Length of Alcohol Use: The longer you have been a heavy drinker the more damage and inability to regenerate.
In Ideal conditions for people with good overall health including nutrition and other medical issues, the recovery should work out fine.
Start Drinking: The first step to recovery is quit drinking. Results 246 The earlier one stops drinking, the more likely regeneration
Conclusions Although the liver is a remarkably resilient organ, alcohol-related scarring and cirrhosis can impede such repair following years of heavy drinking. This can maximise recovery potential but the defining aspect is the timing, early intervention and stopping alcohol.
