Does smoking harm the liver?

We all know that smoking harms the lungs. People who smoke for a long time will have their lungs scorched by smoke. Smoking not only harms the lungs, but also the liver. People who smoke frequently increase their risk of developing liver cancer. This is because the liver is the largest detoxification organ in the human body. Smoking will increase the liver's detoxification burden. The harmful substances contained in tobacco need to be detoxified in the liver. The free radicals in tobacco can cause liver tissue damage, leading to liver fibrosis and cancer.

6 major harms of smoking to the liver

1. The liver is the largest detoxification organ in the human body, and it transforms various toxins from inside and outside the body, as well as certain metabolic products in the body. Smoking puts more strain on the liver. Because the harmful substances contained in tobacco and smoke need to be detoxified in the liver after entering the human body, which increases the burden on the liver.

2. When too much free radicals in tobacco enter the human body and exceed the body's ability to eliminate antioxidant free radicals, it may lead to an imbalance in the oxidation-antioxidation system of liver tissues, causing oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation of cell membranes, causing tissue damage, necrosis, cell proliferation, and even fibrosis and cancer.

3. The smoke produced by burning tobacco also contains thousands of harmful substances, which may damage the liver after inhalation. Therefore, we say that excessive smoking is "overdrawing" liver cells and will damage the liver.

4. The condition of liver patients will worsen as the amount of smoking increases every day. After nicotine in tobacco is absorbed by the human body, it may cause vasospasm and increase blood viscosity, resulting in insufficient blood and oxygen supply to the liver, which is not conducive to the recovery of liver function. Harmful substances such as nicotine can activate cytokines and intermediates of fibrosis, inducing a series of potential pathogenic reactions in tissue fibrosis, including systemic inflammation, thrombosis and peroxides, accelerating the process of liver fibrosis. Harmful substances in tobacco and smoke are also related to the occurrence of liver cancer.

5. When tobacco burns, it is easy to burn the internal organs and affect the organs' qi. The liver is responsible for regulating the qi of the whole body, keeping the body's qi, blood, and water flowing smoothly, without stagnation, and without depression. Therefore, only when the liver functions normally and the Qi is released in moderation can the Qi flow smoothly; conversely, unregulated Qi will also affect the liver function.

6. Smoking not only damages your own liver, but also harms other people's livers. This is because the secondhand smoke produced when smoking causes many people to be exposed to passive smoking, especially women and children. More importantly, the harmful substances contained in secondhand smoke are no lower than those in mainstream smoke. In fact, some harmful substances, such as benzopyrene and carbon monoxide, are much higher than those in mainstream smoke.