The liver is only about three years old – Wel.nl

The whole body is aging, but the liver remains fresh and fruity. According to new research, our livers have an average life span of less than three years, regardless of your age.

Scientists studied in cell systems It turns out that liver regeneration remains largely the same as we age. This is key to the liver’s primary function, which is to remove toxins from the body. This cleaning process affects the organ, but it has a unique ability to regenerate after being damaged.

“Whether you’re 20 or 84, your liver stays on average just under three years,” says molecular biologist Olaf Bergmann of the Dresden University of Technology in Germany.

The research team analyzed tissue samples from fifty deceased people between the ages of 20 and 84. Researchers have found that although our bodies are less able to regenerate and repair cells as we age, the same is not true for the liver. The liver continues to replace nearly all of the liver cells into old age. A small part of all cells live longer than three years, that is, about ten years.

“Most cells are renewed each year, but cells with more DNA remain in the liver for about 10 years,” the researchers said. “This tiny fraction of cells gets bigger as people get older. This could be a protective mechanism that prevents many harmful mutations from developing.”