Why Liver Health is so important? (Or, did you know that in the U.S. 100 million people may have fatty livers?)
The liver is a critical organ in the human body responsible for an array of functions that help support metabolism, immunity, digestion, detoxification, and vitamin storage, among other functions. It comprises around 2% of an adult’s body weight.
The Liver
The liver is just as vital an organ as the heart, but people often fail to appreciate the importance of keeping it healthy.
If you place your right hand over the area under the ribs on the right side of your body it will just about cover the area of your liver. The liver is the largest gland, and the largest solid organ in the body, weighing some 1.8 kg in men and 1.3 kg in women. It holds approximately 13% (about one pint or 0.57 litres) of your total blood supply at any given time and has over 500 functions
The liver is dark reddish brown in colour and is divided into two main lobes (the larger right and the smaller left) which are further subdivided into approximately 100,000 small lobes, or lobules. About 60% of the liver is made up of liver cells called hepatocytes which absorb nutrients and detoxify and remove harmful substances from the blood. A hepatocyte has an average lifespan of 150 days. There are approximately 202,000 in every milligram of your liver tissue. The liver receives its blood supply via the hepatic artery and portal vein.
Liver functions include:
processing digested food from the intestine
controlling levels of fats, amino acids and glucose in the blood
combating infections
clearing the blood of particles and infections, including bacteria
neutralising and destroying all drugs and toxins
manufacturing bile
storing iron, vitamins and other essential chemicals
breaking down food and turning it into energy
manufacturing, breaking down and regulating numerous hormones including sex hormones
making enzymes and proteins which are responsible for most chemical reactions in the body, for example those involved in blood clotting and repair of damaged tissues.
Some of the most important functions:
Producing quick energy
One of the liver’s most important functions is to break down food and convert it into energy. Carbohydrates, such as bread and potatoes, are broken down to glucose and stored mainly in the liver and muscles as glycogen. When energy is required in an emergency the liver rapidly converts its store of glycogen back into glucose ready for use.
Your liver also helps the body to get rid of waste. Waste products which are not excreted by your kidneys are removed from the blood by the liver. Some of them pass into the duodenum and then into the bowel via the bile ducts.
People with liver damage may sometimes lose the ability to control glucose concentration in the blood and need a regular supply of sugar.
Fighting infections
Your liver plays a vital role in fighting infections, particularly infections arising in the bowel. It does this by mobilising part of your body’s defence mechanism called the macrophage system. The liver contains over half of the body’s supply of macrophages, known as Kuppfer cells, which literally destroy any bacteria that they come into contact with. If the liver is damaged in any way its ability to fight infections is impaired.
Symptoms of liver damage can be difficult to spot as they are not always obvious – they can include tiredness, nausea and itching. NHS choices website has information about the signs, symptoms and causes of liver disease.
Your liver represents the human body’s primary filtration system, converting toxins into waste products, cleansing your blood, and metabolizing nutrients and medications to provide the body with some of its most important proteins. As such a fundamental part of the body’s overall regulation, it’s paramount to keep your liver healthy and to limit overindulgence.
In recent years, many products have flooded the market purporting to detox and cleanse your liver, whether it’s after a weekend of bingeing on food or alcohol, to maintain daily liver function, or to repair an already damaged liver.
Liver cleanses are important for daily health maintenance and are especially helpful after you’ve overindulged.
While some common ingredients in liver cleanses have been shown to have positive results — milk thistle has been shown to decrease liver inflammation, and turmeric extract has been shown to protect against liver injury — there have not been adequate clinical trial data in humans to recommend the routine use of these natural compounds for prevention.
As for overindulgence of alcohol or food, less is always best when it comes to liver health, and cleanses have not been proven to rid your body of damage from excess consumption.
Liver cleanses are a safe and healthy way to lose weight.
Many liver detoxification products are also sold as weight loss cleanses. However, there are no clinical data to support the efficacy of these cleanses. In fact, some dietary supplements can actually cause harm to the liver by leading to drug-induced injury and should thus be used with caution.
You cannot protect yourself against liver disease.
“Contrary to this myth, there are many preventive steps you can take to protect yourself against liver disease” .
A miracle recipe that will allow you to lose weight and live healthy and beautiful
All the dirt will come out of your body! Grandma’s old recipe! useful for everyone
Contents:
2 lemons.
a spoonful of soda.
2 garlic.
150-200 grams of honey.
Contents:
2 lemons.
1 teaspoon of soda (carbonate).
2 garlic.
150-200 grams of honey.