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Liver Health

Your liver is hard at work while you sleep, eat, play or relax. It never takes a break from sorting out the beneficial nutrients from the toxins in your body. As one of the largest organs in your abdomen, your liver has the vital function of metabolizing energy sources from food and distributing them into your bloodstream. Keeping your liver in good working order will ensure that it serves you well your entire life.

  1. Location

    • An adult liver in good health weighs approximately 4-pounds and is located on the right side of the abdomen, extending above the stomach and nestled snugly beneath the ribcage for protection. Fed by large portal veins from the stomach, the spleen and the large intestine, the liver processes and cleanses the blood.

    Process

    • After food digests, by-products enter the bloodstream from the stomach and flow through the portal vein into the liver. Through a process that employs bile, an alkaline solution, the liver metabolizes the nutrients in the blood and breaks down the toxins, neutralizing them and disposing of them through the body's waste elimination system.

    Diseases

    • Normally, the liver functions well for an entire lifetime. But occasionally, if it is overtaxed with poisons, viruses or toxins it may suffer damage. Fatty liver results from the consumption of toxins over a long period, such as alcohol and if the toxic intake continues, the disease may progress into cirrhosis of the liver. According to MayoClinic.com, another leading cause of liver disease is hepatitis and it falls into three categories: hepatitis A, B or C, all of which are viral in nature.

    Symptoms

    • As the liver suffers under the strain of excess toxicity or hepatitis, it functions at a reduced level. When this occurs, the patient may exhibit one or more liver-related symptoms. Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes is the first indication that the liver is in trouble, followed by dark urine or pale bowel movements, intense itching that has no visible cause, loss of appetite, fatigue and nausea. In advanced stages of liver disease, the abdomen may swell.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Although the liver is a resilient organ that recovers from frequent abuse and toxicity, if it is constantly exposed to harsh toxins, it may suffer irreparable damage. The American Liver Foundation recommends drinking no more than two alcoholic drinks per day. Avoid mixing medications without the approval of a physician. Make sure rooms are well-ventilated before using chemicals with noxious fumes and protect your skin from contact with insecticides. Reduce your intake of saturated fats and maintain a healthy weight.

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