Supporting your Liver

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Supporting Your Liver Means Supporting Your Body's Ability To Detoxify

Few Americans know much about the liver or liver function. Yet liver disease is the fourth most common cause of death in the U.S., after cancer, heart disease and strokes. Learning to support your body's detoxification processes and your immune system means learning to support your liver. The liver's processes are vital to health.

In his now out-of-print book, Own Your Own Body, Stan D. Malstrom, N.D., M.T., wrote, "The liver is often compared to a chemical laboratory, a storage plant, a distribution service, a warehouse, a power plant and a waste disposal plant because of its phenomenal assemblage of structures, machinery and production."

Among other functions, the liver:

– Creates bile, essential to the digestion and absorption of fat– Also creates immune substances like gamma globulin– Metabolizes fats, proteins and carbohydrates– Manufactures blood proteins, including prothrombin and fibrinogen, the anti-coagulant heparin, albumin and globulins required for maintaining water balance and contributing to blood viscosity.– Filters the blood to remove chemicals and bacteria– Helps maintain electrolyte and water balance– Breaks down and eliminates hormones– Stores vitamins, minerals and sugars

Many toxins that we consume or are exposed to will not dissolve in water. These toxins, called lipid-soluble, will only dissolve in oil or oily solutions. Fatty tissue or tissues that have lipid soluble membranes, like the liver, can store lipid soluble toxins for months or years. One of the liver's jobs is to convert these toxins from lipid-soluble to water-soluble. Once they are water soluble, or can be dissolved by water, they can be flushed from the body, released by the kidneys or bowels. This change takes place in the liver through a complex system of enzymes.

The liver has the ability to break down and remove other invaders as well. It can break down debris, bacteria and chemical toxins through other complex processes (see How the Body Detoxes). But a liver that is overloaded with toxins may not be able to keep up with the demand for its services. When this is the case, it must continue to store toxins, even if storage of those toxins over a long period of time might result in liver damage. Supporting the liver involves two steps–limiting the amount of toxins you are taking in and aiding the liver in processing previous toxic exposure.

Becoming aware of the sources of toxins, as described in our sections on

Consumable ToxinsPersonal CarePersonal EnvironmentWork Environment and Community Environment

means you can make choices about the toxins you are exposed to. By making educated choices you can limit your exposure to toxins in your environment. The other half of the equation means helping your liver to get rid of toxins you have already absorbed.

Taking the Essential Nutrients is a vital step. Remember that never before in history have our bodies confronted the onslaught of chemicals found in our modern world. Food grown in today's depleted soils can't supply the necessary vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and unless it's organically grown, it adds additional chemicals used in the growing process.

Another way to help your liver is through the use of herbs or that stimulate the flow of blood to the liver, thereby stimulating the liver's own cleaning processes. Another method, known as liver flushes, involves the combination of fasting and taking certain herbal mixtures that can encourage the liver to flush existing chemicals. Increasing your intake of water can also aid the liver is flushing out water-soluble toxins.

The liver operates in natural metabolic cycles. It usually undertakes liver repair at night, when there is less likely to be an increased demand for blood supply from the muscles. During the hours of darkness, increased blood is directed to the liver. Structuring your schedule to minimize physical exercise after 9:00 pm can help support your body in this process. Since a great deal of the liver's available energy goes into maintaining its slightly elevated temperature, necessary for the chemical processes it performs, you can increase its efficiency by providing extra heat. A hot water bottle or hot compress, placed over the liver (right side, just below your rib cage) can provide additional heat for the liver while it cleans. That means the energy saved can be directed to cleaning and repair. And the compress proves very relaxing. It can even aid in sleeping.

The liver also removes hormones from the blood. It stores excessive hormones, hormones it is unable to break down if other toxins demand immediate attention. Poor liver function, which can create a buildup of hormones in the bloodstream, can mean increased pre-menstrual syndrome or rapid emotional changes. Similarly, flushing the liver, and flushing stored toxins or hormones from the liver, can bring on swift emotional changes. Because of links between emotional life and the endocrine system, stress and psychological responses can increase the level of hormones in the bloodstream, or the amount of hormones stored in the liver.

It's important to remember that the liver is also a primary player in your body's immune system. Supporting your liver, limiting your exposure to toxins, undertaking liver flushes and herbal treatments, increasing your amount of healthy fluids, and limiting late-night activities can be big steps in supporting healthy immune function or responding to toxin-related illnesses. They can be important parts of a comprehensive package moving toward a healthier and happier future.__________________________________________________