The liver is the most powerful metabolic organ in the body and I call the liver the Master Chemist of the Body. The Chinese medical theorists call the liver “The General of the Army of the Body”

If you look after your liver you will increase your chances of having a long and healthy life – take the letter R off the end of the word LIVER – it now says LIVE! - Yes, live longer and live better.

The liver is the most strategic organ in the body because if it works well it will enable all the other organs and systems in your body to work better. A healthy liver protects you against cancer, obesity, dementia, diabetes and premature aging.

Let’s look at how busy your liver is – it will amaze you!

The liver detoxifies - the liver converts toxic ammonia into urea, which can then be safely eliminated by the kidneys. Ammonia is an end product of protein metabolism. If ammonia builds up, even slightly, you will experience brain dysfunction. The liver removes and breaks down harmful toxins and drugs from nearly 380 litres (100 gallons) of blood per day. This includes internal and external environmental pollutants. The liver structure is a filter which removes unhealthy cells, cancer cells, dead cells, bacteria and other micro-organisms from the bloodstream so they can be destroyed in the liver. The liver filters the blood from the gut - all the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver.

The liver helps sugar metabolism - the liver manufactures glucose (sugar) and glycogen. This is vitally important to stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce cravings for sugary foods. It also helps to prevent and treat diabetes.

The liver controls fat metabolism - the liver makes the fats cholesterol, lipo-proteins and triglycerides. The liver keeps your blood fats in the healthy range. A healthy liver makes the good cholesterol and keeps bad cholesterol levels down. The liver burns fat so it helps to keep your weight under control

The liver protects your immune system - the liver filter contains many immunologically active cells, acting as a 'sieve' for proteins carried to it from the intestinal blood. The liver filter (sieve) is altered by many factors such as stress, smoking, alcohol, aging, diabetes and environmental chemicals. An open (excessively permeable) liver sieve increases incidence of immune disorders and cancer. The liver manufactures immune factors which strengthen your immune defences.

If your liver did not perform all these functions, you'd be dead within hours!

The liver supports almost every organ in the body and is vital for survival. Because of its strategic location and multidimensional functions, the liver is also prone to many diseases.

What can we do to protect our liver?

Follow a healthy diet and lifestyle and keep your weight in the healthy range.

If you have excess iron levels in your blood, become a regular blood donor and you will see the levels come down.  Excess iron can harm the liver.

Take a vitamin C supplement to reduce free radicals attacking your liver. Generally a daily dose of 1000mg to 2000mg of vitamin C is protective

Take the herb Milk Thistle which has been proven to reduce liver damage in hundreds of clinical trials. You need a daily dose that supplies 420mg of silymarin, such as found in Livatone Plus

Take a selenium supplement which contains 3 types of selenium such as Selenomune. Selenium can help the liver in many ways and is a powerful liver protector. Selenium is a mineral which is able to enhance the repair of damage to the DNA in the nucleus of the liver cells. It also reduces the ability of viruses to replicate (increase in numbers) in your cells.

Take a supplement of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) which is an amino-acid derivative (small protein) with over 40 years of scientific research to back it up. NAC’s powerful health benefits derive from its ability to restore intracellular levels of glutathione (GSH). NAC neutralizes toxins and pollutants including heavy metals that accumulate in the liver, kidneys and fatty parts of the body.

Restoring glutathione levels with NAC supplements makes liver cells more able to protect themselves from ongoing damage caused by fatty accumulation, viral infections, drug induced damage, alcohol excess or autoimmune inflammation.

Note: NAC will work more efficiently if you also take a supplement of selenium because glutathione cannot function without adequate levels of selenium in the cells.

Here are a few recently published trials on NAC:

Published in the November 2006 journal Apoptosis, one trial investigated if NAC could inhibit liver cell death in acute severe liver failure. Based on an animal model, the researchers concluded that NAC shows a liver-protective role for this type of liver failure.

Published in the January 2008 journal Liver Transplantation, a retrospective study found that children treated with NAC for acute liver failure had a better outcome than matched controls not treated with NAC.

Raw juicing can accelerate the repair of liver damage and improve immune function. Good things to juice include kale, cabbage, carrot, beet, ginger, lime, lemon, grapefruit, parsley, basil, and cilantro.

Super foods for the liver include garlic, onions, radishes, tahini, hemp and chia seeds

Fermented foods high in probiotics can also help and include miso, kefir, sauerkraut, and kim chi. They are able to improve gut health and thus reduce liver inflammation.

 

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.