Healthy Liver? Healthy Body!

The liver is the largest organ in the body weighing 3-4 lbs.  It sits just under the diaphragm on the right side of the body, opposite the stomach on the left side.  Dr. Alexander Beddoe explains, "The liver increases in development and function until it reaches its climax, between the ages of 18-22 years (this is the reason children are not able to handle some drugs the way adults can).  During each day, the liver manufactures 4 to 5 million enzymes.  The health of your body is directly dependent on the health of your liver. "  The liver also has the incredible ability to regenerate itself.

The liver has two vital roles:  processing the food we eat into chemicals the body can use, and neutralizing poisons and wastes.  The liver is responsible for the primary amino acid structure of the body.  It also breaks down proteins or amino acid chains; any chain too long for the liver to break down is attacked by the immune system.  Think about auto-immune diseases, vaccinations, and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's) here. The liver either uses fats or stores them...overeating causes liver fatigue.  The liver produces GTF, glucose tolerance factor, which acts with insulin for the regulation of blood sugar levels.

The liver is the chemical procession plant of your body.  It has a huge job...getting rid of wastes and any poisons to which we are exposed.  Ammonia, the waste product of protein is neutralized to urea, and removed by the urinary system.  Fat and blood waste products are removed via the gallbladder as bile, one liter produced each day.  Long-lasting drugs must bypass the liver or be resistant to its enzymes.  Alcohol will do permanent damage to the liver... the liver does not regenerate this kind of damage.  The liver regulates the thyroid hormones and breaks down unneeded hormones such as adrenaline, aldersterone, estrogen, and insulin.

Problems of the liver include:  cirrhosis - a degenerative inflammatory scarring of liver tissue, hepatitis - inflammation of the liver caused by virus, enlargement - shows an overworked liver, and toxicity of the body as a whole.  Cleansing the liver is the key!!!  Herbs for the liver include milk thistle, artichoke, dandelion, barberry, Oregon grape, burdock, yellow dock, schizandra, pau d 'arco, and lemon.  Using some of these herbs as a cleanse is a great way to improve your overall health...I recommend using a blend of cleansing herbs twice a year to maintain general good health.