What is Liver Health The largest internal organ in the body, the liver is located in the upper right portion of the abdomen, beneath the diaphragm and above most of the stomach, intestines and pancreas. The liver has many functions, including secreting bile, neutralizing poisons, synthesizing proteins, and storing glycogen and certain vitamins and minerals. the largest organ in the body, producing many essential chemicals and regulating the levels of most vital substances in the blood. Some important functions of the Liver are: to allow the Qi to flow smoothly throughout the body and to ‘store’ the Blood. Over 5 million Americans have hepatitis B or C, resulting in an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 deaths annually.
WWays to Love Your Liver Health:
1. Avoid taking unnecessary medications (Too many chemicals can harm me).
2. Don't mix medicines without the advice of a doctor. (You could create something poisonous that could damage me badly)
3. Street drugs cause serious damage and scar me permanently.
4. Don't drown me in beer, liquor or wine. (If you drink alcohol, have two or fewer drinks per day) .
5. Never mix alcohol with other drugs & medications.
6. Be careful when using aerosol cleaners. I have to detoxify what you breathe in, so when you go on a cleaning binge, make sure the room is well ventilated, or wear a mask.
7. Bug sprays, paint sprays and all those other chemical sprays you use can harm me too. Be careful what you breathe.
8. Watch what gets on your skin! (Those insecticides you put on trees and shrubs to kill bugs can get to me right through your skin and destroy some cells.) Remember, they're serious chemicals.
TROUBLE SIGNS:
Here are some signs of liver trouble. If you experience anyof these symptoms, please contact your doctor.
1. Yellow discoloration of the skin or eyes.
2 Abdominal swelling or severe abdominal pain.
3. Prolonged itching of the skin.
4. Very dark urine or pale stools-, or the passage of bloody or tar-like stools.
5. Chronic fatigue, nausea or loss of appetite.
Eat for Health: Since everything we eat must pass through the liver, special attention to nutrition and diet can help keep me healthy. Here are some tips on eating for health healthy liver, healthy you.
1-Eat a well balanced, nutritionally adequate diet: if you enjoy foods from each of the four food groups, you will probably obtain the nutrients you need.
2 -Cut down on the amount of deep-fried and fatty foods you and your family consume. Doctors believe that the risk of gallbladder disorders (including gallstones, a liver-related disease) can be reduced by avoiding high-fat and high cholesterol foods.
3 - Minimize your consumption of smoked, cured and salted foods. Taste your food before adding salt! Or try alternative
seasonings in your cooking such as lemon juice, onion, vinegar, garlic, pepper, mustard, cloves, sage or thyme.
MEAT, FISH, POULTRY & ALTERNATIVES PROVIDE:
protein, vitamin A, iron, vitamin B12, niacin, fiber, thiamin
calcium, riboflavin, niacin,folacin, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D.
Liver Function Tests:The most commonly used way to check for liver problems these blood tests look for chemicals in the body that are produced when the liver does its various jobs. The tests can be used to diagnose and monitor chronic viral hepatitis as well as other liver diseases. The two most common tests include the following liver enzymes. Blood tests to measure the function of the liver. These are blood tests that are ordered regularly by liver doctors. They give an indication of how well the liver is working and help sort out the type of problem that may be present. They are done daily immediately following transplantation. Abnormalities can indicate rejection, infection, side effects from drugs and many other things. Experience is required to determine what the results mean.
Liver Enzymes:Proteins that catalyze chemical reactions needed for bodily functions. Levels of certain enzymes, such as ALT and AST are higher when the liver is injured, as they leak into the bloodstream when the cell is injured or destroyed. proteins that catalyze chemical reactions needed for bodily functions. Levels of certain enzymes, such as ALT and AST are higher when the liver is injured, as they leak into the bloodstream when the cell is injured or destroyed.
Fatty Liver:Fatty liver or steatosis hepatis is a reversible condition seen in chronic alcoholism and many other conditions, where large vacuoles of lipid accumulate in hepatocytes (the cells of the liver). Accumulation of fat in liver cells will cause the liver to enlarge. The lipid within the vacuoles is a particular type of lipid known as triglyceride. Triglyceride molecules consist of a glyerol backbone with three fatty acid molecules joined on.
Liver failure:The final stage of liver disease, in which liver function becomes so impaired that other areas of the body are affected, most commonly the brain. Liver failure is the final stage of liver disease. By definition, liver failure occurs when the liver is so diseased, and functioning so poorly, that encephalopathy is evident. Any progressive liver disease can result in liver failure examples include: acetaminophen toxicity, liver cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, and metastatic cancer of the liver.
Liver Cancer:A disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the tissues of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, also called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer) of the liver. Most cases are secondary to either hepatitis infection (usually hepatitis B or C) or cirrhosis (alcoholism being the most common cause of hepatic cirrhosis).
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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