Let’s talk about your Liver

Written by Dr Harold Gunatillake-Health writer

There is only one liver hidden under the diaphragm occupying the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity. Safeguarding this organ is essential for good health.

Food when digested is absorbed into a separate venous blood stream called the ‘Portal Veins’ These veins carry the digested foods into the liver, which includes carbs as glucose and proteins as amino-acids.. Fats and fat soluble vitamins enter the lymphatic system and then enter the veins for metabolic processes on a different pathway.

From the portal system digested food transported to the liver goes through further processing, sorting, detoxifying, excreting and so on and turns nutrients into energy.

The liver has about 500 jobs. One important one is to take the toxins out of the blood stream and get them excreted through the kidneys.

The liver is wedge shaped and carries a weight about 3 lbs and considered the largest organ.

How healthy the liver is could be found out through blood tests called liver function tests, and further through ultra-sound and dye studies.

Liver can accept a beating and the damaged segment of the liver can grow back when it is removed. For instance a growth in the left lobe of the liver when removed through operation, after about a year later the liver is seen to have grown to the same size.

On the other hand liver cells when harmed dies and replaced by inferior fibrous tissue as in cirrhosis of the liver, diminishing it normal functions, a dangerous situation to be in.

Detoxifying

There is no such thing to detoxify the liver by taking certain juices or foods as recommended by the naturopaths. The liver has its own detoxifying processes and cleansing is done naturally.

Alcohol

Alcohol is bad for the liver. When consumed in small amounts the liver cells can detoxify and get rid of from the body. When taken in excess cause liver damage. This damage could be inflammation called alcoholic hepatitis, or produce a fatty liver – meaning accumulation of fat between liver cells, initially. Further continuation of alcohol consumption may produce an irreversible damage called cirrhosis- meaning a hard contracted liver. Liver when healthy is floppy and flattens when dropped on to a flat surface. When hardened it remains a solid organ.

The liver can be damaged through consuming too much of sugar and fatty foods. Corn syrup is totally metabolised in the liver and excess consumption in foods, and cordials can cause a non-alcoholic type of fatty liver. Obesity and eating too much of fatty food causes non-alcoholic type of fatty liver. Uncontrolled diabetes too produces fatty livers. Such fatty livers can progress to cirrhosis.

People who have a sweet tooth and craving for foods and beverages made with sugar and syrups must be careful. Avoiding eateries made with added sugar should be restricted as much as possible.

Certain drugs including paracetamol and statins can cause liver damage. Paracetamol is contained in over 600 medications, including in cough and cold medicines. It is best to avoid or reduce the dosage when taking such medications that harm the liver. Three monthly liver function blood tests are advised when takng liver damaging medications like statin.

Supplements and herbs may cause liver damage. You need to read the label and consult your doctor before taking such supplements especially when you are on medication for heart disease, liver disease, and gastro-intestinal disorders and others.

How do you know your liver is damaged?

In most situations of liver damage there are no early symptoms. When symptoms do occur could be starting with nausea, loss of appetite, discomfort in the liver area, itching, dark tea colour urine and yellow colouration of the eyes and skin and so on.

Certain blood tests like aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino-transferase (ALT, alkaline phosphatase (AP), and the presence of bilirubin in blood generally reveal the extent of liver damage.

Bilirubin is a breakdown product of red blood cells. Normally the liver excretes bilirubin in the bile into the gut. If the breakdown of red cells is too much or if there is liver disease the bilirubin can collect in the blood and give rise to yellow discoloration of eyes and skin.

In conclusion, it is important to safeguard your liver to prevent damage. Minimise your alcohol consumption and those medications that damage the liver. Reduce intake of added sugars and fats. Exercising regularly also keeps your liver healthy.