LIVER FUNCTION
Signs and Symptoms of Liver Disease
And What To Do About It!
© Dr. Deborah Baker 2008
On this page:
Liver Support - Ortho-Liver
Optimal Liver Function and Detox
The liver is an organ in vertebrates,(life forms with
spinal columns) including humans. It plays a
major role in metabolism and
has a number of functions in the body including glucose storage in the
form of glycogen (for energy, when needed), plasma (blood fluid) protein synthesis
(production), and detoxification (drugs, toxins,waste products from
our own metabolism).
It also produces bile,
which is important in digestion.
It performs and regulates a wide variety of high-volume biochemical reactions
requiring specialized tissues.
Medical terms related to the liver often start in hepato- or hepatic from
the Greek word
for liver, hepar.
| The adult human liver normally weighs between 1.3 -
3.0 kilograms,(about 3 to 6.5 lbs.) and is a soft, pinkish-brown "boomerang
shaped" organ. It is the second largest organ (the largest organ
being the skin) and the largest gland within the human body. |
 |
The liver is among the few internal human organs capable of natural
regeneration of
lost tissue; as little as 25%
of remaining liver can regenerate into a whole liver again. This is predominantly
due to the hepatocytes (cells of the liver) acting
as unipotential stem cells (i.e.
a single hepatocyte can
divide into two hepatocyte daughter
cells).
Functions of the Liver:
The various functions of the liver are carried out by the liver cells
or hepatocytes.
- The liver produces and excretes bile required
for dissolving fats. Some of the bile drains directly into the duodenum,(second
section of the small intesting) and some is stored in the gallbladder.
- The liver performs several roles in carbohydrate metabolism:
- Gluconeogenesis (the
formation of glucose from
certain amino acids,(building blocks of protein) making lactate or
glycerol)
- Glycogenolysis (the
formation of glucose from glycogen) This is the process of breaking
down stored glucose, which is called glycogen.)
- Glycogenesis (the
formation of glycogen from glucose) To put it into storage form
for when you need it.
- The breakdown of insulin and
other hormones..once used, they have to be gotten rid of.
- The liver is responsible for the mainstay of protein metabolism...sort
of the central warehouse of protein operations.
- The liver also performs several roles in lipid (fat) metabolism:
- Cholesterol synthesis (remember..its needed to make
hormones and cell walls ..See The
Truth About Cholesterol
- The production of triglycerides (fats)...again for storage purposes..they
are only a problem when you make too much.
- The liver produces coagulation
factors I (fibrinogen), II (prothrombin), V, VII, IX, X and XI,
as well as protein C, protein
S and antithrombin. Basically these factors control the formation
and breakdown of your clotting pathways. (ie after injury, etc.)
- The liver breaks down hemoglobin, (the iron carrying part of your
red blood cells) creating metabolites that
are added to bile as pigment. (this is why bile is yellow)
- The liver breaks down toxic substances
and most medicinal products in a process called drug/toxin detoxification.
This sometimes results in toxication,
when the metabolite is more toxic than its precursor...particularly
if your liver is damaged.
- The liver converts ammonia (bi-product of protein production and
breakdown) to
urea...which is excreted by the kidneys as part of urine.
- The liver stores a multitude of substances, including glucose in
the form of glycogen, vitamin
B12, iron, and copper...again for when you need it.
- In the first trimester fetus,
the liver is the main site of red
blood cell production.
By the 32nd week of gestation, the bone marrow has almost completely taken over that task.
- The liver is responsible for immunological effects- the reticuloendothelial
system of the liver contains many immunologically active cells, acting
as a 'sieve' for antigens(things that you are allergic to or are harmful
to you) carried to it via the portal (liver's blood and lymph system)
system.
Signs and Symptoms of Liver Disease:
Some of the most common causes of liver disease are:
-Many diseases of the liver are accompanied by jaundice caused
by increased levels of bilirubin in
the system. The bilirubin results from the breakup of the hemoglobin of
dead red blood
cells; normally, the liver removes bilirubin from the blood and excretes
it through bile.
-Hepatitis, inflammation
of the liver, caused mainly by various viruses but
also by some poisons, autoimmunity or hereditary conditions.
-Cirrhosis is the formation
of fibrous tissue in the liver, replacing dead liver cells. The death
of the liver cells can for example be caused by viral hepatitis, alcoholism or
contact with other liver-toxic chemicals.
-Hemochromatosis,
a hereditary disease causing the accumulation of iron in
the body, eventually leading to liver damage.
-Cancer of the liver (primary hepatocellular (cells of the liver itself)
carcinoma or cholangiocarcinoma(cells of the gall bladder and its ducts)
and metastatic cancers, usually from other parts of the gastrointestinal
tract..(digestive)).
-Wilson's
disease, a hereditary
disease which causes the body to retain copper.
-Primary
biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune disease of small bile ducts.
-Gilbert's
syndrome, a genetic disorder of bilirubin metabolism, found in
about 5% of the population.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Liver Disease
Hepatitis is characterised by fatigue, malaise,(weakness)
joint aches, abdominal
pain, vomiting 2-3 times per day for the first 5 days, loss of appetite,
dark urine, fever, hepatomegaly (enlarged
liver) and jaundice (icterus).
Some chronic forms of hepatitis show very few of these signs and only
present when the longstanding inflammation has led to the replacement
of liver cells by connective
tissue; (scar tissue) the result is cirrhosis.
Certain liver
function tests can also indicate hepatitis.
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease
characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrotic scar tissue
as well as regenerative nodules, leading to progressive loss of liver
function. Cirrhosis is most commonly caused by alcoholism and hepatitis
C, and was the 12th leading cause of death in the United States in 2000.
| Ascites (retention of water in the abdomen) is the
most common complication of cirrhosis and is associated with a poor
quality of life, increased risk of infections, and a poor long term
outcome. In advanced stages of cirrhosis, the condition is irreversible
and the only option would be a liver transplant. |
Picture of a liver with cirrhosis vs. a normal
liver |
In a recent article published in the The Times in London, England researchers
have actually found some hope for increasing the survival in patients
with liver cirrhosis.
It seems that by turning off an an inflammatory molecule know as nuclear
factor kappa beta (NFKB) which in essence is responsible for a lot of
the damage caused by alcohol, obesity or something like Hep C..you can
stop and even reverse some
of the scarring associated with cirrhosis
and liver damage.
The drug they are using is Sulphasalazine. It can be given to people
even when they have not totally stopped drinking..and still help their
liver improve...at least that is what its showin in the animal testing.
My problem with this drug is that it comes with a bevy of side
effects.
Nutrition in Decompensated Cirrhosis.
Now, its very interesting...that in the world of functional medicine
we have been using an ayruvedic combination of herbs to decrease the
activity of NFKB. Its called Kaprex...and it was orignially designed
to reduce the inflammation connected with many chronic health problems
such as irritable bowel disease, arthritis, heart conditions, etc.
I decided, after reading this article, that it was worth a try for a
few of my patients with cirrhosis.
Its too early to tell specifically...BUT...they are feeling better,
more energy and their lab liver enzyme tests have improved. Of course
to actually see if there are changes in the scarring on their livers..its
going to take biopsies, which is a bit extreme. In time they may opt
for that..but for now, they are definitely better.
Kaprex is simply a very cleverly designed herbal formulation by Metagenics,
so is for many reasons a good supplement to decrease inflammation in
the whole system...something which is a real concern in today's health...even
if one is not overtly ill.
Most liver problems..whether it be profound disease or just congestion
and need for detoxification would show some of the above symptoms. Also
you'd find in blood testing certain enzymes present in the blood to be
higher than normal from acute liver cell destruction.
Total Internal Body Cleanse Better Than One Like Hulda Clark Liver
Cleanse
Now before I get all kinds of hate mail..let me explain.
The Hulda Clark Liver Cleanse has been very helpful to literally scads
of people. But when one really thinks about it....if you are feeling
less than tip top or there are actual health problems whereby a liver
cleanse has been suggested....does it not make FAR more sense to cleanse
all body systems at the same time???
This Total Internal Body Cleanse does just that...7..count
them..7 different systems cleansed in 21 days!
 | | The Internal Cleansing Kit |
Here is a page with the full
details
of the kit ....
Cleanse the Digestive System, Liver and Gall Bladder, Parasite Cleanse,
Lungs, Kidney and Bladder, Lymph/Blood and Skin...there is no more
to do!
Liver Support
I have listed below several liver support products I use in the office
with great success. Yes, I have even seen liver cancer remission
with
these type of protocols...although we can never guarantee this.
An outline on the products I've listed and why I use them:
Our top overall liver function and detox supplement is Ortho-Liver
Improve Immune Function - Beta
Gold 100 mg and 500
mg., Mycoferon
Liver Detox - GSH
Complex, SeMc,
for Phase II, Network
Synergy or Oxygenics for Phase I, Detox
C,
, Milk
Thistle Combination, R+SR, ChloroClear, SAMe.
See my page on Mercury Detoxification to
read an explanation of Phase I and Phase II Detox.
Liver Drainage..to start healing.. Herba-Lymph
Drainage and
Herba-Lega-H.
Also the 4
Herb Formula is a wonderful
blood cleanser (originally known as Essiac) and Black
Walnut Combination..for
cleansing and also aids with parasite removal.
Liver Digestion Aids: The liver through its production
of bile, is the key factor in fat digestion. This often becomes more
of a problem as we age and the liver is congested, busy doing other
functions from our exposures to toxins ...the longer we are on this
planet.
To help this and "tweak" it back to better function I use
these....Emulsi Formula..to help break fat down, M3..a wonderful
digestive enzyme with extra "lipase" ..the enzyme devoted to fat
reduction, Canadian Bitters..a very effective digestive tonic...Peppermint
Combo..to start digestion off right at the stomach level..also excellent
and very safe for nausea of pregnancy, motion sickness..or any stomach
upset.
Liver Cholesterol Production and Balancing - As explained at my
page The Truth Abouth Cholesterol and Natural
Substances To Lower Cholesterol...these products are available by themselves or in groups
with a discount. Vessel Care (lowers homocysteine, ) Lipotain and
Lipitrol to raise HDL and lower LDL, Meta-Sitosterol (to block cholesterol
absorption). CoQ Melt or CoQ10..100
mg..particularly if you are on
any statin drug..because these drugs "kill" off your own CoQ10 which
is essential to a healthy heart. These drugs have lately been under
close scrutiny for contributing to the heart disease they are supposed
to prevent!
Email Me Anytime If
You Have Questions!
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