the liver and its importance

Written By Bella Kalkbrenner

The liver is a vastly important organ for overall health and well-being. The liver is our body’s natural detoxifier. However, it can become overworked; if your liver is stressed, the optimal function will cease, causing hormonal imbalances, lack of detoxification, and much more.

Your liver's health is critical to optimizing overall hormone function and, therefore, whole-body health! There are things we can do and changes we can make to give our liver some extra support! Keep reading to learn more about the liver, what puts excess stress on it, and what we can do to support liver health!

What does the liver do?

Our liver:

  • removes all toxins - clears the blood of drugs and other poisonous substances

  • regulates hormone levels - processes hormones such as estrogen

  • makes immune factors and removes bacteria from the bloodstream - helps resist infections

  • blood health - regulates blood clotting, filters blood, regulates blood levels of amino acids, albumin production

  • builds proteins

  • produces bile - helps carry away waste and breaks down and absorb fats in the small intestine (during digestion)

  • metabolizes all of the food we consume (macro and micronutrients)

  • synthesizes cholesterol - adjusts cholesterol levels

  • stores nutrients

  • stores sugar (glucose) for when you need it

A healthy liver performs some 500 critical functions for the body! It breaks down harmful substances and releases its by-products into the bile or blood. Bile by-products enter the intestines and leave the body through our feces (constipation = problem). Blood by-products filter through the kidneys and leave the body through urine.

An overworked liver…

When your liver is healthy, it balances your body by executing many crucial functions. It helps balance and regulate hormones through excreting toxins and excess hormones such as estrogen.

However, if your liver is stressed or overworked, the optimal function will cease, causing hormonal imbalances, lack of detoxification, and much more.

Liver Diseases

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) - Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is when you have fat inside your liver that, over time, can impede liver function and result in liver injury. It is sometimes called silent liver disease because it can happen without causing any symptoms. This affects around 10% to 20% of Americans. (Most people with this condition never develop severe liver damage (NASH), but some do.

NASH is if you have fat in your liver + inflammation, and liver cell damage. This affects around 2% to 5% of Americans. Liver damage from NASH leads to scarring (fibrosis) and hardening of your liver - this is permanent and called Cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis (Chronic Liver Disease) - This is when scar tissue replaces a healthy functioning liver. Cirrhosis slows the flow of blood to the liver. The liver stops working optimally, causing a wide range of health problems. Over time, in severe cases, this can lead to liver failure.

As you can see, it is imperative to maintain a healthy liver so as not to develop any of these conditions. There are things we can do and changes we can make to give our liver some extra support! Keep reading to learn more about what puts excess stress on our liver and what we can do to support our liver health!

These are some lifestyle, nutritional, and environmental factors that can negatively impact the health of your liver:

  • A nutrient-deficient diet

  • lots of processed foods

  • Trans Fats

  • Artificial ingredients (sweeteners, preservatives, flavors, colors, etc.)

  • High-sugar diets

  • Alcohol!!!

  • Plastics

  • Non-organic meats and produce

    • Exposure to pesticides and herbicides

  • Industrial pollutants

  • Heavy metal exposure

  • Toxic cleaning products

  • Preservatives and fragrances in skin care products

  • Chronic infections

Tips for a healthy liver:

  • limit or stop alcohol consumption - just 4 ounces a day of hard liquor for men and 2 ounces for women can begin to scar your liver (cirrhosis)

  • try matcha or green tea - I love matcha or green tea - they do not contain as much caffeine as coffee, have loads of health benefits, and also contain an EGCG molecule - which actually assists the liver in detoxification!

  • Wash your produce!! Opt for organic (especially in the dirty dozen produce, animal products, oats, etc.) - pesticides and herbicides can damage your liver with chronic exposure. Growing your own produce is excellent; local farmer’s markets are great ways to shop from local farms!

  • daily movement (exercises you enjoy)

  • eating a variety of whole foods - fruits and veggies, high-quality protein, healthy fats, nuts and seeds, and complex - high-fiber carbohydrates. An excellent guide and example of this is the Mediterranean way of eating. Adequate amounts of macro and micronutrients are vital for liver health and function (protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies!)

  • use natural pest and weed repellents - chemicals such as Roundup (glyphosate) are damaging to your liver and kidneys

  • avoid toxic self-care and make-up products - opt for non-toxic face care, body care, hair care, and make-up products

    • read the label and avoid things with artificial “fragrance”, preservatives, colors, etc; cocokind is an affordable and non-toxic brand of skin care that you can get at places like Target!

  • limit daily toxin exposure - slowly making changes such as:

    • switching to an organic mattress or sheets,

    • reducing mold exposure

    • switching to non-toxic cleaning products (such as branch basics)

    • drinking filtered water

    • switching to non-toxic kitchenware (such as Caraway or Our Place)

      This can reduce exposure to toxins and support your liver in the long run. No rush - small changes in the right direction are all that matter!

  • Drink plenty of filtered water

Some liver-loving foods, herbs, and drinks:

  • green tea and spearmint tea

  • rosemary

  • turmeric

  • oatmeal

  • cruciferous veggies ( broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy, arugula, Brussels sprouts, collards, watercress and radishes)

  • nuts - especially almonds

  • spinach

  • blueberries and all berries

  • herbs and spices

  • fatty fish such as salmon

  • citrus fruits such as lemons

  • carrots

  • garlic

  • lemons

  • walnuts

  • apples

  • coffee in moderation (be sure not to consume coffee on an empty stomach, as this can cause blood sugar imbalance and stress on the adrenals) - you can also add things like coconut oil and collagen to your coffee to make it more blood sugar-balancing (avoid refined sugar and artificial sweeteners in your coffee, as these are damaging to liver health)

Sources:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/liver-anatomy-and-functions

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-ways-to-be-kind-to-your-liver

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chronic-liver-disease-cirrhosis

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/herbicide-glyphosate-cancer#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20EPA%20released,affect%20your%20kidney%20and%20liver.

https://bepure.co.nz/liver-loving-hormone-balance

https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/ss/slideshow-best-and-worst-foods-for-your-liver

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323915

https://columbiasurgery.org/liver/liver-and-its-functions

Bella Kalkbrenner
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