Functions of Your Liver
Summary
Your liver is the second largest organ in your body (second only to
your skin) and it is also the most abused.
Responsible for over 100 known functions, the liver is a marvel of chemical
precision with diverse abilities:
- master chemist
- supply office
- fuel storage facility
- housekeeper and poison control center.
In ancient times, the liver was considered the seat of the soul and
therefore the most important organ of the body. In traditional Chinese
Medicine it is designated as the dispenser of "chi," the life
force. (In Western terms, it can be explained in relation to the thyroid
hormone, thyroxin, being used by the liver to generate metabolism.) The
liver is the second largest organ of the body (second only to the skin)
and, undoubtedly, the most abused. Responsible for over 100 known functions,
the liver is a marvel of chemical precision with diverse abilities: master
chemist, supply office, fuel storage, housekeeper, and poison control
center.
The master chemist portion of the liver metabolizes proteins,
fats and carbohydrates providing energy and nutrients for the other systems
of the body. It creates bile to help emulsify fats making them easier
to break down into their fatty-acid components, works to maintain electrolyte
(magnesium/calcium and potassium/sodium) levels, is involved in the formation
and breakdown of blood and helps to maintain water balance by producing
serum proteins.
As a supply office, the liver will provide extra blood on demand
in case of a critical situation. It also stores fat-soluble vitamins A,
D, E and K.
As a fuel storage facility, it stores B vitamins, minerals and
sugars. The latter are stored as a reserve sugar called glycogen which
is meant to be released when blood stores of available glucose become
low due to exercise, stress or delayed eating.
As the housekeeper and poison control center, the liver is the
major detoxifying organ of the body, the liver is responsible for filtering
the blood and removing harmful bacteria and chemicals including the breakdown
and elimination of excess hormones. This function of your liver has been
dramatically overburdened within the last two generations because of the
impact of our polluting technologies and lifestyle habits: unending stress,
poor diet, alcohol & drugs and environmental toxins. It is by this
means that we have wreaked havoc on this amazing organ and contributed
more to our "dis-ease" than ever before in our species' sojourn
upon this planet.
We have been blessed with a remarkably resilient and faithful servant,
but how long it can stand this abuse is a critical question as your faithful
loyal friend, protector and lover, the liver, puts up with it all. Believe
me, your liver LOVES you. It works so hard to make things right and good
and comfortable for you. But after a time, subject to insult after insult,
the liver can become "deranged."
How would you know if your liver is "deranged?"
Chinese medicine has a very elaborate list of liver symptoms. Western-trained
doctors will be in a swoon trying to make "clinical sense" of
this list. Chinese medicine is a system that requires of Westerners a
repatterning of the brain. The first step is surrender. The second step
is observation.
The liver expresses itself through the eyes. Red, inflamed conjunctiva
and sclera, watery, painful, feeling of sand in the eyes, blurred misty
vision, film over the eyeballs and guck in the corners are all signs of
liver imbalance. The amount of life and vitality that the eyes reflect
is a very good indication of liver health. A dull, listless, unfocused
or tired look signifies problems. Peace, compassion, love, mirth and joy
are states of being that the eyes convey when the liver is healthy.
If the liver is not "watering the yin" or not able to disperse
nutrients properly, ligaments and tendons become tight.
There is very limited flexibility. Knees, shoulders, hips and other
joints do not articulate well. Aching joints upon waking in the morning
and arthritis also fall into this category.
The nails reflect the quality of the liver. Split, flaking, ridged,
pale or brittle nails indicate liver disharmony.
Painful swelling of the breasts and pain on the left and right sides
of the body in the lower rib area indicate a potential liver problem.
A bruised or full tightness of the area just under the lower curve of
the bottom ribs on the right side of the body is a good indication of
liver problems by Western criteria.
Headaches, and in particular a "liver full" headache (this
type of headache involves sharp excruciating pain, nausea and vomiting)
vascular, unilateral headaches called migraines, flushed face, bright
"apples" in the cheeks, hot flushed feeling, and hot flashes
are "liver excess" symptoms. Acne, psoriasis and eczema, clear
to white mucous discharge from the nose typical of allergies and hayfever,
also ringing in the ears, middle ear infection (otitis media), and dizzy
spells are also linked to the liver.
Bitter taste in the mouth, dry mouth, a craving for sour foods: green
apples, lemons or vinegars, indicate an irritated liver. According to
folk and Chinese medicine, sour will soothe the liver and appears to be
the reason for the craving.
Waking between 1 and 3 a.m., sometimes sweaty and agitated, and unable
to return to sleep for sometime, is a form of insomnia typical of liver
dysfunction. Centuries ago, the Chinese developed a "celestial clock",
based on when the flow of energy is at its peak for each organ system.
According to this clock, and Western clinical research, the liver is most
active at these early morning hours. Waking at this time is recognized
by some physicians as a typical symptom of stress and Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome (CFS). In CFS, the liver is inflamed. Because of this, the liver
responds to normal daily rhythms of function with excess activity.
The liver would like to wind down from 3 p.m. until Midnight. Bile production
is at its lowest rate in the late afternoon into the evening. This is
the root of the practice in rural and traditional areas of the world that
the main meal of the day is eaten midday with a light meal in the evening
and signifies an innate wisdom that has been lost as the Industrial Age
has progressed. At near midnight, bile production is increased and in
cases where the liver is inflamed, the patient will be disturbed by this
increase of liver activity causing the patient to wake and be unable to
fall back to sleep immediately. The "liver- friendly" practice
of retiring early and rising early is reflected in the liver's physiological
rhythms. Liver repair is only successfully accomplished when the patient
sleeps. The need for good adequate rest for healing becomes apparent.
Late evening meals and keeping late hours regularly burden the body dramatically,
especially as the body ages.
Read more about Nutrition and Proper Food Combining
Fatigue, irritability, lack of determination, being easily upset, short
tempered, feeling nervous sensitivity and attention to trivial matters
are all psychological "states of being" associated with an aggravated
or depleted liver. The emotion typically associated with the liver is
anger, flashing, aggressive outbursts or just a plain mad-at-the world
attitude. Dreaming of war, fights, fighting and destruction are liver
symptoms that reveal themselves while we sleep.
Fear of exercise, making excuses or not desiring to commit to an exercise
routine or not wanting to be involved in physical activity; depleted sexual
desire, white, mucousy, fishy smelling discharge of the vagina, whitish
discharge of the penis can also be indicative of liver problems. Menstrual
activity is greatly influenced by the health of the liver which means
that menstrual irregularities including excessive bleeding, cramps, light
menses or the lack of menses all have a liver connection.
This is a partial list of symptoms associated with liver pathology.
In Chinese medicine, there are 6 main possibilities of pathology or disharmony.
Some symptoms from all the possibilities have been included. Not a single
symptom mentioned above is considered a normal occurrence for a healthy
body.
Healing the liver means reducing toxic encounters in diet, emotions,
environment and lifestyle.
Read more about Cleansing and Detoxifying
|
Friendly
