All about Liver

While talking about a healthy body, we have all the organs in mind including heart, kidney, lungs but rarely we think about liver until we are forced to consider about this important organ. And When we notice the damage done to liver, it is already too late. Today’s lifestyle or eating habits are so much polluted that we hardly hear the voice of our body need. 

Liver is reddish brown wedged shaped organ situated on the right side of the belly weighing around 1.5 kg. It has two large sections right and left lobes and gallbladder sits just below the liver with part of pancreas and intestine. It is rubbery to feel in touch but one cant feel it directly as being protected by ribs cage. Liver is the heaviest organ and largest gland in a human body. It is connected to two large blood vessels –Hepatic Artery (carries oxygen rich blood from aorta via celiac plexus) and Portal Veins (carries blood rich in digested nutrients from the gastro intestinal tract).

Liver is a multifunctional organ and if read in detail there would be more than 500 functions performed by liver. Its main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract and also to detoxify the chemicals and metabolize drugs

• Liver produces bile (yellow orange fluid) that carry away waste and break down fats during digestion. It regulates most chemical levels in the blood.
• Blood leaving the stomach passes through liver that process this blood and creates nutrients for the body to use.
• It converts the excess glucose into glycogen stored in liver and muscle cells for later use.
• It converts poisonous ammonia into urea which is the end product .
• Hepatocutes (liver cells) are responsible protein synthesis that is important for blood clotting and many other functions.
• Liver stores many vitamins and chemicals required by the body like Vitamin A, D, K, B12, Folic acid, and iron.
• It helps in making strong immune factors and removes bacteria from the blood stream.
• Liver clears the blood of Bilirubin (orange yellow pigment caused due to the breaking of red blood cells) and helps in passing it out through urea excretion.

Liver Conditions / Disease

By understanding the functions of liver, it is clear that it is a very important organ that supports almost every other organ also to function smoothly. In such case any damage to liver can be life threatening. Hepatitis is the most common condition caused due to the inflammation of the liver. This is generally induced by different viruses either sexually or through needles or other private intimacy.  Hepatitis can have non-infectious causes too, including heavy drinking, drugs, allergic reactions, or obesity. Major cause of the liver damage these days is excess dose of drugs like paracetamol. Long term damage to liver can cause the condition called Cirrhosis. During this condition liver stops working properly. Once the lever is affected with cirrhosis there are huge chances of Liver cancer and liver failure. Also as a result of cirrhosis, liver starts leaking fluid (ascites) in to the belly which becomes distended and heavy.  Majority of the liver conditions are accompanied by viral fevers like jaundice and typhoid. Once a body suffers from viral fevers like this, there are huge chances that it will affect the liver sooner or later.

SYMPTOMS

• Pale stool or dark urine is the most common symptom of liver not functioning properly.
• Pale skin skin or eyes causing itching due to deposition of bilirubin in skin.
• Swelling in abdomen or feet because liver fails to make albumin(protein made by liver)
• Loss of energy and feeling fatigue due to loss of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.
• Any skin bleeding not heeling or no blood clotting as liver is responsible for blood clotting factors.

Ayurvedic Herbs for Liver

• Kanchnaar Guggulu
• Manjishtha
• Bhoomi Amla
• Milk Thistle