My great uncle Bernard had a yellow tinge to his skin and the whites of his eyes – jaundice. His liver was failing and the jaundice was the outward expression of it.

You can donate 60% of your liver and it will grow back, but if you lose it all together, you die.  The liver is important for detoxifying the body and digesting food.

Liver Function

The liver:

• Filters the blood breaking down toxins, and drugs, and hormones including insulin. 

• Makes glucose out of amino acids. Glucose, sugar, is one of the fuels of the body.

• It breaks down glycogen, animal starch, into glucose and stores the excess glucose as glycogen for later use.

• The liver produces bile and dumps it right into the duodenum, the top of the small intestine, to emulsify fats. 

• Also the liver creates cholesterol, needed to build cell walls, and triglycerides, a very dense energy source.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver.  You can be infected and get hepatitis A, B, or C.  Or you can develop hepatitis by eating poorly, drinking regularly, not taking care of yourself, or sometimes from medication.  Large doses of aspirin or ibuprofen, or Tylenol with alcohol, or large doses of niacin can damage the liver.

You get hepatitis A from contaminated shellfish or contaminated food or water.  You might have flu-like symptoms or none at all.  If your immune system is strong, it clears up on its own.

Hepatitis B is blood borne, either sexually transmitted or from dirty needles. 

Hepatitis C is also transmitted by blood too, either transfusions or shared needles.  Now it has been screened out of the blood banks so no one in the US would get it from blood transfusions.  This is the most likely culprit for people with chronic hepatitis.

Chronic hepatitis you feel tired and listless, you are jaundiced, you feel nauseous and uninterested in eating.  It can damage your liver.

Liver Support Supplements

A blood test and a liver function test will tell you what you are suffering from.  Whatever the cause of inflammation, supplements can bolster your liver function.  Here are some ingredients to look for:

• Devil’s claw has been used to help the liver. For more information see our article titled “Pain Relief Supplements to Look Past the Pain".

• Milk Thistle protects the liver and helps to improve its function.  It is used to help treat liver cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and chronic hepatitis.  People who are allergic to ragweed, marigold or daisy may also be allergic to milk thistle.

• Turmeric helps to increase bile flow which makes it a liver cleanser which could rejuvenate the liver cells and recharges their ability to break down toxins. 

• Tinospora Cordifolia – This herb has been used for convalescence from severe illness, liver disease, arthritis and urinary problems.  It has also been known to be used to help remove toxins from the body. 

• Dandelion – The leaves help to repair damaged tissue and help the liver clear out toxins. For more information see “Immune System Support Supplements to Help Keep You Healthy and On the Go".

• Burdock - Burdock root gently cleans the liver and blood. It’s also used as a diuretic.

Warning - There are supplements for the liver that contain Kava.  It is important not to use these supplements because according to the National Institute of Health (NIH),

“on March 25, 2002, the The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory notifying consumers that kava-containing dietary supplements may be associated with severe liver injury. The FDA reported that kava-containing products have been associated with liver-related injuries, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure, in over 25 reports of adverse events in other countries.”

It is so important to take the time to help that amazing organ out by taking a liver support supplement.  Without your liver, you cannot survive.  It is as simple as that.  Take care of your liver so that it can continue taking caring of you