Have You A Healthier Liver
What is Liver Health
The largest internal organ in the body, the liver is located in
the upper right portion of the abdomen, beneath the diaphragm
and above most of the stomach, intestines and pancreas. The
liver has many functions, including secreting bile, neutralizing
poisons, synthesizing proteins, and storing glycogen and certain
vitamins and minerals. the largest organ in the body, producing
many essential chemicals and regulating the levels of most vital
substances in the blood. Some important functions of the Liver<
/a> are: to allow the Qi to flow smoothly throughout the body
and to 'store' the Blood. Over 5 million Americans have
hepatitis B or C, resulting in an estimated 13,000 to 15,000
deaths annually.
Ways to Love Your Liver Health
1. Avoid taking unnecessary medications (Too many chemicals can
harm me).
2. Don't mix medicines without the advice of a doctor. (You
could create something poisonous that could damage me badly)
3. Street drugs cause serious damage and scar me permanently.
4. Don't drown me in beer, liquor or wine. (If you drink
alcohol, have two or fewer drinks per day) .
5. Never mix alcohol with other drugs & medications.
6. Be careful when using aerosol cleaners. I have to detoxify
what you breathe in, so when you go on a cleaning binge, make
sure the room is well ventilated, or wear a mask.
7. Bug sprays, paint sprays and all those other chemical sprays
you use can harm me too. Be careful what you breathe.
8. Watch what gets on your skin! (Those insecticides you put on
trees and shrubs to kill bugs can get to me right through your
skin and destroy some cells.) Remember, they're serious
chemicals.
TROUBLE SIGNS:
Here are some signs of liver trouble. If you experience anyof
these symptoms, please contact your doctor.
1. Yellow discoloration of the skin
a> or eyes. 2 Abdominal swelling or severe abdominal pain.
3. Prolonged itching of the skin.
4. Very dark urine or pale stools-, or the passage of bloody or
tar-like stools.
5. Chronic fatigue, nausea or loss of appetite.
Eat for Health: Since everything we eat must pass through the
liver, special attention to nutrition and diet can help keep me
healthy. Here are some tips on eating for health healthy liver,
healthy you.
1-Eat a well balanced, nutritionally adequate diet. if you enjoy
foods from each of the four food groups, you will probably
obtain the nutrients you need.
2 -Cut down on the amount of deep-fried and fatty foods you and
your family consume. Doctors believe that the risk of
gallbladder disorders (including gallstones, a liver-related
disease) can be reduced by avoiding high-fat and high
cholesterol foods.
3 - Minimize your consumption of smoked, cured and salted foods.
Taste your food before adding salt! Or try alternative
seasonings in your cooking such as lemon juice, onion, vinegar,
garlic, pepper, mustard, cloves, sage or thyme.
MEAT, FISH, POULTRY & ALTERNATIVES PROVIDE:
protein
, vitamin A, iron,
vitamin B12, niacin, fiber
a>, thiamin
BREADS AND CEREALS PROVIDE:
carbohydrates, niacin,
thiamin, iron, ribofl
avin, fiber
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PROVIDE:
vitamin A, vitamin
C, iron, fiber
a>, folacin
MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS PROVIDE:
calcium,
riboflavin, niacin,folacin, vitamin
A, vitamin B12, vitamin D.
Liver Function Tests:The most commonly used way to check for
liver problems; these blood tests look for chemicals in the body
that are produced when the liver does its various jobs. The
tests can be used to diagnose and monitor chronic viral
hepatitis as well as other liver diseases. The two most common
tests include the following liver enzymes. Blood tests to
measure the function of the liver. These are blood tests that
are ordered regularly by liver doctors. They give an indication
of how well the liver is working and help sort out the type of
problem that may be present. They are done daily immediately
following transplantation. Abnormalities can indicate rejection,
infection, side effects from drugs and many other things.
Experience is required to determine what the results mean.
Liver
Enzymes:Proteins that catalyze chemical reactions needed for
bodily functions. Levels of certain enzymes, such as ALT and AST
are higher when the liver is injured, as they leak into the
bloodstream when the cell is injured or destroyed. proteins that
catalyze chemical reactions needed for bodily functions. Levels
of certain enzymes, such as ALT and AST are higher when the
liver is injured, as they leak into the bloodstream when the
cell is injured or destroyed.
Fatty Liver:Fatty liver or steatosis hepatis is a reversible
condition seen in chronic alcoholism and many other conditions,
where large vacuoles of lipid accumulate in hepatocytes (the
cells of the liver). Accumulation of fat in liver cells will
cause the liver to enlarge. The lipid within the vacuoles is a
particular type of lipid known as triglyceride. Triglyceride
molecules consist of a glyerol backbone with three fatty acid
molecules joined on.
Liver failure:The final stage of liver disease, in which liver
function becomes so impaired that other areas of the body are
affected, most commonly the brain. Liver failure is the final
stage of liver disease. By definition, liver failure occurs when
the liver is so diseased, and functioning so poorly, that
encephalopathy is evident. Any progressive liver disease can
result in liver failure; examples include: acetaminophen
toxicity, liver
cirrhosis, viral
hepatitis, and metastatic cancer of the liver.
Liver
Cancer:A disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found
in the tissues of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, also
called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer
) of the liver. Most cases are secondary to either hepatitis
infection (usually hepatitis B or C) or cirrhosis (alcoholism
being the most common cause of hepatic cirrhosis).