Feb. 3, 2012: Be Kind to Your Liver,...

Ah, gotta love Fridays!!!  It felt great to sleep in!  Even my cats allowed me to catch a full 8 hours.  Usually by 6:30 or so, they are all about getting me up.  They must know it's Friday.

I wanted to talk a little about the liver today.  I'm not sure how many people pay attention to this organ, know what it does, how important the liver's function is, why we need to take care of it, and how to take care of it properly.  The liver is the body's filter and warehouse,...

The liver removes wastes/toxins from the bloodstream.  It also stores vitamins, minerals, and glucose that the body will utilize later.  It helps manage cholesterol, blood sugars, and hormones (sex & stress hormones, thyroid, etc.).  A properly working liver is essential to brain functioning.  Theresa Albert, DHN, RNCP, Registered Dietician writes, "Your poor liver never gets any attention; it is a total wallflower that just quietly takes what you have to dish out. But overlooking this gem is a big mistake because it supports your body in more than 500 ways. You can’t live without it. Plus, having a clean liver gives you more energy, helps control your weight and cholesterol levels, and makes you look and feel better." (Healthzone.ca; Dec., 2011). 

Albert discusses the liver in easy to understand terms.  She elaborates, "To understand how the liver works, it helps to think of it like a filter in a fish tank. Have you ever seen a fish tank that has been neglected? The water is murky and it smells. Everything that you eat, every medication that you take, every breath of toxic air and, yes, sip of alcohol you take has to go through the liver to be processed and eliminated."

In her article, 10 Ways to be Kind to Your Liver , she goes on to list foods that are critical to protecting the liver, and other foods that should be avoided or used in moderation.   Her "AVOID" list includes the following:

• Alcohol in excess
• Mixing alcohol & Tylenol
• Fatty foods
• Sugared soft drinks, cakes, pastries, candy bars, etc.
• Foods that could carry hepatitis

I've read from several reliable sources that if your liver is compromised, you should "avoid sushi and partially cooked clams, oysters, mussels and scallops as these foods often live in Hepatitis A contaminated rivers and seas" (Oregon Health Authority, Office of Disease Prevention & Epidemiology, July 2011).   Pork can also pose a risk, depending on the source.  "Yoshida says that pork raised in Canada or the US is likely safe, but pork grown in other countries like China or Italy have had problems. It may pay to avoid pork if you’re not sure if the source."  (Albert, 2011).  Environmental pollutants, such as aerosol sprays, paint thinners, bug sprays, etc. all have an impact on liver health as well.  According to the Hepatitis Foundation International, 2010, fumes are "picked up by the tiny blood vessels in your lungs and carried to your liver where they are detoxified and discharged in your bile. The amount and concentration of those chemicals should be controlled to prevent liver damage. Make certain you have good ventilation, use a mask, cover your skin, and wash off any chemicals you get on your skin with soap and water as soon as possible."  

You may be thinking, "yeah, yeah, no big deal", but it IS a big deal.  I recall sitting in a courtroom many years ago, when I worked for a county mental health agency.  The hearing I observed was for a mental health commitment for a man in his mid to later middle ages.  He had a late and seemingly unexplained onset of psychosis. Long story short, this person was an employed painter/do-it-yourself guy, and worked with paint thinners regularly, as well as other industrial chemicals.  He never used gloves and didn't pay attention to protecting himself.  It was determined, through process of elimination, that the chemicals were likely to be the source of his problems.  His liver couldn't properly filter the toxins.  His acute onset of mental illness could have likely been prevented had he taken some basic precautions.   

Albert's "ADD Some of These" list includes the following: 

• Brazil nuts, brewer's yeast, kelp, brown rice, garlic, onions & molasses
• Eggs, fish, legumes and seeds
• Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage & Brussels sprouts
• Whole grains, chicken, wheat bran and nuts
• Wheat germ, dried peas and soybeans  

Be sure to read her article to learn what each of these foods can do to enhance liver function  

A controversial supplement in the literature is Milk Thistle.  There is some suggestion that this supplement might play a role in the prevention of liver cancer and/or some forms of hepatitis.  More studies are needed.  Click on Milk Thistle to read a recent Q&A article from the National Cancer Institute and decide for yourself. 

Well, that's about enough on the liver for one day,...
I think it's time to get outside, smell a few flowers,...

roll around in the dirt a bit,...

and enjoy the sun!

Happy Friday Everyone!

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