get a healthy liver in 2011 and feel better and fitter to enjoy life!
Different cultures worry about different health issues. In the United States, the heart is king of the mountain. The liver we've foolishly taken for granted, although some doctors are beginning to appreciate this organ more. Oriental medicine and some European cultures, along with others, have wisely put more value on the liver. Here we present an alternative-medicine approach to detoxifying the body's great detoxifier.
More than two decades ago, researchers studying the effects of pesticides on the body made a startling discovery: When confronted with toxins it had never been exposed to before, the human liver rose to the occasion and detoxified the offending agents.
You probably don't give your liver much thought. You may think that as long as you're not a boozer, the liver will take care of itself. For years, medical professionals thought pretty much the same thing. They would test blood levels for telltale signs of liver disease such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. Occasionally they'd probe liver cells for signs of liver failure. But barring evidence of pathology, they would pronounce the liver fit.
Recently, however, a growing number of health professionals have started to take a much closer look at the liver and its role in maintaining good health. Newly developed tests allow them to more closely evaluate how well a liver functions. And to some patients who show signs of a sluggish liver, they've recommended taking steps to detoxify this essential organ. Liver detoxification is a hot topic with health practitioners who practice preventative medicine. While there's no standard definition, detoxification refers mostly to easing the stress on the liver so that it can perform at its maximum capacity.
Detoxification sounds highly technical, as if you'd need a chemistry degree to do it. Actually, it's a simple process that can be accomplished with minor changes in diet and by ingesting a few helpful herbs and vitamins. The rewards can be great, including increased energy, the elimination of fatigue and more efficient digestion.
The liver is a pyramid-shaped, dual-lobed organ that rests in the upper right region of the abdomen. Actually, rests is inaccurate because the liver performs a dizzying array of daily tasks, all of which are critical to keeping you alive.
The liver converts foods into available energy, secretes up to a quart of bile daily to aid digestion and break down fats, generates body heat, regulates blood cholesterol and helps eliminate old red blood cells. One of the liver's most crucial responsibilities is to modify toxins in the body and then prepare them for safe disposal either through urine, sweat glands or the digestive tract.
"The liver has been hugely underrated in most textbooks," says Anna MacIntosh, a naturopathic physician and assistant professor at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. "It doesn't get nearly as much press as it should. It's an extraordinarily important organ in terms of keeping the internal chemical environment balanced.
"Almost every toxic substance found in your body, from the caffeine in your morning coffee, to the pesticide residue on the apple you had for lunch, to the over-the-counter pain reliever you took this afternoon, eventually makes its way to the liver for disposal."
If your body is a chemical plant, the liver is its Environmental Protection Agency.
The nature of modern life, with its preponderance of chemicals, pollutants and stress, taxes an already overworked liver. If you regularly engage in strenuous exercise, you challenge the liver even more. When you call it quits after a tough workout, the liver, which provided much of the energy you burned up in the workout, keeps churning away as you head for the shower. "Strenuous training damages muscle cells, The damaged cells must be detoxified by the liver. That's just the normal wear and tear of metabolism."
If you're careful about your diet, you'll want to know that those wonderful nutrients you've painstakingly shopped for and prepared are properly absorbed by an efficient liver. This is especially true if you're on a high-protein, high-carbohydrate diet. It's the liver's job to convert these nutrients into the stored energy that will be readily available to you when you need it. So when you're straining for that last curl or shoulder press, your liver can step up and deliver the boost you need.
"You'll eat a meal and not feel so good. You'll get a hangover from one drink. At night, you'll run a little hot. You'll also be prone to fits of rage." The term bilious, in fact, refers to a liver disorder and also means "of a peevish, ill-natured disposition."
One easy way of detoxifying the liver is to ease its toxic load, says MacIntosh. Anything that promotes sweating, from vigorous exercise to sitting in a sauna, helps to flush toxins out of the body.
Another way is simply to drink lots of water. "Drinking two quarts a day of good water is cleansing," she says. "It keeps the kidneys working well and keeps the flushing effect working. That's probably underrated as a detoxification process. People think, 'What's the big deal, drinking more water?' Well, it's helpful."
Eating foods with few or no added toxins is another great way to make things easier for your liver. "Try to get as much organic food as you possibly can," MacIntosh says. "Commercially grown plants have a lot of toxins."
"Avoid anything that comes in boxes, including cereals, crackers and pastas. Unless it says it's whole grain, stay away."
Other foods to avoid are fatty meats, which the liver must break down. Also avoid excessive amounts of milk and other dairy products, which may contain added hormones and other toxins that the liver must dispose of.
Caffeine drinks, especially coffee, stress the liver. With coffee, Eberstein says, caffeine isn't the only problem: The coffee itself contains many other mild toxins.
"Drinking in moderation is very low-risk for most people. To suggest that it's helpful borders on wishful thinking."
Prescription drugs, and even over-the-counter pain remedies, also eventually make their way to the liver. They should be taken according to a doctor's directions and with an eye to their effect upon the liver.
Herbs that benefit the liver include dandelion, goldenseal and ginseng
Instead of a fast, she puts her patients on a simple diet of rice and vegetables for a week or two. That should give the liver enough time to clear out any lingering toxins. Some herbs that benefit the liver include dandelion, goldenseal and ginseng,
recommends choline, inositol and the amino acid methionine. She also suggests the B vitamins, which are readily available in health-food stores.
Perhaps one of the easiest things you can do for your liver is an act you perform thousands of times a day: breathe. Breathing correctly (breathing deeply from the abdomen or diaphragm),creates an internal organ massage that promotes proper liver function. Yoga and stretching are good ways to ensure that your liver is being properly massaged during breathing.
Breathing right. It's the least you can do for that hard-working organ.
More than two decades ago, researchers studying the effects of pesticides on the body made a startling discovery: When confronted with toxins it had never been exposed to before, the human liver rose to the occasion and detoxified the offending agents.
You probably don't give your liver much thought. You may think that as long as you're not a boozer, the liver will take care of itself. For years, medical professionals thought pretty much the same thing. They would test blood levels for telltale signs of liver disease such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. Occasionally they'd probe liver cells for signs of liver failure. But barring evidence of pathology, they would pronounce the liver fit.
Recently, however, a growing number of health professionals have started to take a much closer look at the liver and its role in maintaining good health. Newly developed tests allow them to more closely evaluate how well a liver functions. And to some patients who show signs of a sluggish liver, they've recommended taking steps to detoxify this essential organ. Liver detoxification is a hot topic with health practitioners who practice preventative medicine. While there's no standard definition, detoxification refers mostly to easing the stress on the liver so that it can perform at its maximum capacity.
Detoxification sounds highly technical, as if you'd need a chemistry degree to do it. Actually, it's a simple process that can be accomplished with minor changes in diet and by ingesting a few helpful herbs and vitamins. The rewards can be great, including increased energy, the elimination of fatigue and more efficient digestion.
The liver is a pyramid-shaped, dual-lobed organ that rests in the upper right region of the abdomen. Actually, rests is inaccurate because the liver performs a dizzying array of daily tasks, all of which are critical to keeping you alive.
The liver converts foods into available energy, secretes up to a quart of bile daily to aid digestion and break down fats, generates body heat, regulates blood cholesterol and helps eliminate old red blood cells. One of the liver's most crucial responsibilities is to modify toxins in the body and then prepare them for safe disposal either through urine, sweat glands or the digestive tract.
"The liver has been hugely underrated in most textbooks," says Anna MacIntosh, a naturopathic physician and assistant professor at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. "It doesn't get nearly as much press as it should. It's an extraordinarily important organ in terms of keeping the internal chemical environment balanced.
"Almost every toxic substance found in your body, from the caffeine in your morning coffee, to the pesticide residue on the apple you had for lunch, to the over-the-counter pain reliever you took this afternoon, eventually makes its way to the liver for disposal."
If your body is a chemical plant, the liver is its Environmental Protection Agency.
The nature of modern life, with its preponderance of chemicals, pollutants and stress, taxes an already overworked liver. If you regularly engage in strenuous exercise, you challenge the liver even more. When you call it quits after a tough workout, the liver, which provided much of the energy you burned up in the workout, keeps churning away as you head for the shower. "Strenuous training damages muscle cells, The damaged cells must be detoxified by the liver. That's just the normal wear and tear of metabolism."
If you're careful about your diet, you'll want to know that those wonderful nutrients you've painstakingly shopped for and prepared are properly absorbed by an efficient liver. This is especially true if you're on a high-protein, high-carbohydrate diet. It's the liver's job to convert these nutrients into the stored energy that will be readily available to you when you need it. So when you're straining for that last curl or shoulder press, your liver can step up and deliver the boost you need.
"You'll eat a meal and not feel so good. You'll get a hangover from one drink. At night, you'll run a little hot. You'll also be prone to fits of rage." The term bilious, in fact, refers to a liver disorder and also means "of a peevish, ill-natured disposition."
One easy way of detoxifying the liver is to ease its toxic load, says MacIntosh. Anything that promotes sweating, from vigorous exercise to sitting in a sauna, helps to flush toxins out of the body.
Another way is simply to drink lots of water. "Drinking two quarts a day of good water is cleansing," she says. "It keeps the kidneys working well and keeps the flushing effect working. That's probably underrated as a detoxification process. People think, 'What's the big deal, drinking more water?' Well, it's helpful."
Eating foods with few or no added toxins is another great way to make things easier for your liver. "Try to get as much organic food as you possibly can," MacIntosh says. "Commercially grown plants have a lot of toxins."
"Avoid anything that comes in boxes, including cereals, crackers and pastas. Unless it says it's whole grain, stay away."
Other foods to avoid are fatty meats, which the liver must break down. Also avoid excessive amounts of milk and other dairy products, which may contain added hormones and other toxins that the liver must dispose of.
Caffeine drinks, especially coffee, stress the liver. With coffee, Eberstein says, caffeine isn't the only problem: The coffee itself contains many other mild toxins.
"Drinking in moderation is very low-risk for most people. To suggest that it's helpful borders on wishful thinking."
Prescription drugs, and even over-the-counter pain remedies, also eventually make their way to the liver. They should be taken according to a doctor's directions and with an eye to their effect upon the liver.
Herbs that benefit the liver include dandelion, goldenseal and ginseng
Instead of a fast, she puts her patients on a simple diet of rice and vegetables for a week or two. That should give the liver enough time to clear out any lingering toxins. Some herbs that benefit the liver include dandelion, goldenseal and ginseng,
recommends choline, inositol and the amino acid methionine. She also suggests the B vitamins, which are readily available in health-food stores.
Perhaps one of the easiest things you can do for your liver is an act you perform thousands of times a day: breathe. Breathing correctly (breathing deeply from the abdomen or diaphragm),creates an internal organ massage that promotes proper liver function. Yoga and stretching are good ways to ensure that your liver is being properly massaged during breathing.
Breathing right. It's the least you can do for that hard-working organ.
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