8 fun facts about your liver
By Louise Belle BHSc (Nut Med)
The liver is well known for being the major detoxifying organ and has the job of processing the alcohol you drank on the weekend. The liver is an amazing and interesting organ, that you should know more about.
Did you know?
1. The liver can regenerate itself
The liver is the only organ in the body that can almost completely regrow after damage or surgery. You could get ¾ of your liver removed, and it would regrow to its normal size and return to proper functioning. This serves as great news for those with a liver disorder, because chances are, if you catch it early enough and give your liver the correct nutrients, you should be able to repair it.
2. Your liver loves sulphur!
The liver needs sulphur to break down and remove toxins from the body in a process called sulphation. Sulphur is found in vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, onions, leeks, garlic, cabbage, bok choy, spinach and chives, and also in eggs and protein-based foods. Eating more of these sulphur foods will support your liver in removing excess toxins. Sulphur is also found in MSM, which is in Collagen Food powder.
3. The liver burns fat
You heard that correctly, your liver helps process and burn excess fat and cholesterol in the body. If you’re wanting to slim down and tone up, you should show your liver some extra love, as it may help you to burn off those stubborn kilos. For those that suffer with high cholesterol, improving your liver function is really important.
4. Hormonal problems can be a sign of liver dysfunction
The liver is responsible for breaking down and removing excess hormones in the body. Hormonal imbalance can lead to painful menstruation, acne, weight gain and moodiness in women and low libido, depression and fatigue in men. A healthy liver is a prerequisite for hormonal balance.
5. Sugar can harm your liver
Regular intake of sugary treats and refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and rice could be damaging to your liver. These foods cause sharp spikes in blood sugar which contribute to insulin resistance. The liver converts the excess sugar into fat, which is then deposited in the liver and other parts of the body.
6. The liver and the gallbladder are buddies
The liver and gallbladder work well together. The gallbladder is known for its role in releasing bile acids to digest fat. The liver is the organ that manufactures the bile, which is then stored and concentrated in the gallbladder. People with gallbladder issues need to be kind to their livers, to improve digestion.
7. Your liver is making you angry
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is seen as the anger organ. When the liver is overloaded and not functioning properly, it can lead to outbursts of anger, irritability and anxiety. These practitioners also consider the liver as one of the five most important organs for maintaining healthy balance in the body.
8. Your liver is bigger than your brain
Yes that’s right. You have more liver than brain! The liver is the largest internal organ and is responsible for more than 500 important bodily functions. On average the liver weighs 1.2-1.5kgs and filters 1.41 litres of blood every minute, coming from both the heart and digestive tract.
Our livers face enormous stress each day, having to filter out toxins and waste products from the environment, the food we eat, medication, alcohol, infections and so on. The liver can have trouble keeping up with this heavy work load and start to slow down. Supporting your liver with the Dr Cabot 15 Day Cleanse helps to support these liver pathways and improve overall health.
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