The liver and bowel

The liver and bowel

Of all the organs associated with the digestive system the liver is the most important. This is partly because it supplies bile, but also all venous blood from the stomach and intestines drains through the hepatic portal vein into the liver before it is returned to the heart for distribution to all other organs and tissues in the body. That is, all absorbed nutrients from the gut, with the exception of those, which pass directly into the lymph, are transported in the first instance to the liver. Many of them undergo some processing in the liver before being released to other cells. In fact for many absorbed nutrients this liver processing is essential. Therefore any dysfunction of the liver interferes with the supply of nutrients from the digestive system to the body.

Everybody knows that when they abuse their livers their health will suffer. The expression “feeling liverish” clearly demonstrates that people have been making the connection for generations. If you’re feeling cranky, irritable and nauseous then chances are that your liver is functioning under-par. Other symptoms of liver dysfunction range from flatulence, meteorism (distention of the abdomen), headaches, fluid retention and constipation-all the way through to jaundice and cirrhosis. Therefore people need to understand that if they take care of their liver, they will solve a lot of their health problems, because the liver is where it all happens. It performs some 22 functions. Our current lifestyle, environmental pollution, nutrient-deficiencies, over-processed and chemically contaminated foods quickly accelerates the damage to our liver and places a enormous stresses on our liver and its functions.

When a person’s liver is not healthy they cannot handle animal proteins. The subsequent deficiency then creates more health problems which cause a domino effect where one body system after another starts to malfunction. We have bred a ‘liverish’ population of non-breakfast eaters who ate lethargic and fuzzy headed in the morning and take to mid-morning for the metabolism to kick in and we start feeling more human.

Adults, of course, rely more and more on coffee with sugar in it, and cigarettes to stimulate themselves, but unfortunately it usually has the opposite effect, a short term pick-me-up and then tends to drop you twice as much.

Functions of the liver

Formation of bile

  • Carbohydrate storage
  • Carbohydrate metabolism
  • Hormone metabolism
  • Detoxification
  • Phagocytosis
  • Plasma protein synthesis
  • Urea formation
  • Fat metabolism

Liver Regeneration requires

  • Methionine
  • Choline
  • Inositol
  • Lysine
  • Vitamin C
  • Bioflavonoid
  • Taurine
  • Supergreens

Herbs and vegetables that beneficial to the liver.

  • St. Mary’s Thistle, (Milk Thisle, Silybum Marianum)
  • Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale)
  • Curles Dock (rumex crispus)
  • St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum)
  • Chicory (Excess of bile)
  • Vervain (verbena Officinalis)
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Spinach and green leafy vegetables

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Chris Tompson

Chris Tompson