Today I want to discuss one integral part of your body that many of us don’t truly understand and certainly take for granted every day.

Our bodies contain many different parts, all of which are designed to function in harmony with one another in an intricate and ever-changing symphony of coordinated instruments. These seemingly independent and individual parts rely upon innumerable signals which coordinate and orchestrate the functions of the body as a whole. Thus, each individual part actually depends on the others to achieve this beautiful coordination. Some of the parts of the body which seem the weakest–and perhaps are even considered the least important–are, in fact, the most necessary.

Today’s topic is one example. It is given little thought by many, but it is an amazingly intricate and multifaceted organ. Its little-known functions are performed every second of every day to maintain our bodies and provide us with the necessary cleansing of our blood, acid base balance, blood sugar levels, and even hormone production.

What is this amazing organ you might ask? For those of you who didn’t figure this one out yet, I will give you one more hint. It is the only organ in the body that can regenerate itself.

Those of you who guessed the liver, you are absolutely correct. Let’s take a look at what this truly amazing organ does to maintain our health without us giving it a single thought.

What It Is

The liver lies in the right side of the abdominal cavity below the ribs. It has a very rich blood supply. The tissue of the liver is soft and pliable. It is reddish brown in color. The liver is divided into 4 lobes, but functionally it is divided into two parts: the right and left. Each of these two parts receives its own blood supply. The liver is encased in a connective tissue covering called the peritoneum.

The liver is the largest of the body’s internal organs. It weighs about 1.8 kg (nearly 4 lbs.). This amazingly complex organ controls more than 500 chemical reactions. It also manufactures and stores substances that are critical in sustaining your life.

The cells of the liver are called hepatocytes. These cells produce a substance called bile. Bile is secreted into the small intestines. It helps to emulsify or break down fat that is ingested. Excess bile is stored in the gall bladder. This bladder bag is located on the underside of the liver. Its purpose is to store and concentrate the bile until it is needed.

What it does

Here are just a few of the chemical processes and functions of the liver:

• Stores carbohydrates or sugar.
• Stores excess glucose, which is the normal fuel supply for the body. It does this by converting the glucose into a storable form of carbohydrate called glycogen. The liver then can reverse this process and convert the glycogen into glucose when there is a deficiency or a high demand for extra energy.
• Breaks down the components of proteins called amino acids. It then discards these products through the urine in the form of substance called urea.
• Detoxifies all of the blood.
• Coverts fat to energy when needed. When there are insufficient carbohydrates in the body or stored in the liver, the liver will begin to break down fat in the body and convert it into a usable energy source called ketones. The ketogenic diet uses this function of the liver to break down fat in the body and utilize it for energy.
• Produces necessary cholesterol. Another interesting function of the liver is the production of cholesterol. Now I know, cholesterol has been given an extremely bad rap over the last several years, however cholesterol is necessary for the production of bile, vitamin D, and other hormones like cortisol, and progesterone.
• Stores vitamins and minerals, such as iron, and copper as well as vitamins B12 and D. These reserves of vitamins and minerals can then be used later when they are needed.
• Breaks down old blood cells. Some of these breakdown products are used to make bile pigments. The liver also produces clotting factors for the blood such as prothrombin and heparin.
• Breaks down toxic substances such as alcohol.

Trouble

Overloading the detoxification process can occur when the liver’s ability to clear toxic substances is outpaced by the influx into the body. This is  what happens with such things as drug abuse or alcoholism. In that case, the liver begins to break down, and the normally pliable and highly metabolic liver cells begin to become fibrotic and form scar tissue in the liver.

This condition is called cirrhosis. We often relate the term cirrhosis of the liver to alcoholism solely, however one of the most common causes of cirrhosis is fatty liver. If you have ever had a CAT scan or an ultrasound of the abdomen, and the report read that there was “fatty liver disease” or “steatosis” present, you have this condition. This commonly occurs in individuals today due to the over consumption of sugar. Therefore it can be mitigated, or at least the progression can be halted, by altering your diet and reducing the amount of simple carbohydrates (a.k.a. sugar) that you consume.

I hope that this information gives you a better understanding of the function and the importance of this amazingly intricate and important organ. Take care of your liver so your liver can take care of you.