Liver
Liver Congestion, Detoxification and Support
Using Natural Medicines
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY:
“ID” means Once per Day
“BID” means Twice per Day
“TID” means Three Times per Day
“QID” means Four Times per Day
A strong, clean, healthy liver is vital for overall good health. It has several essential functions:
Detoxification: Your liver is responsible for breaking down and packaging up toxins for transport out of your body. Toxins can come from numerous sources. Even medicines produce toxins when they eventually break down, as all medicines do. This is especially true of all prescription medicines. If your liver is not functioning at top capacity, then a build-up of toxins will eventually occur, escalating to dangerous levels. The first sign of toxin build-up is usually headaches and nausea. Eventually your skin will become dull, like death is approaching. The “light” of good health will no longer shine. If your liver cannot keep pace at removing toxins and your toxin load begins to enlarge too high, you will become very ill and feel horrible. You could even die.
Regulation of Glucose and Glycogen Storage (Gluconeogenesis): Gluconeogenesis is a biological pathway of converting food into glucose. This occurs primarily in the liver and, to a lesser extent, in the cortex of the kidneys. Glucose is needed for energy production and is the only energy fuel source for brain function. Excess glucose is converted into glycogen. Your liver can store up to 24 hours worth of glycogen, which can be readily converted back into glucose during long breaks between meals. Excess glycogen is converted into triglycerides for long term fuel storage (fat). Fasting and/dieting will cause adipose cells (fat cells) to release triglycerides back into the blood stream. Your liver will convert those triglycerides back into glucose for energy. This is a critical step in weight loss. If your liver is sluggish and falls short of converting either triglycerides or glycogen into glucose in times of famine or fasting, all of your brain functions could be compromised. The cognitive centers of your brain will be starving for glucose. You will feel like you cannot think clearly. The motor centers of your brain functions will be dis-regulated and you may begin to stumble when you walk. Your liver is responsible for keeping all of this in check.
Protein Production: Some proteins are “essential” and others are “non-essential.” Non-essential proteins (amino acids) can be manufactured by your liver when those amino acids were not present in the food you consumed. This occurs primarily inside your liver. Proteins are essential for the production of red blood cells, plasma and hormones, to name just a few essential components for life. Imagine life without hormones. Your liver is also responsible for decomposition of old red blood cells that need to be replaced.
These are only a few of the many vital functions of your liver. In essence, next to your obviously important brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys, your liver is equally important.
Milk thistle is well known for its ability to heal the liver. (Buyer Beware! See my section in index under “Purity” and/or “Quality.”) What I recommend to my patients is a product made by Metagenics called “Silymarin 80.” It is pure Milk Thistle that was correctly processed to provide a guaranteed potency level of its active ingredient.
If your liver have become overburdened with toxins, you will need to assist your liver in removing that toxic load. Metagenics also makes a product called “UltraClear Renew,” which is what I recommend to my patients, sick with too many toxins stuck in their bodies.
Educational Medical Considerations for Liver Support:
Click on “Visit our Online Store”
Click on “Metagenics”
Click on “Health Categories” (under picture)
Category: “Metabolic Detoxification”
Educational Suggestions:
1) Silymarin 80: 1 tablet TID, 45 minutes before consumption of food.
Educational Medical Considerations for Liver Detoxification:
Click on “Visit our Online Store”
Click on “Metagenics”
Click on “Health Categories” (under picture)
Category: “Metabolic Detoxification”
Educational Suggestions:
1) UltraClear RENEW: Use BID. Shake canister before scooping. Add 2 level scoops into 8 ounces of chilled water or juice. Sensitive individuals may need to begin with one-half to 1 scoop and eventually build up to 2 scoops over the following 3 – 4 days.