What Does The Liver Do?
The liver is the largest organ in the body that is located right beneath the rib cage and weighs 3 lbs.
The most well-known function of the liver is detoxification, though its other essential role is nutrient digestion, assembly, storage and recycling. The liver puts together essential components, such as genes, hormones and enzymes, from the nutrients coming from our digestive tract. It is the organ, through which every substance that comes into the body, goes through, from poisonous arsenic to vitamins. The liver, like a guard post, determines where each of those will go.
The liver has at least 50 various functions, such as:
- Detoxifies drugs and other toxins.
- Aids digestion of sugars and stores them.
- Produces and removes cholesterol from the blood.
- Controls fat digestion; produces bile that emulsifies fat (=breaks it down into small particles and disperses it in water, so our body can absorb them).
- Recycles and manufactures most proteins and many amino acids (components of proteins).
- Stores vitamins D, E, A, K, B12, folate, as well as iron and copper.
- Removes ammonia (a toxic by-product of protein digestion) from blood and converts it into urea.
- Makes important nitrogenous compounds for DNA and RNA (those make our chromosomes).
- Stores hemoglobin, oxygen-carrying compound of blood cells.
- Destroys and deactivates unnecessary or redundant hormones.
- Participates in the formation of lymph, thus being essential for a healthy immune system.
- Produces many enzymes important for digestion.
When the liver is unwell, it will have an impact on both the ability of the body to self-cleanse and on your digestive system, as well as the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and create new cells.
What is Liver Disease?
Liver disease is a generic term that describes various liver diseases and issues. However, despite a variety of terms, the symptoms and progression of those are fairly similar.
STAGE 1: Liver Intoxication. The liver becomes overloaded with chemicals and other toxins. At this stage, most people do not feel any pain in the liver. However, they may experience various symptoms, such as:
- Frequent nausea and vomiting
- Constant Bloating
- Difficulty digesting fats
- Light-colored or white stool
- Excess mucous production in sinuses
- Acne or skin rashes, itchy skin
- Poor sleep, particularly regularly waking up between 1-3 a.m.
- Palms turn read
- Dark urine
- Yellowish skin or eyes
- Diagnosed with fatty liver disease
There may be additional symptoms that are of a more generic character, such as:
- Lack of appetite
- Mental fog, confusion, memory getting less sharp, difficulty concentrating
- Chronic fatigue
- Get easily bruised
- Swelling in legs or ankles
- You regularly get chills
- Dry eyes and mouth
STAGE 2: Liver Inflammation (=Hepatitis)
At this stage you may start feeling pain in the upper right side of your abdomen, the liver area may feel hard and enlarged at palpation, and even stick out of the ribs.
Inflammation is a healing mechanism in the body, but if it is prolonged for a period of time, it changes liver structure, slows down blood circulation and causes the death of liver cells (necrosis). This stage is critical to address, because the following stages of liver disease may be irreversible.
STAGE 3: Liver Scarring (=Fibrosis)
As the body recovers from inflammation, it starts forming scars. Scars replace healthy liver tissue, but unfortunately, as a result, the liver stops being able to function properly.
STAGE 4: Cirrhosis
Severe scarring of the liver. It shrinks and becomes lumpy. It is a serious disease that may eventually lead to liver cancer and failure.
Smoking Toxins Effect on the Liver
Smoking yields chemicals which increase liver cells inflammation, necrosis (cell death) and fibrosis (scarring).
Liver Toxic Overload
Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mix of more than 7,000 chemicals, and at least 70 of them are carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Since the liver is our main toxins filter, those overwhelm may negatively impact its health, as well as the health of other body organs.
Cigarette contains:
- Benzene
- Formaldehyde
- Pesticides
- N-Nitrosamines (most potent carcinogens present in smokeless tobacco)
- Vinyl Chloride
- Heavy metals: arsenic, cadmium
- Radioactive elements: lead, polonium
- Ammonia
- Carbon monoxide – present in car exhaust and lethal in very large amounts
- Hydrogen Cyanide – was used to kill people in the gas chambers in Nazi Germany during World War II
- Nicotine
Increased Liver Inflammation
Smoking increases the production of inflammation-inducing cells (pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α)) that are involved in liver cell injury.
Apoptosis (=process of programmed cell death)
The body is using it to rid the body of cells that have been damaged beyond repair.
Smoking is a leading cause in the premature death of both red and white blood cells. One of the signs of large amounts of damaged cells is skin pigmentation (turns dark).
Fibrosis
As the body tissues break down, the liver attempts to mend them and starts creating scars, which are dead tissue that replaces the damaged cells but cannot fulfill their function.
Decreasing Immunity
The liver is greatly contributing to our immunity, in fact, 30% of our liver cells are dedicated to this function. Smoking harms the immune system and makes the body less effective at fighting disease. Our immune system works to fight everything from cold and flu viruses to serious conditions such as cancer. As a result, it may aggravate:
- Viral and bacterial infections, especially of the lungs (pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis)
- Periodontal or gum disease
- Bacterial meningitis (brain inflammation)
- Post-surgery infections
- Crohn’s disease
- New evidence finds that smoking is a major cause of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Smoking affects our immune responses and blocks and damages white blood cells.
- It also may contribute to the development of blood cancer, increased red blood cell mass increase and turnover, iron overload disease putting stress on liver cells, and excessive production of uric acid.
Oncogenic (cancer causing) effects
Smoking yields chemicals that increase the risk of liver.
Tobacco smoking has been associated with suppression of a tumour suppressor gene, called p53.
Smoking causes suppression of T-cell responses and is associated with decreased surveillance for tumour cells.
Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty liver is exactly what its name describes – fat accumulation in the liver. It is a silent epidemic disease, affecting 30-50% of the population. Often, there are no symptoms initially, but once the liver reaches the inflammation stage, people may experience pain and swelling in the upper right side of the abdomen. Initially, the fatty liver does not cause visible problems. However, if unnoticed and unaddressed, it may lead to liver scarring (fibrosis), cirrhosis, failure and cancer – just like any liver disease.
Why does the body deposit fat?
Fat deposits are the body’s protective mechanism when dealing with toxins. When there is an excess of nutrients, our body will convert them into glycogen and will store them in the liver, or will eliminate them. However, when there are foods that our body is not designed to process, it will store them as fat in adipose tissue (= body fat cells), in various organs, and, finally, in the liver itself. Whenever there is fat present in the liver, there is usually fat in other cells and organs, too.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This type of disease (NAFLD) affects 30-35% of Canadians and Americans, including 10% of children. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This type of disease (NAFLD) affects 30-35% of Canadians and Americans, including 10% of children.
Main Causes and Contributing Factors of Fatty Liver Disease:
- Alcohol
- Obesity
- Diabetes Type II
- Fried Foods
- Barbecued Foods
- Chemicals, from medications to food colouring and preservatives
- Negative emotions
Fatty Liver and Nutrition
Some of the most contributing factors to fat formation in the liver are:
Fatty foods: especially harmful are foods that are deep fried, such as French fries, and barbecued foods. Our body simply does not know what to do with this fat, and due to its sticky nature, it is very hard to process.
FRENCH FRIES
“Even after just a month of consistently eating fatty foods from fast food restaurants, there are significant changes in your liver. Fried foods do not just impact your cholesterol and waistline. The changes in the liver enzymes as being surprisingly similar to the damage that is seen by hepatitis, which can ultimately lead to liver failure.”
PROCESSED MEATS
“The study found that people who consumed the highest amounts of red and processed meats had nearly a 50 percent increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and more than a 50 percent higher risk of developing insulin resistance. The researchers also looked at how the meat was cooked. They found that cooking meat at high temperatures for a long time — such as grilling, broiling or frying — was associated with about double the risk of insulin resistance.”
BARBECUED FOODS
“Compounds formed when food high in protein and fat is cooked at high temperatures – such as barbecued meats – could be a key factor in the progression of liver disease, a Melbourne researcher has found.
Chris Leung, a liver specialist at the Austin Hospital, found that a diet high in the compounds – known as advanced glycosylation end-products – accelerated liver inflammation and scarring in animal studies.
A high number of compounds are created when protein and fats react to sugars at high heat, for example when barbecuing or caramelizing meat. Boiling or steaming foods results in low levels of these compounds, which can also be avoided by eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
Dr. Leung said that fatty liver disease was a ”silent epidemic”, affecting between 30 and 50 percent of the population. The incidence rose to up to 70 percent for patients with diabetes and high cholesterol.”
FOOD COLOURING
Research has shown food colouring caused necrosis or damage to a rat’s liver tissue. In 2010, The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) published a comprehensive report called “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks,” which addresses the risks of each of the nine commonly used synthetic food colours. At least three of them have been found to have a direct impact on the liver: Citrus Red #2, FD&C Green #3 and FD&C # 6:
Another thing to consider about dyes is that they may permanently colour our cells and organs, including the liver. While research still has not estimated the impact, knowing that hair dyes may cause severe damage to our hair follicles, we can anticipate some potentially serious consequences here, too.
Citrus Red #2 – In one study from 1966 quoted by this CSPI report, mice fed Citrus Red #2 experienced increased mortality and females showed degeneration of the liver after a relatively short period of time.
Sirius red staining in rat liver, where the red colour indicates collagen deposition
FD&C Green #3 – In a 1977 study quoted by the CSPI report, FD&C Green #3 at high dosages yielded several pathological changes in animals. One of those changes includes an increased risk of developing liver neoplastic nodules. Neoplastic nodules in the liver represent abnormal tissue growth, a likely predecessor of cancerous tumours. Green #3 is not a common food dye, but it is occasionally used in blue-green coloured candy and sports drinks. Before choosing a sweet treat with a glaringly unnatural aquamarine hue, consider switching to ice cream made from whole food ingredients or better yet – opt for a fresh fruit smoothie.
FD&C Yellow #6 – Casually known as Sunset Yellow, FD&C Yellow #6 was also discussed in the CSPI report. A 1981 study by the National Toxicity Program found that low doses of FD&C Yellow #6 were associated with a significantly higher incidence of liver cancer in male mice compared to controls. Sunset Yellow is a common colourant and is found in many processed foods such as Orange Crush, Doritos and M&Ms. To protect your liver from the potential implications of Sunset Yellow, health experts suggest the following types of swaps: replace Orange Crush with seltzer water containing a squeeze from an organic orange; replace Doritos with freshly popped organic popcorn; and replace M&Ms with a square of dark chocolate. Yellow foods that do not contain synthetic yellows may be coloured naturally with turmeric or golden paprika extract.
FOOD PRESERVATIVES
A number of chemicals have been approved as food additives to improve the appearance, taste and stability of food products. This approval is part of the responsibilities of regulatory bodies, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Europe and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. Those chemicals include food colourings, preservatives, acidity regulators and antioxidants, emulsifiers and stabilizers, anti-caking agents, flavour enhancers, glazing agents and others.
Many of the scientific opinions released by EFSA rely on data collected from animal studies and in most cases those studies evaluate each chemical individually. Therefore, the continued widespread use of these chemicals provides a source of essential data for the permanent evaluation of the actual safety of food additives for human consumption. In particular, the long-term use of some food additives has been correlated with the development of bile flow blockages in laboratory animals.
Harmful preservatives harmful to the liver include:
- Propyl Gallate – used in meat products, pickles, sauces and chewing gum. May cause liver damage.
- Brominated oils – used to preserve bottled juice. Increases fatty deposits in your liver.
- Sodium Benzoate, or benzoic acid – used to prevent bacterial growth in foods, such as margarine, codfish, bottled soft drinks, maraschino cherries, pickles, fruit jellies and jams. Animal studies reveal that high doses may cause damage to the liver and other organs, nausea and vomiting.
DRUG-INDUCED LIVER INJURY (DILI)
The body must process drugs to be able to use and eliminate them. Most of this processing occurs in the liver, done by liver enzymes. Many drugs can affect the way the liver functions, damage it, or do both. Ex.
Statins (used to treat high cholesterol), can increase the levels of liver enzymes and cause liver damage.
Acetaminophen poisoning is one of the most common causes of the sudden appearance of jaundice and liver failure.
EMOTIONS AND LIVER
The liver was called the seat of anger by the ancients. And this is the primary emotion associated with the liver. You may have heard the words choleric (yellow bile) and melancholic (means black bile), which describe two extremes of temperament:
Choleric – someone who is very driven, purposeful, yet can be controlling, abrupt and getting angry easily.
Melancholic – someone who tries to please others and is very sensitive to their feelings, and in order not to go into a conflict, accumulates emotions inside, which over time may become very toxic.
Both extremes of the two: explosive anger and suppressed anger can affect our liver health.
One of our guests came with a history of deep childhood trauma, which she had difficulty dealing with. She was not aware of the impact that anger and rage did to her health. The major issue she was suffering from was “unexplained” inflammation of the biliary tract, which caused her intense chronic pain in the liver area. What happens when a person experiences such intense emotion, like anger, is that liver starts producing very toxic free radicals, sort of like bleach. That “bleach” may spill into any organ and cause damage to various health issues, in this particular case it happened to be liver ducts.
How Can Fresh Start’s Quit Smoking Retreat Help You, If You Suffer With Liver Disease?
LIVER CLEANSE:
Stop Smoking program.
Advanced digestive and liver cleanse – in order for the liver to start functioning normally, we need to first lower its toxic load. We use various flush drinks, herbal formulas, as well as binding toxins formulas, to do it quickly and effectively.
LIVER SUPPORT AND BALANCING:
Liver Support Formulas – we use various juices, drinks and supplements, including milk thistle, dandelion juice and herbs, to support liver function.
Coffee Colonics (optional, but highly suggested) – while it may seem like a weird way to drink your morning cup, coffee is a powerful liver detoxifier when taken rectally. It is not the same as drinking coffee. It makes liver bile ducts open and releases toxins into the intestinal tract for elimination, plus increases the production of glutathione peroxidase – the liver’s primary anti-oxidant by 700 times. This is especially important during the detox. Coffee colonics have been used successfully to treat various cancers and provide support to the liver when eliminating large volumes of toxins by Dr. Max Gerson, M.D.
LIVER RESTORATION:
Anti-Inflammatory Diet – our meals consist of high-quality organic vegan meals. It is gluten and lactose-free and contains abundant minerals, which are essential for liver regeneration.
Focus on Digestive System Function optimization – we use multiple components, from probiotics, to fermented foods and lemon water, to assist our digestion in enhancing its ability to absorb nutrients. Nutrients are what our body restores the liver with.
Nightly Rest – we eat very light suppers, to let the digestive system gets rest. This further helps liver regeneration.
EMOTIONAL WORK:
They say that emotions affect our liver health more than anything else. During your stay, you’ll be able to address your emotional issues in one-on-one sessions.
LIFESTYLE EDUCATION:
If you want to have a healthy liver, the diet cannot be ignored. During your stay, you will get a comprehensive education on how your body functions, what you need to eat in order to keep your liver healthy, and how to start transforming your nutrition and exercise routines.
