Has your liver had a hammering this summer?

Your liver is your body’s second largest organ - shouldn’t you know more about what it does for you and how to help it be the best filter outside of photo editing?

It’s a fascinating organ, with an immense capacity for regenerating itself. Here are just some of the things your liver does:

- Stores excess glucose from sugars and other carbohydrates a (as a reservoir regulate blood sugar between meals)

- Breaks down proteins into usable energy

- Removes potentially toxic substances before they can reach the rest of the body (environmental chemicals, alcohol, caffeine, pharmaceutical medications, and some of the body’s own hormones).

- Stores fat-soluble vitamins such as : A, E, D, K, B12, plus iron and copper

- Acts as part of the immune system, to capture and “digest” bacteria, fungi, parasites, old blood cells and other debris

- Hormones are detoxified here also

The following are some signs that your Liver may be struggling to perform its job:

• Lower tolerance of alcohol

• Sensitivity to chemicals (tobacco smoke, fumes, perfume, cleaning agents, etc.)

• Pain between the shoulder blades

• Stomach upsets from fatty foods

• Greasy, shiny, or pale-coloured stools

• Nausea, motion sickness, or “morning sickness”

• Headache over the eyes

• Gallbladder attacks (pain)

• Bitter taste in the mouth (especially after meals)

• Pain under right side of rib cage

• Chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia

Your Liver needs certain nutrients to allow it to continue to cleanse your body. Daily essentials are: B-Vitamins (folic acid important), Vitamins A & D, Antioxidants, Glutathione, Amino acids, Sulphur (from foods).

At this time of year, it’s tempting to “detox” your liver. Should you? Not without great care, due to the potential for a dump of toxins into the bloodstream, which can then get redistributed to other places they shouldn’t, like the brain for example. At HEAL, we’re not great fans of detoxes that don’t at least come with an assessment of your needs and providing you with a safe approach to supporting your liver.

And if you’re considering this due to over-indulgence (especially in alcohol), and if this is a little more regular than you would like, we’d like to talk. We offer a non-judgemental, educational approach that respects what you want to achieve.

Love your Liver like it’s the only one you’ve got.