by Rick Fischer
January 2023
Supporting and detoxifying your liver is essential for overall health and well-being. The liver is the primary detoxification organ in your body, and it's responsible for filtering toxins, chemicals, drugs, and other harmful substances out of your bloodstream. Beyond that well-recognized role however, the liver has numerous other important functions as well!
Did you know the liver supports production of the majority of your cholesterol (which in turn helps hormone production); it helps in the conversion of beta-carotene into retinol Vitamin A; it helps in the conversion of T4 to T3, it can help reduce blood sugar swings, makes your bile (necessary not only for detox but also for fat metabolism), stores excess blood for times when the body needs to call on an excess supply (such as during intense exercise), and metabolizes vitamins A, D, E, and K. It's therefore crucial on so many levels to support a healthy liver, along with liver detoxification.
In this article, we'll first look at some signs that your liver may be in need of some extra love, and then later on we'll offer some tips on how to support your liver.
In short, if your liver is not functioning optimally, it can lead to several health issues. Keep in mind, however, that symptoms don't always show up right away. Often it takes many years before people realize that there's some liver dysfunction occurring. Your liver can be "sluggish" even long before your liver enzymes show up as elevated. Here are some subtle signs which could be suggestive of a need to work on supporting your liver.
SIGNS YOU MAY BENEFIT FROM SOME EXTRA LIVER LOVIN'
Fatigue: if you are experiencing chronic fatigue, it may be a sign that your liver is not functioning correctly. The liver is responsible for converting food into energy, and if it's not doing its job, you may feel tired all the time. Bile stagnation (discussed more below) can also contribute to impaired energy production.
Jaundice: Jaundice is a condition that causes the skin and eyes to turn yellow. This is because the liver is not processing bilirubin - a waste product that's usually eliminated through the liver. A buildup of bilirubin can be a contributing factor to jaundice.
Abdominal Pain: If you're experiencing abdominal pain, or tenderness in the liver area, it may be a sign that your liver is inflamed. Inflammation can be caused by several factors, including viral infections, alcohol consumption, or a poor diet.
Digestive Issues: If you're experiencing digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, it may be due to liver dysfunction and/or bile stagnation. Of course, there can be other causes behind digestive distress, including mineral imbalances, Candida, low hydrochloric acid production, etc. However, in terms of the liver, the liver produces bile, which helps digest fats. If your liver is not producing enough bile, it can lead to poor digestion of fats and digestive issues.
Skin Issues: Maybe you're experiencing skin issues such as acne, eczema, or psoriasis? If so, it could be a clue that your liver is not functioning correctly. The liver is responsible for filtering toxins from the body, and if it's not doing its job, it can lead to skin issues as toxins are excreted through the skin. Keep in mind, however, that these same skin issues can also stem from compromised kidney function or, more commonly, gut dysbiosis.
Insomnia: If you find yourself frequently waking up in the middle of the night, especially between the hours of 1am-3am, this may be a sign of compromised liver function. This is the time when the liver does a lot of its heavy lifting, so to speak. If your liver has to work harder than normal, similar to hitting the gas pedal in a car while pushing the brakes at the same time, your body's engine revs higher and this disturbance can lead to disrupted sleep.
Low T3: While your thyroid gland makes a tiny amount of T3, most of the conversion of T4 into T3 occurs in the liver. A sluggish liver can therefore contribute to low T3 (again even if your liver enzymes appear "normal").
Other symptoms that sometimes can be tied to a sluggish liver include gallbladder problems, inability to digest fats, slowing metabolism and inability to lose weight, hemorrhoids, pain between the shoulder blades, or brain fog and/or poor memory.
PROBLEMS FURTHER DOWN THE LINE
If the liver is overly burdened with the bombardment of toxic metals, chemicals, pre-packaged and processed foods, medications, alcohol, etc, it's eventually not going to be working as efficiently. The liver produces bile, which then gets stored for release in the gallbladder. Bile is necessary for carrying excess copper, metals, and other toxins out of the system. Bile also plays an important role in digestion.
The proper production and flow of bile is important for good health. If bile flow becomes impaired, this leads to a condition called Cholestasis. The blockage of bile flow overtime, along with too much cholesterol, too much bilirubin, or not enough bile salts, can lead to gallstones.. People with intensive pain caused by gallstones are often led to believe they need gallbladder removal surgery. Unfortunately, this surgery (cholecystectomy) is all too commonly performed without adequate support or education given on the causes of gallstones or how to prevent future occurrences. Even without full gallstone formation, just even sluggish bile itself can contribute to many common symptoms...
...Digestive symptoms are a big one. Bile is needed to break down fats so that they can be absorbed through the digestive tract. Without bile (or with poor bile flow), this digestion of fats is impaired. Poor bile flow also impairs the flow of clean blood to the stomach. All of this can cause symptoms such as bloating, gas, cramping, diarrhea, and just a general feeling of blah and malaise.
Reducing toxic exposure and load, and supporting the liver, are primary steps to, in turn, support the health of your biliary system.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT YOUR LIVER?
Eat a healthy diet - Consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help improve liver function. Avoid processed foods, sugar, and trans fats. Make sure you also get enough fiber, since fiber supports clearing up bile which in turn helps in the elimination of toxins. Fibre helps grab on to toxic metals, assisting with their excretion. (Even if you can't get yourself to fully commit to a healthy diet long term, then at least give yourself a couple of liver vacations each year by cutting out all alcohol, caffeine, sugars, junk and processed foods, and meats for 5 to 7 days.
Stay hydrated - Drinking enough water helps the liver flush out toxins from the body. Remember to mineralize your water, and if you're drinking coffee, you'll need an extra glass of water for each coffee you drink in order to balance out the increased water loss due to coffee's diuretic effect.
Exercise regularly - Physical activity can help stimulate liver function and improve circulation, which in turn supports the elimination of toxins.
Get enough sleep - Sleep is vital for the body to repair and regenerate. It also helps to reduce stress, which is beneficial for liver health.
Avoid excessive alcohol intake and smoking - Alcohol consumption can damage the liver and hinder detoxification processes. Same too with smoking. Nicotine gets absorbed through the lungs and then metabolized in the liver, exerting several toxic effects on this organ.
Explore your copper and toxic metal status - This can be done through properly assayed hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA). Of course, a liver biopsy would be the most accurate, but who on earth wants to do that?! If you have high levels of metals, or copper toxicity (www.coppertoxic.com), be sure to support the detox of those elements with guided nutritional support, binders, sauna therapy, improved bowel motility, etc. A full list of consideration for the detox of copper toxicity is provided here.
Consider other culprits - beyond the aforementioned influence of alcohol, tobacco, and toxic metals, also be mindful that medications (even as simple as OTC pain relievers), processed foods and fast-foods, microwaved meals, certain cosmetics and fragrances, and many household cleaning products can all further take a toll on the liver.
Consider liver and bile support supplements - Certain supplements, such as milk thistle, dandelion root tea, turmeric, artichoke extract, and NAC help support the liver and liver detoxification. Bitter herbs are also wonderful as they support both the gut as well as bile flow. When you support bile flow, you're supporting drainage, which in turn helps the liver. Remember, it's not enough to just support bile production if the flow of that bile is hampered due to the bile being thick and sludgy. This is why nutrients that support bile flow are so important. Fulvic minerals and coffee enemas can both further help support the liver and gallbladder, while TUDCA is great for cholestasis and promoting healthy bile flow. Phosphatidylcholine is another critical nutrient that can be used to prevent bile from getting thick and sludgy. There are also many great liver support formulations on the market, such as Seeking Health's Liver Nutrients, or BioRay's Liver Life.
Supporting your liver and liver detoxification is crucial for overall health and well-being. By incorporating these tips into your lifestyle, you can help improve your liver function and promote optimal wellness.
About the Author: As founder of www.coppertoxic.com, Rick Fischer is at the global forefront of advancing education and support for the epidemic of copper toxicity - through clinical practice, awareness campaigns, and international research projects. Rick is also an advanced HTMA practitioner in clinical practice and through www.MineralsandHealth.com. He is also the HTMA mentor/instructor behind many of today's HTMA practitioners, dedicated to preserving the integrity of authentic HTMA, along with being the co-founder of the annual HTMA Virtual Summit. Rick's passion for increasing mineral-based health and nutritional awareness is furthered through www.MineralMastery.com, an eye-opening journey for both public and practitioners alike, and anyone wanting to improve and optimize their health with mineral-based health secrets rarely taught anywhere else.
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