Liver (liv’er)

liver (liv’er)

noun. Anat.

The largest glandular organ of vertebrates, secreting bile and active in metabolism. In man situated just under the diaphragm on the right side.
noun.

One who lives in a specified manner. ------

"To live is good. To live vividly is better. To live vividly together is best."
-Max Eastman.

Why do we need to know anything about our liver?

It is the largest internal organ in all vertebrates (a segmental spinal column qualifies you) and it is also one of the most important. The two main lobes are located just under our diaphragm on our right side, close to the scar, which may identify you as a donor to the multi-billion dollar ritual of removing gallbladders, albeit usually unnecessary.

Some of its many functions include synthesis of proteins, immune and clotting factors, and oxygen and fat-carrying substances. It is the major filter in our body and attempts to keep our blood squeaky clean. Our Creator knew we would get hooked on fat so provided us with an organ, which would secrete bile, essential for the emulsion and absorption of fat.

The liver also removes excess glucose from circulation and stores it until it is needed - sugar on demand, so-to-speak! It is a singular organ, so the fact that it can lose 75 percent of its tissue to dis-ease or surgery, continue to function and then, given the proper TLC, completely regenerate itself is a very handy feature.

In Chinese Medicine, the liver is considered to store the blood. At any given point in time, there is approximately 1500 ml (6 Cups) of blood passing through the liver for cleansing, so this observation is understandable. Simply stated, blood arrives to the liver via two sources. The Hepatic artery supplies oxygenated blood from the aorta, and the Hepatic portal vein provides venous blood from the digestive tract, pancreas and spleen. Dr. Bernard Jensen observed that the blood is only as clean as the bowel from which nutrients are supplied, and this is how our liver gets overworked.

How can we keep our liver healthy?

There are two primary methods:

Remedial via cleansing and nutrition; and
Preventative by diet and lifestyle.

It is important to realize that it is never too late to make a change and choose the potential for health over degeneration and dis-ease. We all have a vested interest in liver maintenance. Our environment has become polluted to the extent that we are all at risk. If you ever require confirmation that our air quality has suffered, just compare a space photo from the early seventies to those we see today. The Blue Planet is rapidly becoming the Hazy Grey Globe.

Remedial action.

Let’s start with the very safe assumption that we all require some. For those collectors out there, now is the time to refer to RV Times Issue ‘50 (April/May 1996) and visit my Spring House Cleaning article. My reference library has experienced growth since then and I can offer several other positive suggestions.
B Complex. Take a daily supplement and give your liver a nutrient treat. The eight "B’s" are synergistic so it is important that the source of B-Complex is balanced to match the way they are found in Nature for optimum effectiveness. Also, B-13, which is available in root vegetables, is noted as a good liver protector.
Carrot (Daucus carota). Scientists in India have found that liver cell injury from toxins can be reversed with use of carrot extracts. Carrot juices anyone?
Coffee Retention Enemas. They stimulate bile flow and cleanse both the liver and the colon.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Use the Leaves, Flowers and Roots. Steam them and eat them as a vegetable or in a salad. The flowers are a good source of lecithin, which like bile, is an excellent fat emulsifier and will help dissolve cholesterol-based gallstones. If the taste is too bitter (the sign of a good cleanser) or if your back lawn is not an organic source, a good health food store will have teas and capsules. Fresh, organic is best.
Essiac (The Original Formula) is one of the best all round liver cleansers available on the market. A full flush will take at least 6 - 8 weeks.
Eyebright (Euphrasia Officinalis) is a very nutritious herb, and as the name implies, it has a major effect on our vision. It is also a gentle liver cleanser, cools the blood and improves clarity of thought as well as sight.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Research by James A. Duke, PhD, and Stephen Beckstrom-Sternberg, PhD ginger contains eight liver-protecting compounds.
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) has a 2000-year history as a liver tonic. It is one of the best, and one of my daily herbals as DTX. The latter is a Shaklee formulation of milk thistle extract, a unique proprietary blend of with extracts of schisandra seed, reishi mushroom, tumeric, dandelion and artichoke.
Oat Straw (Avena Sativa) as a tincture is very effective for liver infections. As a tea it will help to give you healthy nails, which are nourished by our liver.
Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis). Look for the dried berries. This is especially good if you are one of the unfortunate people who have inadvertently been exposed to Hepatitis.
Selenium is an excellent nutrient to assist in Liver regeneration, especially Cirrhosis.
A Tea for Your Liver. Mix to taste a combination of licorice, dandelion, chicory, tumeric and ginger. If their flavors suit you, add in anise, caraway, celery seed, dill, clove, fennel, peppermint, rosemary and vanilla bean. Mix up a batch and store it in an airtight, glass jar for regular consumption as an herbal tea.
Many others too numerous to mention. I have selected those I consider to be the best. A key point to remember that washing without rinsing is just rearranging dirt (toxins), so lots of fresh, pure water is essential with any detoxification program we adopt into our lifestyle.

Preventative.

We stop the degeneration as our first priority, and then we must initiate the life long commitment of avoiding a recurrence of liver toxicity. Persistence is the key. A rule of thumb is that a natural course of healing will take one month for every decade of life. At 55, I’m looking at a potential 6-month program.That is a flash compared to the five years of dedication required to cure my Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). An ounce of prevention -----

Avoid Alcohol. If you enjoy an occasional drink, I suspect the enjoyment will outweigh the adverse effect. If previous excess hasn’t eliminated choice, moderation is the key and just be aware of the potential consequence. "a little bit of what we like will never hurt us" - Nevil Shute.
Avoid Drugs. Many of the Over The Counter (OTC) goodies we get programmed into sloshing into our temple are very strenuous on our liver. Some pharmaceuticals are deadly. Tylenol has been identified in England as being a major cause of liver disease, but here we feed it to babies - go figure!
Avoid Stress. Meditate, pray and exercise every day. Let go of the stresses in your life.
Diet. Eat low on the food chain, preferably Organic to avoid introducing toxins. Animals are known to accumulate toxins in their flesh, so if you have to eat meat, go for free range.
Exercise. The liver is responsible for the condition of our muscles and sinews. The use it or lose it rule applies here. Participate in regular stretching, swimming, Tai qi, yoga, walking or whatever other activity will keep you flexible.
Forgiveness. If we carry resentment toward any other being, we are aggravating our liver. If we are unable to forgive, we are unable to obtain optimum health. Arthritis and cancer are two primary ailments that are looking for a nest lined with internalized anger to lay their eggs, because it is such a fertile environment.

How Does Our Liver Impact Our Life and Vice Versa?

The insight of Chinese Medicine gives an excellent overview of liver function. It is considered to be like an army’s general from whom the strategy is derived and is also said to influence our capacity of planning our life. Indecision is an emotional sign that our liver’s paired organ, our gallbladder, is in trouble and could use a cleansing. Talk to an Acupuncturist or other Complimentary Health professional for the natural way to accomplish this task. In writing this article, I have presented a few ideas that may assist you in the repair and/or preventative maintenance of our liver, a gallbladder cleanse is a future topic.

May you all enjoy another wonderful summer of exploring the highways and byways, and have the good health to make it possible. Blue skies, smooth highways, good health and God Bless.

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