THE BODY'S BEST FRIEND

    The most multi-tasking organ of the body is the liver with 300 functions, including the body’s main filter and processing every form of food and drink plus chemicals absorbed by the skin.  It breaks down and distributes all components into the needy body areas and directs all waste products into the exit.  The liver emulsifies fats to be more easily absorbed in the body’s entire system.  A warehouse for sugar, another form of glucose is released into the bloodstream when needed.  Because the liver is such a large organ it is able to provide energy to all areas quickly and remains on standby at all times as each need arises.

    During special celebrations like Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, it is tempting to take too many alcoholic drinks.  At a teen-age house party last weekend one person drank too much alcohol and passed out on the kitchen floor.  A couple of other party attendants took advantage of him and poured an inflammatory on him and lit him on fire.  One of them took pictures to post some on a computer.  The Vernon Jubilee Hospital is busy trying to keep him alive and the police are now involved in the situation.

     According to Gary Levy, M.D, a hepatologist and director of the Multiorgan Transplant Center at the Toronto General Hospital Center with The Canadian Medical Association says, “Because the liver is so large it doesn’t manifest it until it is very late, and by the time specialists see patients, they may have irreversible end-stage liver disease.  Here is his advice for a healthy liver: 

* Do Not Drink Alcohol.  As little as two average-size drinks a day can contribute to liver damage.

* Avoid Unnecessary Medications.  Even over-the-counter drugs can be harmful at high doses.  Even Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be the main culprit.  Taken with alcohol, it has been known to cause liver failure.

* Do Daily Exercise.  When combined with a healthy diet, exercise helps ward off obesity, a risk factor for the disease.

*Get Tested.  When getting a regular physical exam make sure your liver is being checked for abnormalities.  Illicit drugs, piercings and tattoos from risky establishments increase the risk of viral hepatitis.  Ask your doctor about the hepatitis vaccine, if travelling out of North America.  Herbal as well as homeopathic remedies have been suggested.  Some are inconclusive but have helped a compromised liver, especially B vitamins.  Eggs and green leafy vegetables like spinach are good sources of folic acid.