Most people have a pretty firm grasp on one of the functions of the liver – it helps process alcohol. But do you know how many other functions it performs in the body?
- Produces bile– bile is produced by hepatocytes (the cells of the liver) to help break down fat. If it’s not needed immediately, it goes to the gallbladder to be stored for the next time you’re eating a fatty meal.
- Stores and metabolizes fat soluble vitamins– These are vitamins A, D, E and K and thanks to the liver they are either stored for when you need them or metabolized into their active forms. They are carried to the liver with the help of cholesterol- which is also produced by the liver.
- Metabolizes drugs– Drugs require the liver to perform two phases of metabolism (cleverly named phase I and phase II). This process typically inactivates drugs and allows us to eliminate them, however in some cases it actually produces active components so the drug can perform its intended function in the body. The goal of this metabolism is to help make drugs easier for our body to excrete.
- Stores and releases glucose – When you eat a big meal, your body takes what it needs to use and will store the rest as either glycogen or triglycerides. Therefore, in a time where you need energy, but do not have food readily available, your body will have a store of energy to regulate your body’s needs.
- Manages hormones – Your liver plays a huge role in managing thyroid hormones, reproductive hormones, adrenal stress hormones and regulating blood sugar in your body. Dr. Christianson gives a great analogy in his book The Metabolism Reset Dietwhen he says “Most hormones are made in an inactive state in amounts way above what you need, so that your liver can sort out the details. Imagine that your body is trying to collapse a tunnel in a mountain. It brings lots of dynamite, but your liver lights the sticks after it decides how many sticks to use.”
- Fights infections with its immune factors– There are many immune factors in the liver that help the body respond to an acute attack and others that help it make a more specific attack against the invading organism.
- Metabolizes bilirubin– Bilirubin is the breakdown product of red blood cells. The liver performs a process called “conjugation” which transforms the bilirubin into a form that it can be secreted into the bile and eliminated from the body. When this function cannot happen it causes a build-up of bilirubin and can lead to jaundice (yellowing of the skin).
And this isn’t all! Your liver is truly amazing and that’s why keeping it healthy is so important. Stay tuned for more information this month on detoxing and learning how it influences the liver.
REFERENCES:
Christianson, D. A. (2019). Metabolism Reset Diet: Repair your liver, stop storing fat and lose weight naturally. Place of publication not identified: HAY House UK.
Jakab, L. (2015). The Liver and the Immune System. Orvosi Hetilap,156(30), 1203-1213.doi:10.1556/650.2015.30190
Kalra A, Tuma F. Physiology, Liver. [Updated 2018 Dec 18]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535438/
Le, J. (2017, November). Drug Metabolism – Clinical Pharmacology. Retrieved from https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/clinicalpharmacology/pharmacokinetics/drug-metabolism
Stanford Children’s Health – Anatomy and Function of the Liver. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=anatomy-and-function-of-theliver-90-P03069