Liver Health in the Western World
Written by: Abi Fernandini
We care a lot about heart health and brain health. These two organs make the news daily, with organizations raising awareness all over the western hemisphere. I wish the liver had the same publicists as the heart and the brain.
Truth About the Liver + Western Lifestyle
It’s estimated that about 20% of the world will develop gallstones at some point in their lifetime. And which population is developing the most gallstones? You guessed it: Western civilizations.
I made some connections when my grandpa had his gallbladder removed after multiple gallstone attacks.
Oftentimes disease occurs from an obstruction. And from that obstruction, disease takes a path to toxicity that is followed by deficiency.
Let’s Backtrack: What does the Liver Do?
The liver arguably has one of the most important jobs in the body and without liver health, all other organs suffer.
It purifies. It detoxes.
It has direct ties to the lymphatic system.
It is responsible synthesizing cholesterol, breaking down fats and proteins, purifying the blood, all while simultaneously removing the following from the body:
Cytotoxic drugs
Anabolic steroids
Alcohol
Fungi
Air pollutants
Excess fat
Heavy metals
Endotoxins
Excess protein
Pesticides
Toxic beauty products
Food preservatives
Pharmaceuticals
Fast food
Bad oils
Old cells
It’s the heavyweight champion of your body and the largest organ/gland weighing up to 3 pounds.
Those Who Diss “Detoxing”
The liver’s job has also become harder than ever with new toxins filling our products, water, and air everyday.
So when people criticize the notion of “detoxing” by claiming that the liver already does it for us, it seems ironic. It seems a bit out of touch with our present situation.
At one point in time, were our bodies more equipped to handle environmental stressors? Certainly. But now claiming that we don’t need to cleanse the liver because it takes care of itself, is like saying we don’t need to exercise because our bodies burn calories already. And now seeing more diseases of the liver than ever before, such as cirrhosis and fatty liver disease, this notion is only reconfirmed.
When We See Gallstones & Sludge
There is a theory that if many went to go “check up” on their livers, physicians wouldn’t find anything on the ultrasound.
This is supposedly because non-calcified gallstones and gall-sludge rarely would ever show up. The ultrasounds are much better at detecting already calcified gallstones, which is correlated to cirrhosis (scarred liver).
Where’s the prevention in that?
Another easy way to detect a slow liver is when a blood panel reads that liver enzymes (such as GGT and ALP) are high. That can say alot.
Regardless, if your life consists of mediocre food, poor quality water, haircare, skincare, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals- there is a good chance that your liver could use some TLC.
The body is brilliant and contrary to popular belief, it does not make mistakes. It is not a machine ready to malfunction like we have been made to believe. It has all of these backup mechanisms in place when it begins to become overburdened.
The “Mystery” of Gallstones
Many experts claim, “Gallstones are thought to develop because of an imbalance in the chemical make-up of bile inside the gallbladder. In most cases the levels of cholesterol in bile become too high and the excess cholesterol forms into stones.” - NHS
One of the key phrases in that quote is an “imbalance in the chemical makeup of bile” occurs. Well, why does the chemical change occur?
It seems that the answer lies in toxicity.
And yet only naturopathic and functional medicine practitioners address the lifestyle factors that compound for these eventual outcomes.
Conventional doctors opt for the $24,000 gallbladder surgery.
The truth is it seems as though the liver begins to produce these stones when it is looking for a way to rid the body of excess toxins and it has nowhere else to turn.
What gallstones contain also says a lot.
There can be bacteria, heavy metals, pharmaceutical traces, toxins, and even parasites found- all neatly collected into a stone ready to be excreted.
The caveat? When we help the liver, it can get rid of these stones on its own. No surgery needed.
When Liver Toxicity is Not Addressed
You can listen intuitively to your body and know when your liver is stressed. Some may experience it with high inflammation the following day after only having a small amount of alcohol. Some women will see it with horrible PMS symptoms and the inability to have a bowel movement the days leading up to their cycle. This means the liver may not be excreting estrogen efficiently.
Gut Imbalances + The Liver
Some can feel it with gut imbalances. Bile is supposed to wash up into the intestines to act as a cleanser, especially for any remnants of food.
But, when there is some form of obstruction, it can make it much more challenging for bile to wash up into the intestines to cleanse the gut.
Food remnants are then left to putrefy in the gut, and the body is forced to summon bacteria to come in and do the job that the liver was unable to complete, leading to bacterial overgrowth.
What do we do then? Get prescribed an antibiotic. For the very mechanism that was activated to avoid toxicity.
The same can be said for other acid reflux symptoms such as GERD. An imbalance in hydrochloric acid in the stomach is sometimes the auto-correction of a poor functioning liver- and what do we do?
Make the problem worse with antacids.
How Toxicity Leads to Deficiency
This is a very unique concept because it helped me understand a lot about how we actually develop “deficiency” in the body. Deficiency usually stems from obstruction and toxicity. Let’s refer back to the gut. When the gut begins to see damage from the liver’s inability to cleanse, it leads to toxicity and overgrowth. Immune function may be impaired and the gut may not be able to absorb key nutrients it once was, leading to deficiency.
Deficiencies + SIBO
A good example would be SIBO (Small intestine bacterial overgrowth). As aforementioned, those with liver problems will likely experience bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.
Liver congestion = bacterial overgrowth
SIBO then contributes to major nutrient deficiencies, such as the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E & K.
“Through the complication of steatorrhea associated with fat maldigestion and malabsorption, SIBO is compli- cated by malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin A, D, and E deficiencies can all be seen in SIBO.” - Oren Zaidel and Henry C. Lin, Virginia Med
Ironically it touches on steatorrhea and fat maldigestion (by the liver & intestine).
Obstruction -> Toxicity -> Deficiency
Supporting The Liver
If you have gotten to this section of the article, then you are likely wondering, “How do I support my liver and cleanse it properly?” Well first, I would say clean up your diet.
Eat whole foods.
Drink clean water.
Avoid medication when you can.
Do yoga with twisting poses.
Find ways to lower stress levels.
Buy non-toxic beauty care.
But if you are in the process of a mindful transformation, there are a few techniques and supplements that may help!
Castor Oil Packs
Sometimes starting gently is a good idea. There are easy ways to support your liver without immediately jumping into a liver flush. One of these ways is the use of castor oil packs with a flannel.
Soak the flannel in castor oil
Placed castor oil flannel over liver area
Place warm towel on top
Option to add a heating pad or hot water bottle
Leave pack on for 45+ minutes
Remove and wipe with a towel
Castor oil has analgesic properties and is hugely beneficial for inflammation. Castor oil also is shown to help the liver move bile, promoting a cleansing process.
Milk Thistle
Again, sometimes it is a marathon and not a sprint. So supporting the liver with supplements can kick start the process before you are ready to dive in head first into a liver flush. Milk thistle is an incredible herb that I carry just about everywhere with me when I travel. Sometimes I will even increase my intake around the time of my period to support bile movement in the liver + gallbladder to ensure that I am excreting enough estrogen out.
Dandelion root is another herb that can help support bile production.
Liver Flush Article to Come
You can undergo liver cleanses a couple of times per year to reset and pass unwanted gallstones. I will soon post about all the specifics of proper liver cleansing, as there is a lot involved and you must ensure your colon is clean first.
*I am not a medical expert and you should always do your own research, talk to your physician, or not listen to a word I say.
About the Author: Abi Fernandini is a clinical exercise physiologist and holistic nutritionist who studies Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has worked with wide range of protocols to heal and optimize the human body, and has found herself immersed in practices that are hyper-focused on ancient medicine. Abi currently lives in Madeira Beach Florida with her chef husband and co-owners a holistic food company.
