What is the function of the liver?
The liver is our largest internal organ as well as one of our most important ones, and It’s connected to every part of our body making it so important to look after especially in Liver Cancer Awareness Month. When we think of the liver, we often think of its function of removing toxins and harmful substances. In addition to filtration and detoxification, the liver also plays a large role in digestion and metabolism, protein synthesis, and storage of vitamins and minerals. The function of the liver is also to process the blood that leaves the stomach and intestines. Once it does, the liver breaks it down and creates the nutrients for the rest of the body to benefit from. It produces bile to help with digestion, processes drugs/alcohol/hormones, and stores vitamins and minerals.
Supporting your Liver Function In Liver Cancer Awareness Month
When the liver isn’t functioning optimally, excess hormones and toxins build up in the body. This can cause hormone imbalances, as well as other symptoms. Since the liver is such a crucial organ, it is important that we can take care of it. In addition to lifestyle modifications and parameters, we can get laboratory results to further assess liver function.
Lifestyle modifications to support liver health
- -Eating cruciferous vegetables because they help bind excess hormones and toxins in the body.
- -Staying hydrated! Aim for 1/2 oz of water per pound of body weight
- -Eliminating/reducing high-fructose corn syrup, food colorings, additives, and preservatives as much as possible
- -Maintaining a healthy diet (includes healthy fiber intake and healthy fats
- -Limiting/reducing alcohol
- -Minimizing over the counter medication use )(like ibuprofen and acetaminophen), reducing and eliminating trans-fats such as fast food, limit toxic exposure and heavy metals as much as possible, exercise,
- -Incorporating dandelion tea or burdock into your diet
- -Incorporating movement and exercise daily
- -Optimizing Vitamin D levels
At-Home liver function test from Allergy Test
In addition to lifestyle and nutrition modification to support the liver, there is also a simple, quick, and inexpensive way to monitor liver health from the comfort of our own homes. We offer a rapid liver function test that measures 11 parameters from a quick urine sample. Results take between 2-4 minutes. This test has greater than >97% reproducible results.
- Results do not give a medical diagnosis on their own but can be used as a prompt to follow up with your licensed medical provider for further examination and testing to help form a diagnosis or rule out a condition.
There’s no better time to support our liver health than now during Liver Awareness Health. Shop our Liver Function Test here!