The liver is the largest organ in the human body. Its main job is to filter the blood that comes from the digestive tract before it is passed to the rest of the body. Every minute, it receives about 30% of the blood that circulates through your body, making it the hardest working organ. There is always a risk that there are toxins in your liver.
Having a healthy diet will help your liver. Despite the liver being able to break down most chemicals in the bloodstream, it can be damaged because of them. Constant exposure to harmful chemicals can put your liver in harm’s way.
Because your liver’s sole job is to convert toxins into healthy waste, it’s important to realize when those toxins are not converted. The following are signs that your liver could be full of toxins.
Pain In Your Liver: The first direct sign that your liver is full of toxins is a pain in that general area. The liver is located on the upper right portion of your abdomen, under your stomach and beneath your diaphragm. As you can see, it is extremely large. The pain that you will feel can be compared to a dull pain. However, depending on how much toxin is in it, the pain can become unbearable. Remember, if your liver is suffering from a disease, it cannot operate properly. So it sends out warning signs that it is full of toxins.
Your Ankles and Legs Will Swell: The worst thing you can do is ignore your liver issues. If you do this, your liver will be forced to try and repair itself by forming scar tissue. Increased scar tissue makes it extremely tough for the liver to function properly. This will eventually lead to portal hypertension. Portal hypertension is the increased blood pressure within the portal veins. This will cause fluids to pile up in your legs. The swelling is painless, but it is a direct sign that your liver may be overloading with toxins.
Weight Gain: This can be an easy sign to notice, especially if you live a healthy and active life. If you exercise on a daily basis and have a healthy diet, weight gain should be a red flag for you. If you notice that you’re gaining weight, and it’s not from overeating or a hormonal imbalance, go see your doctor. When the liver is unable to deal with all the toxins coming through, it has to store the unfiltered toxins in fat cells. The only way to start losing weight again is if you help clean out your liver.
Allergies: In a lot of cases, your liver being overloaded can cause an allergic reaction. The reason is that there are too many substances entering the bloodstream, and the brain will recognize them as allergens. The brain will immediately release antibodies and chemicals that cause itchy rashes. However, if your liver is healthy, it will clear away any potential harmful allergens.
Yellow Eyes and Skin: Unless you were born with yellow eyes and skin, this sign is an immediate red flag that there is something wrong with your liver. Unnatural yellow eyes and skin mean you’re suffering from jaundice. It’s not an illness but it’s a symptom that your liver is damaged. Jaundice usually occurs when the liver allows the system to accumulate high amounts of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that is created by the breakdown of dead red blood cells in the liver. So when the liver is unable to get rid of bilirubin and the red blood cells, you turn yellow!
Chronic Fatigue: This is no normal fatigue. If you have been suffering from constant fatigue for at least 6 months, you could be diagnosed with chronic fatigue. The whole reason why you’re chronically fatigued is that your liver has become toxic. Your liver is one of the main organs that contribute energy to the body. One of its tasks is to turn glucose into glycogen and to store it away. If you have a healthy liver, it will release glucose whenever your body needs energy. A toxic liver can barely produce any glucose and will have little to no space to store it.
Now that you’re aware of how dangerous a toxic liver can be, it’s time to care for it. You can start by refraining from consuming large amounts of alcohol. Alcohol can severely damage your liver cells which can lead to scarring and swelling. In some cases, this can lead to cirrhosis, which can be deadly! Your liver will also thank you if you exercise and eat healthily. Your liver is already the hardest working organ in the body, give it a break and feed it healthy nutrients.
Another way to protect your liver is to be careful when taking supplements. Certain supplements will tell you that they will restore your liver. This includes milk thistle seed and chanca piedra. There is currently no strong supporting evidence to back up these claims.
