The Liver and Gallbladder

The liver is a large, reddish-brown, meaty organ which sits on the right side of the belly, under the rib cage and partly covering the stomach. It is held in place by a web-like substance called peritoneum. As the body grows from infancy to adulthood, the liver rapidly increases in size. In an average adult, the liver weighs about three pounds. It is the heaviest gland and one of the largest organs. The liver has many important functions including: the secretion of bile (a healthy liver produces about 1 quart. – 1 ½  quarts of bile daily), filtering the blood coming from the digestive track before passing it on to the rest of the body, metabolizing drugs, digesting, absorbing, and processing food, maintaining the level of glucose in the blood, synthesizing protein and bile salts, the conversion of amino acids into energy, and the storage of certain fats and vitamins. 

             The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped muscular sac that acts as a storage tank for bile. The indigestion of food (and especially fats) can cause the release of a hormone, cholecystokinin, (CCK) which in turn signals the relaxation of the valve at the end of the common bile duct (the Sphincter of Oddi) which lets the bile into the small intestine (from the gallbladder). It also signals the contraction of the gallbladder which squirts the bile into the duodenum where it helps with the emulsification or breakdown of fats in meal.

            While studying the liver and gallbladder, it’s necessary to understand all the terms used. Bile is an important one. Bile is a fluid that aids the process of digestion and is also used as an antioxidant which removes toxins from the liver. Bile is made up of the following...water (85%), bile salts (10%), mucus and pigments (3%), fats (1%), inorganic salts (0.7%) and cholesterol (0.3%). 

Herbal Remedies for Liver Diseases

Alcohol can damage the liver if consumed over long periods of time and in large enough quantities. Drugs can also have a negative impact. Here are a few of the conditions that can occur: Cirrhosis, Hepatitis A, B, and C, and liver cancer.

Prescription drugs to undo the effect of illegal drugs and alcohol can be damaging to the body and sometimes ineffective. Herbal remedies, on the other hand, have proved themselves a powerful yet gentle alternative. They have been used for centuries to heal different parts of the body, and below are some that have been used as aids for the liver.

Milk thistle is a tall, spiny weed that can grow to be five feet tall and bears purple flowering heads. It has distinctive white markings on its leaves. The seeds are used for medicinal purposes. Silymarin, an extract of milk thistle, prevents damage to liver cells and improves cell regeneration in hepatitis, cirrhosis, mushroom poisoning, and other diseases of the liver. In the liver, there are specialized immune cells called Kuppfer cells. The job of a Kuppfer cell is to engulf toxins, bacteria, and other foreign matter that ends up in the liver. Kuppfer cells also destroy cancer cells. Milk thistle protects Kuppfer cells, therefore it works against cancer.   

            Andrographis is an ancient medicinal plant that grows in the wastelands and forests of China, India, Pakistan, and Thailand. Its leaves and stems are harvested in the late summer for medicinal use. Andrographis stimulates gallbladder functions, increases bile flow and the levels of bile salts and bile acids. Andrographis has been found to be more effective than milk thistle.   

Barberry is a shrub with tough leaves, small yellow flowers, purple berries, and thorns. Barberry can grow up to ten feet tall and is deciduous. The bark (of the root and stem) and the berries are used to make herbal medicine. The bark of Barberry is used to improve liver function and treat gallstones.