Liver Functions: Get to Know Them

The liver is a vital organ located in the upper right part of the abdomen below the diaphragm, above the stomach, right kidney, and intestines. The liver plays an active role in detoxifying the body, processing food nutrients, and regulating metabolic processes. In the following article, we will elaborate more on the functions of the liver, so keep reading.

Liver Functions: Learn About the Most Important Ones

The liver performs more than 500 vital functions in the body. Here are the most prominent and crucial functions of the liver:

• Bile Production

The liver produces bile (stored in the gallbladder), which aids in waste elimination and the breakdown of dietary fats in the small intestine during digestion.

• Blood Filtration and Purification

One of the liver's essential functions is to filter and purify the blood, specifically, the blood leaving the digestive system. The liver removes toxins, harmful substances, and by-products from the body as follows:

1. The liver breaks down harmful substances into by-products and then releases them into the bloodstream or bile.
2. By-products in the bile enter the intestines and leave the body as feces. The by-products in the blood are filtered by the kidneys and excreted in urine.

Examples of toxins the liver eliminates include ammonia, which is converted to urea, a compound the body eliminates through urine.

• Regulation of Blood Clotting

Vitamin K plays an active role in producing blood clotting factors, and vitamin K can only be absorbed with the help of bile produced by the liver.

• Regulation of Amino Acid Levels in Blood and Production of Some Proteins

The liver regulates the levels of amino acids in the blood, which are the basic building blocks for protein synthesis. It also produces some proteins from amino acids.

Examples of proteins produced by the liver include albumin, a protein that primarily prevents fluids in the bloodstream from leaking into surrounding tissues. Albumin also carries hormones, enzymes, and vitamins throughout the body.

• Storage of Vitamins and Minerals

The liver plays an effective role in storing vitamins (A, D, E, K, B12) and minerals (iron, copper).

The liver plays an active role in processing hemoglobin to utilize its iron content.

• Glucose Processing

One of the liver's primary functions is to remove excess glucose from the bloodstream and store it as glycogen (the storage form of sugar). It can convert glycogen back to glucose when blood sugar levels decrease.

• Resistance to Infections

As mentioned earlier, one of the liver's crucial functions is blood filtration and purification, allowing it to resist infections by removing bacteria from the bloodstream. It also plays a role in producing immune factors.

• Drug Metabolism

The liver converts drugs, medications, and alcohol into other forms (through specific enzymes) that are easily utilized in the rest of the body or transformed into non-toxic forms

Tips for Keeping Your Liver Healthy

After understanding the importance and key functions of the liver, dear reader, it is essential to clarify some of the key tips for maintaining liver health. Here are some of the most important ones:

• Avoid alcohol consumption and drug abuse, as they can damage and destroy liver cells.
• Prevent viral hepatitis infection by getting vaccinated.
• Wash hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and before preparing or eating food to reduce the risk of viral hepatitis infection.
• Engage in regular physical activity and follow a healthy, balanced diet to avoid obesity and fatty liver disease.
• Avoid exposure to toxins that may harm liver cells, such as toxins from cleaning products, sprays, insecticides, and chemicals.
• Follow instructions when taking medications, herbal supplements, and dietary supplements. Incorrect consumption, either in large quantities or the wrong types, can cause damage to liver cells.
• Avoid sharing personal hygiene tools with others.

Undergo regular screenings to monitor liver health. Examples of recommended tests include a liver function test package, which provides six different tests and is available in Blazma packages.