It’s time to put this under-appreciated organ in the spotlight.
Words: Chantelle Pattemore
Since scientists started learning about the role our microbiome plays in all areas of wellbeing, we’ve been taking steps to give our guts plenty of TLC – from eating fermented foods to taking probiotic supplements. But there’s another equally vital organ within the digestive system that’s long been overlooked – the liver.
When we think of the liver, we think booze. We’re told that this organ is there to help ‘detox’ the body after a few too many glasses of wine. But while helping to clear the body of toxins (alcoholic or otherwise) is a crucial function of the liver, it has a whole lot more to offer our health and wellbeing.
The liver makes antibodies and proteins – vital for immune system function, says Professor Shahid Khan, consultant physician and professor of practice (hepatology) at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and The London Clinic. Plus, he adds, it produces clotting factors which stop us from continuously bleeding after an injury, plays a role in creating vitamin D, clears bilirubin (a waste product from old red blood cells that causes the yellowness of jaundice), and stores fat to convert to glucose for energy.
Phew! But it doesn’t end there. Professor Khan reveals this organ contributes to the digestion process by creating bile – a fluid that flows to the gut to aid the breakdown of food. The liver (along with the intestines) also creates about 80% of the healthy cholesterol our body requires. So, as you might have guessed, it’s rather important.
The causes of liver damage
Various factors contribute to liver damage, with perhaps the most well-known being alcohol consumption. While the liver is highly effective in clearing alcohol-related toxins from the body, the toll of this effort can eventually start causing damage. The British Liver Trust reports that 60% of liver disease cases in the UK are caused by excessive alcohol intake.
Another critical player is the accumulation of excess fat, reveals Professor Stephen Ryder, consultant hepatologist at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and medical adviser to the British Liver Trust. This accumulation is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and is more common among those who are overweight or obese.
Professor Ryder adds that viral hepatitis (B and C strains) is also a prominent contributor, with ‘90% of liver disease caused by being overweight, alcohol and viral hepatitis’. Other less common
