The liver performs many essential functions, including cleaning the blood, synthesizing proteins, producing hormones, and aiding digestion. Some manufactures of liver supplements claim that their products will detoxify and rejuvenate the liver.

In this article, we take a look at the research behind liver supplements to figure out if these products work. Taking herbal and dietary supplements for any reason may do more harm than good. According to a study involving the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network DILIN , herbal dietary supplements may cause more severe liver injuries than conventional medications.

Liver injury from these supplements can contribute to:. People with drug-induced liver injury may require a liver transplant. The researchers behind the DILIN study found that liver transplant and death occurred more frequently in people who took herbal dietary supplements than those taking pharmaceutical medication.

The Food and Drug Administration FDA regulate supplements differently to medications and do not require the same rigorous testing for safety that medications have to undergo.

Manufacturers of supplements can also begin selling or marketing supplements without approval from the FDA, unlike medicines. Milk thistle, also known as silymarin, is the most common herbal supplement for liver problems in the U.

The researchers behind one study found that 7 grams per day of Epaclin, a food supplement containing silymarin, vitamin E, and amino acids, significantly lowered the levels of enzymes that doctors associate with liver damage.

However, the findings of a Cochrane Review and a systematic review suggest that while silymarin supplementation may lead to minimal reductions in liver enzymes, these benefits are not clinically relevant.

The authors of the Cochrane Review note that the vast majority of the studies under review used weak methodologies. Zinc is an essential trace element that promotes cell division, DNA synthesis, and immune function.

Chronic liver disease can lead to zinc deficiency. Another older study suggests that zinc supplementation may help protect the liver from oxidative stress due to hepatitis C viral infections.

More research is needed, however, to support the use of zinc in treating hepatitis C or other liver diseases. Licorice root contains an active compound called glycyrrhizic acid, which may help reduce inflammation in the liver and regenerate damaged liver cells.

According to one study on rats , researchers found that raw licorice root extract reversed the effects of alcohol-induced inflammation and fat accumulation in the liver of rats.

In a phase III clinical trial , people with chronic hepatitis C received glycyrrhizin injections three or five times a week or five placebo injections.

According to the findings, a higher proportion of individuals in the glycyrrhizin groups showed significant reductions in symptoms in comparison to the control group. However, the current evidence is too limited to support the use of licorice root for treating or preventing liver disease.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digest and Kidney Diseases NIDDK , high doses of licorice root consumed over a long period can lead to heart and muscle complications. A healthy liver removes waste from the blood, metabolizes fat, and synthesizes hormones.

A damaged, diseased, or malfunctioning liver can lead to dangerous, even life threatening consequences. Hepatitis most commonly occurs as a result of a viral infection. However, alcohol use, exposure to toxins, certain medications, and fat deposits in the liver can also cause hepatitis.

According to the NIDDK, some people may develop symptoms of hepatitis C in 1—3 months and of hepatitis B in 2—5 months. People who have chronic hepatitis may show no symptoms for several years.

There is not enough scientific evidence to fully support the use of supplements for treating or preventing liver disease. However, the following lifestyle choices can help keep the liver healthy:. High levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood can create fat deposits around the liver, which may lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD and long-term liver damage.

Healthcare experts define heavy alcohol use as eight or more drinks a week for females and 15 or more drinks a week for males. Consuming four to five drinks in 2 hours or less can lead to steatosis, which is a condition in which fat droplets accumulate inside liver cells.

A person can reverse the effects of steatosis if they stop consuming alcohol. However, continuous binge drinking can lead to chronic steatosis and chronic liver disease. The Dietary Guidelines for American — recommend limiting alcohol consumption to no more than one drink per day for females and no more than two drinks per day from males.

Exposure to environmental toxins, such as cleaning products, pesticides, and tobacco smoke, can damage the liver as it filters these substances from the blood. Chronic use of illicit drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, can lead to liver inflammation and damage.

Prescription and over-the-counter OTC medications can also contribute to drug induced liver injury. According to the FDA , medications that can contribute to liver damage include:. People should see their doctor if they experience symptoms of liver disease or if they believe they may have had exposure to a hepatitis virus.

Your liver cares about everything you eat and drink, every single day. Too much sugar and saturated fat in your diet can have a similar effect as too much alcohol — fat build-up in the liver. When it is full of fat, the liver cannot perform all of its functions, and it can become progressively more damaged to the point of developing cirrhosis and even cancer.

If you want a healthy liver, the best strategy is to make healthier choices on a daily basis. This is exciting news for Canadians. Emerging as important concepts within the new food Guidelines are a renewed focus on plant-based foods, lower intakes of processed foods that contain higher levels of sugar, a background on saturated fat intake, and a less direct emphasis on dairy products.

What does this mean for Canadians living with liver disease? Click here to read more. What is sodium? Sodium is a mineral that is required for maintaining blood pressure and a normal fluid balance in the body and transmitting nerve impulses.

Is sodium the same as salt? Table salt sodium chloride is the most common form of sodium. Others include sodium bicarbonate baking soda , sodium benzoate preservative , sodium cyclamate sweetener and sodium nitrate preservative. How much sodium is in table salt? Table salt is about 40 per cent sodium.

One teaspoon of salt contains approximately milligrams mg of sodium. Most Canadians consume far more sodium than is needed. The recommended amount per day is between mg considered adequate intake and mg upper amount for people 9 years of age. For people over 50 years of age, an adequate intake drops to mg per day until 70 and then mg over 70 years of age.

However, the average daily intake in the Canadian diet is about mg of sodium, although many Canadians eat well in excess of mg per day. Can I get too much sodium?

The higher your sodium intake, the greater risk you are at for high blood pressure and stroke. If high blood pressure is already present, a high sodium intake may make it worse. High blood pressure is a health risk associated with heart and kidney disease.

It is a good idea to have your blood pressure checked regularly by a health care provider. Often an individual can be unaware of having high blood pressure. How does sodium relate to my liver disease? As the function of the liver deteriorates, fewer proteins such as albumin are produced, resulting in an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity known as ascites and in the legs and feet, known as edema.

Both conditions result from an abnormal accumulation of sodium associated with portal hypertension and liver disease. Patients with ascites should restrict their sodium intake to no more than mg per day.

Do I have to avoid all salty foods? Not necessarily all the time. However, if you want to lower your sodium intake to meet current recommendations, you should avoid eating salty foods on a daily basis. Your physician will advise you as to whether or not you need to restrict your sodium intake.

Learning to read food labels to check the sodium level per serving will help you to compare foods for sodium content and to make food choices with lower sodium content. Always taste before salting! This usually means you will use less salt. Try this test.

Place wax paper or foil over a plate and pretend you are salting a meal. Measure the salt. One teaspoon contains about mg of sodium. Add less salt when you prepare and cook food! Try adding less salt to your food for example, when cooking vegetables, pasta, soups and stews.

Reduce the salt in recipes! Your taste for salt is a learned taste that can be unlearned. Gradually reduce the salt in recipes so your taste for salt can adjust more easily.

The salt in most recipes can be halved with no effect on the product. Experiment with other flavourings! Lemon and vinegar are natural flavour enhancers that are low in sodium. Plan ahead to reduce your reliance on high sodium convenience foods! The same food made from scratch has less sodium added and tends to be less expensive.

Be aware of the sodium content of the food you eat! Read the list of ingredients on labels for other sodium-containing compounds in addition to salt such as: monosodium glutamate MSG , sodium benzoate, sodium nitrate and sodium bicarbonate.

Should pregnant women cut down on salt? Sodium used to be restricted in pregnancy because it was thought this would help reduce fluid retention. However, it is now known that a certain amount of fluid retention is part of having a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Therefore sodium restriction is NOT recommended in pregnancy. If you think you use a lot of salt, it would be a good idea to discuss this with your physician. Choose your food wisely The following table shows some interesting differences in the sodium content of some foods.

Try to get in the habit of considering the sodium content of the meal as a whole. Ask yourself if there is a lower-sodium alternative. For example, if you use canned instead of fresh tomatoes in a recipe, you could add less salt than called for by the recipe.

Fresh or frozen corn would be a lower-sodium alternative to canned or creamed corn and would thus be a better accompaniment to high-sodium meat such as ham. Does the sodium content of the water supply vary? The sodium content of the water supply varies from one area to another.

Some bottled water has sodium compounds added as well. Check the ingredients on the bottle. However, the level of sodium may not be listed. What about softened water? Hard water contains a lot of calcium and magnesium.

A water softener replaces these minerals with sodium. Softened water, therefore, contains more sodium. If you have a softened water supply in your home, the taps from which you take your drinking water should not be hooked up to the softener. Some quick tips to help reduce the sodium in your diet:.

Resources: www. com , www. Diet is an important part of managing fatty liver and other liver diseases. Maitreyi Raman, Angela Sirounis and Jennifer Shroubsole. Country Lentil Soup Thai Turkey Stir-Fry Teriyaki Halibut Vegetarian Chili Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Cheese Filling.

Check out this helpful resource for additional information about liver-healthy food and drink: Choose This, Not That also available in French and Chinese.

Maitreyi Raman, Jennifer Shrubsole, Angela Sirounis © Robert Rose Inc. May not be reprinted without publisher permission. Liver disease can often be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms can be vague and easily confused with other health problems.

In some cases, a person may have no symptoms at all yet his or her liver may already have suffered significant damage. The good news is that many liver diseases can be prevented, managed or in some cases even cured, but early identification is critical so it is important that you ask your doctor for a liver test.

Liver tests are blood tests used to help determine the health of your liver and your bile ducts. Liver tests are used to guide your healthcare provider, along with your history and physical examination, in the diagnosis and management of your liver disease. These tests measure the levels of certain enzymes and proteins in your blood, how well the liver is performing its functions, or measure enzymes that liver cells release in response to damage or disease.

Your healthcare provider will be able explain your results and what they mean. Alanine Aminotransferase ALT and Aspartate Aminotransferase AST These are liver enzymes normally found in liver cells that leak out of these cells and make their way to the blood when liver cells are injured.

The ALT is considered to be a more specific indicator of liver inflammation as AST is also found in other organs such as the heart and muscles. In acute injury to the liver, as in viral hepatitis, the level of the ALT and AST may be used as a general measure of the degree of liver inflammation or damage.

In chronic liver disease, this is not the case, for these enzymes may be entirely within the normal range even in the presence of cirrhosis liver scarring. Alkaline Phosphatase This is the most frequently used test to detect blockage obstruction in the biliary system.

Elevation of this enzyme may be found in a large number of disorders such as gallstone disease, alcohol-related liver disease, drug-induced inflammation of the liver, primary biliary cholangitis PBC , and biliary tumors.

Although this enzyme is found both in the liver and bile, and leaks into the bloodstream in a manner similar to that described for the ALT and AST, alkaline phosphatase is also found in other organs such as bone, placenta, and intestine.

Bilirubin Test Bilirubin is a pigment formed primarily from the breakdown of a substance called heme found in red blood cells.

It is taken up from the blood, processed, and then secreted into the bile by the liver. A damaged liver cannot process bilirubin properly which leads to high level of this pigment in the blood.

Albumin Test Albumin is the main protein which is made by the liver. Although there are many factors which can affect the level of albumin circulating in the blood, chronic liver disease causes a decrease in the amount of albumin produced, and therefore the level of albumin in the blood is reduced.

Blood clotting factors are proteins made by the liver. When the liver is injured, these proteins are not produced normally. Highly specialized tests may be used to indicate more specifically the presence of certain liver diseases. For example:. To learn more about disease-specific tests, please visit our Liver Diseases section.

Liver biopsy is a diagnostic procedure used to obtain a small amount of liver tissue, which can be examined under a microscope to determine what is causing the liver disease and the degree of fibrosis scarring of the liver. Read more:. The most common way a liver sample is obtained is by inserting a needle into the liver for a fraction of a second.

This can be done in the hospital, and the patient may be sent home within two to three hours if there are no complications. The physician determines the best site, depth, and angle of the needle puncture by physical examination or by having an ultrasound mark the appropriate spot.

The skin and area under the skin are anesthetized, and a needle is passed quickly into and out of the liver. Approximately half of individuals have no pain afterwards, while another half will experience brief localized pain that may spread to the right shoulder.

Another common technique used for liver biopsy is guiding the needle into the liver through the abdomen under direct guidance by imaging techniques. After this procedure, the patient is usually allowed to go home the same day.

Liver biopsies performed under direct radiologic guidance depend on availability and pattern of practice at the local hospital. Less commonly used biopsy techniques include those that are performed during laparoscopy usually when laparoscopy is performed for other reasons , transvenous or transjugular liver biopsies, and during open surgical procedures performed for other reasons.

With laparoscopy , a lighted, narrow tubular instrument is inserted through a small incision in the abdominal wall. The internal organs are moved away from the abdominal wall by gas that is introduced into the abdomen.

Instruments may be passed through this lighted instrument or through separate puncture sites to obtain tissue samples from several different areas of the liver. Patients who undergo this procedure may be discharged several hours later. Transvenous or transjugular liver biopsy may be performed by an interventional radiologist in special circumstances, usually when the patient has a significant problem with blood clotting coagulopathy.

With this procedure, a small tube is inserted into the internal jugular vein in the neck and radiologically guided into the hepatic vein, which drains the liver. A small biopsy needle is then inserted through the tube and directly into the liver to obtain a sample of tissue. Finally, liver biopsy may be done at the time a patient undergoes an open abdominal operation, enabling the surgeon to inspect the liver and take one or more biopsy samples as needed.

Liver biopsy is often used to diagnose the cause of chronic liver disease that results in elevated liver tests or an enlarged liver. If the diagnosis is known, such as hepatitis C, then the main reason for a liver biopsy is to determine whether the patient has a progressive disease.

In many cases, the specific cause of the chronic liver disease can be established on the basis of blood tests, but a liver biopsy is used to confirm the diagnosis and to determine the amount of damage to the liver.

Liver biopsy is also used after liver transplantation to determine the cause of elevated liver tests and determine if rejection is present. The primary risk of liver biopsy is bleeding from the site of needle entry into the liver, although this occurs in less than one per cent of patients.

Other possible complications include the puncture of other organs, such as the kidney, lung or colon. A liver biopsy procedure that damages the gallbladder by mistake may lead to leakage of bile into the abdominal cavity, causing peritonitis.

Fortunately, the risk of death from liver biopsy is extremely low, with a mortality of 1 in 5, In order to reduce the risk of bleeding, the coagulation status is assessed in all patients prior to a biopsy. If the prothrombin coagulating time is too slow or the platelet count is low, a standard biopsy is not recommended.

Vitamin K or fresh frozen plasma may be used to correct clotting abnormalities in such patients. Another alternative in this situation would be a transjugular biopsy. The primary alternative to liver biopsy is to make the diagnosis of a liver disease based on the physical examination of the patient, medical history, and blood testing.

In some cases, blood testing is quite accurate in giving the doctor the information to diagnose chronic liver disease, while in other circumstances a liver biopsy is needed to assure an accurate diagnosis.

FibroScan FS is a completely non-invasive diagnostic instrument to measure fibrosis scarring of the liver of the liver. FS is based on the premise that as the liver becomes more fibrotic, the tissue density increases and the liver becomes less elastic.

FS is easier to perform, safer and less expensive in comparison to a liver biopsy. Measurements with the FS can be taken at multiple locations of the liver whereas a liver biopsy tissue sample is taken from one location in the liver.

Liver biopsies are usually not recommended to diagnose liver cancer except on rare occasions when a diagnosis is not clear. Typically, liver cancer is diagnosed by using a CT scan or an MRI. A biopsy of a liver cancer has a small but real risk of having some cancer cells follow the pathway of the needle and spread outside of the liver.

In most circumstances, a liver biopsy is only performed once to confirm a suspected diagnosis of chronic liver disease.

Occasionally, liver biopsy is repeated if the clinical condition changes or to assess the results of medical therapy, such as drug treatment of chronic viral hepatitis or autoimmune hepatitis. Patients who have undergone liver transplantation often require numerous liver biopsies in the early weeks to months following the surgery to allow accurate diagnosis of whether the new liver is being rejected or whether other problems have developed.

If you do not have a family physician, try going to a walk-in clinic to see if they are able to take you on as a patient.

You can also talk to friends, family and neighbours in your community to see if they can recommend any doctors in the area so you can contact them to see if they are taking new patients. They may also be able to direct you to an established physician who is taking on new patients.

Another source of information and guidance on finding a physician is your provincial medical association. In most provinces and territories, the Ministry of Health or a provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons offers an online directory of physicians, often sorted by location and specialty.

Click the here to find a directory in your area. If you respond and have not already registered, you will receive periodic updates and communications from Canadian Liver Foundation. Resource Hub Liver Diseases For Caregivers Transplants Clinical Trials.

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You may never stop to think about it, but your liver is essential to your life. If your liver stops working, so do you. About the Liver. Find a Doctor. About the Liver Used with permission from Mayo Clinic. All rights reserved Weighing in at a little over one kilogram, your liver is a complex chemical factory that works 24 hours a day.

Regulates your supply of body fuel: Producing, storing and supplying quick energy glucose to keep your mind alert and your body active. It produces, stores and exports fat. Manufactures many of your essential body proteins involved in : Transporting substances in your blood, clotting of your blood, and providing resistance to infections.

Regulates the balance of hormones: Including sex hormones, thyroid hormones, cortisone and other adrenal hormones. Regulates your supply of essential vitamins and minerals: Including iron and copper. Produces bile: Eliminating toxic substances from your body and aiding with your digestion.

Your liver is… Your power source. Your liver is… Your engine. Your liver is… Your pharmacist. Back to top. I can only get liver disease if I drink alcohol excessively or use drugs.

This is a myth. Even young children can get liver disease. This is a fact. I would have noticed something was wrong if I had liver disease. I would feel sick. Yellowing of the skin and of the whites of the eyes jaundice in babies is very common and should not be a cause for concern.

I can get Cirrhosis of the liver even if I don't drink. Liver cancer is very common in Canada. A liver cleanse is all I need to get my liver back in shape. A liver transplant is not a cure for liver disease.

If I have regular annual check-ups, my doctor would tell me if I have or am at risk for developing liver disease. The following are some tips to help safeguard your liver health and ensure the medications and remedies you need to take to achieve their desired effect: To avoid potentially life-threatening complications, you should talk to your doctor about all medications or supplements — pharmaceutical and herbal — that you are taking or thinking of taking If your doctor prescribes a long-term medication, ask for a liver test before you start the medication and after the first few weeks of taking the drug to determine how your liver is tolerating it.

Follow up with regular liver tests throughout the duration of your treatment. Read more Always read and follow the dosing instructions as dictated by your doctor or the medication label.

Never take more than the recommended dose and be sure to take into consideration other medications that you may be taking at the same time that may have similar ingredients.

Never mix medication with alcohol. Alcohol increases the risk of possible liver damage. Acetaminophen can be especially toxic when combined with alcohol. Be careful about mixing Tylenol® with other products that contain acetaminophen.

By taking more than one pain reliever or cold remedy at a time, you may accidentally take more acetaminophen than is safe. Consult your doctor about acetaminophen if you have liver disease.

Avoid certain herbal supplements see list below as well as certain vitamins in high doses as they have the potential to cause damage to the liver. For example, high doses of vitamins E, K — and especially vitamins A and D — may be harmful.