October-November 2025: Your Incredible Liver

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Weighing in at over three pounds, the liver is the largest internal organ in the human body. This biochemical factory is a wonder machine that processes all the foods, medicines, and beverages, we consume.

Performing over 500 metabolic, and other functions, the vital and versatile liver works flawlessly to rid the body of toxins, and other impurities, before sending nutrients on to the body for our energy requirements. The liver also stores excess sugar (glycogen) for future needs, balance out normal blood sugar levels, and also store fatty acids for future body energy requirements.

Bile acids are another job for the liver. Bile is passed through the gall bladder into the digestive system to process and absorb fat.This emulsified fat is later removed from the body by intestinal fiber.

NATURE PROTECTS THE LIVER

The liver is the only solid human organ capable of extensive regeneration. This is possible as long as 30% of the remaining liver tissue is healthy. In some cases, a full liver transplant is required.

It only takes a small segment from a healthy donor to grow a new liver. There is no fixed upper age limit for this procedure. Age 70-75 appears to be the normal upper limit, if the person is in overall excellent health. Over 9,000 liver transplants are performed in the U.S. annually.

MEDICAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE LIVER

All of us need to think hard about protecting our livers.

Medical experts estimate that a third of all American adults have

"Fatty Liver Disease" (FLD). The following recommendations and procedures are basic interventions to combat FLD.

•   7% to 10% weight reduction.

•   Mediterranean diet.

•   Regular exercise. A minimum of 150 minutes a week.

•   Nutritional supplements of thiamine (B1) and folate.

•   The medication pioglitazone and VitaminE, though not approved by the FDA yet, is used for selected patients.

•   Endoscopic sleeve gastropiasty and intragastric balloons, for obese patients.

•   Management of existing co-morbidities (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, metabolic dysfunction).

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS

The current crop of injectable

GLP-1 drugs, though extremely successful, run $500 to $1,000, monthly. Since many users do not like the weekly self-injections, or the high cost, drug companies are trial testing oral pills. These trials do not measure up to the injectables. People who require only a modest amount of weight loss will be the best candidates, when these drugs are approved.

THE OVERWORKED LIVER

Nothing is more important to our Internal health and energy than the liver. Our daily food choices determine just how successfully the liver will work for us.

Nothing has changed as much in the last 50 years as our diets. The popularity of ultra processed foods, along with our passion for snacks, deep fried foods, and sugary drinks (instead of plain water), has caused our adult obesity rate to climb over 40%. Added to this load on the poor liver is the extra job of handling various prescription drugs, pain relievers, over the counter supplements, energy bars and drinks.

Liver experts estimate that about half of all adults have a form of fatty liver disease. This problem is affecting our children, as well.

HOW TO DITCH THE BAD STUFF

Diets high in ultra processed food make up about 55% of the calories consumed each day. Food items such as frozen meals, deli meat, chips and dips, fake cheeses, highly refined grains, spreads, sauces, and even salad dressings, are overly prepared with too much salt, sugar, and unhealthy seed oils.

Ultra processed foods have direct links to liver problems. Simply put, we need to cut back.

We understand you can't always avoid processed food. At times it's the only food available. In your home kitchen, though, you have full control of plain food. Your liver will appreciate it.

LIVER FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS

The Mediterranean Diet is still the number one diet for liver health. Since this diet is

continuously undergoing updates, we suggest you "Google" it to get the latest versions.

DETOX IT

The next step features liver detoxification by concentrating on cruciferous vegetables. These are: Cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, Swiss chard, turnips and radishes.

Don't forget these anti-cancer members of the lily family, garlic, onions, and leaks.

LIVER HATES JUICES

When you drink an 8 ounce glass of fruit juice, you are getting four times the sugar compared to whole fruit. This provides much more fructose into the liver, than it can handle. Also, with juices, you are not getting the fruit fiber which is so important to overall health.

A WORD, OR TWO, ABOUT ALCOHOL

Many popular diets claim health benefits in moderate amounts of dinner wines. The science behind this assumption is controversial.

There are also cultural and religious traditions that support the consumption of alcoholic beverages, however, if there is a medical diagnosis of fatty liver disease (FLD), the official medical opinion is: "Complete abstinence of alcohol"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to our readers!

Your New Health Order Team: Roger and Arlene