Why Your Liver Needs TLC

Why Your Liver Needs TLC

From Alternatives Newsletter July 2006

You know the routine.  Get up every morning, jump in the shower and slather yourself with soap.  Then wash and condition the hair, cleanse and moisture your face and deodorize the body.  If you’re a gal, your regimen probably includes make-up, fragrance and any other products you’ve discovered to cleanse and beautify.

“Before we even leave the house, many of us have ingested a variety of chemicals through our mouths and skin,” said Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder and owner of Alternatives:  A Center for Conscious Health.  “And our exposure to toxins just continues as we go through our day, from the foods we eat and the medications we take to the air we breathe and the many substances we come in contact with.  It’s the job of the liver to separate the good from the bad and get rid of those chemicals and toxins.  So the longer you’re alive, the harder your liver has to work to rid your body of these damaging substances,” Dr. Ryan said.

This strain on the liver can wreak all sorts of havoc with the body, leading not only to liver disease but other medical conditions and diseases.  That’s why it’s important to give your liver plenty of TLC (Tender Loving Care), and that begins with six to eight glasses of water a day and a healthy diet full of lots of fresh fruits and veggies, Dr. Ryan advises.  “Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are particularly good for the liver,” according to Dr. Ryan.

In addition, antioxidant vitamins such as C, E, and beta-carotene, minerals such as zinc and selenium, B-vitamins that aid alcohol metabolism along with herbs including milk thistle can help to cleanse the liver, Dr. Ryan said.

Symptoms of liver disfunction include fatigue, headaches, constipation and belching.  If the liver cannot detoxify well, the body is at increased risk of cancer, according to Dr. Ryan.  “Alternatives monitors the liver by a test known as the detox profile, which tells more about liver function than the routine lab tests ordered at most doctor’s office,” Dr. Ryan said.   

Omaha Man Strives to Remedy Liver Threat 

When Terry Chandler was 21 years old, blood work showed that his liver enzymes were slightly elevated.  And for years since, the same abnormal readings had occurred whenever Terry had a blood test.  These abnormal blood signs had not indicated disease nor had they been of particular alarm to Terry’s doctors.  But they left him with an unsettled feeling.

That’s because Terry’s father died of liver disease in 1989, having contracted Hepatitis B from a blood transfusion.  “My doctors told me there was nothing I could do about my blood results because they weren’t that high,” he said.

Terry, who serves as office manager for Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health, wanted to try to remedy the situation.  So he consulted with Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder and owner of Alternatives.  “She recommended two products: silybum marianum also known as milk thistle, and CoQ10,” Terry said.  Silybum marianum often is recommended by herbalists to prevent or treat liver disorders and CoQ10 is an enzyme similar in structure to vitamin K that can boost energy and improve both heart and liver health.

After several months of using the two products, Chandler received good news from his annual blood work report.  His liver enzymes are normal for the first time since he was a teenager.  “I’m very happy that I’ve been able to turn this situation around and achieve normal liver enzymes,” he said.  “Liver health is too important not to strive to make improvements.”

For more information, contact Alternatives at 827-9450.