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.
