Why Your Liver Needs TLC
From Alternatives Newsletter July 2006
“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.
