When you think of your liver, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For many, it’s all those heavy nights of drinking. Or maybe it’s just that nagging feeling that your liver needs a good detox. Either way, this superhero organ does much more than just filtering out your lifestyle indulgences and toxic exposures.
There’s much to learn about this impressive organ – some of which may surprise you. Below are five astonishing facts about the liver and what you can do to take better care of yours.
1. Your Liver Is the Ultimate Multitasker
Your liver performs over 500 vital functions, including clearing toxins, monitoring your blood sugar, and preventing infections. It also produces proteins that are crucial for blood clotting. Plus, anything you consume gets processed through the liver.
Your liver creates…filters…multitasks. With so much responsibility, it’s a good thing that your liver is the only internal organ that can regenerate, or rebuild, itself when needed. Needless to say – your liver is smart, and it’s busy.
2. Your Liver Is Larger Than Your Brain
In fact, your liver is your largest internal organ. For adults, the liver comes in at a little more than 3 pounds. While liver sizes vary, males tend to have larger livers than females. On average, it’s about the size of a football!
3. Your Liver Creates and Recycles Your Blood
Did you know that, at any moment, your liver holds about 1 pint of your body’s blood supply? Before you were born, your liver started producing red blood cells. And as an adult, your liver regulates your blood’s hormone and chemical levels.
Your stomach and intestines break down and absorb nutrients and other molecules from your food. They then transfer those nutrients and molecules into your bloodstream. But before your blood can circulate anywhere else, it has to pass through your liver for processing.
4. Your Liver Helps With Wound Healing and Recovery
While one of the main jobs of the liver is to filter blood, your liver is also crucial for injuries. When your body bleeds, it activates a system of plasma proteins that promote blood clotting. Your liver is responsible for creating these proteins that help with coagulation. So in that way, your liver plays a crucial role in wound healing.
5. Your Liver Can Be Cleansed
Your liver works hard daily to ensure your body functions properly. It’s truly a powerhouse. But sometimes it can get congested. And when that happens, the toxins stop flushing out of your body as efficiently – which can make you feel ill, cognitively slow, fatigued, or a host of other symptoms.
We recommend a specific type of food-based detoxification for your liver twice a year to keep it in top shape. Supporting your liver with the proper foods, supplements, and herbs will ensure it stays working efficiently and effectively.
And in between those cleanses, make sure to nourish your liver with the best foods possible.
What foods are considered good for your liver? Cruciferous vegetables top the list – think cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and greens. Other foods like artichokes, beans, liver pâté, and healthy fats also provide crucial support for the liver.
Show Your Liver Some Love
It’s no doubt that your liver is a key player in your health and wellbeing. It’s supported you from the very beginning and continues to provide for you daily. Be sure to show it some extra love in return through your lifestyle choices, nutrition, and cleansing.
