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26.12.2020 – Bernadette Reichlin
26.12.2020
Bernadette Reichlin
All-rounder liver
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It may not be the best time to do thisber the liver to write. After all, everyone knows that too much alcohol damages the organ – and alcohol is plentifully served over the holidays. To put your mind at ease: a healthy liver can easily cope with a Christmas rush.
“Weust ‘a Herz host wia a Bergwerk” is the name of a love song by the Viennese songwriter Rainhard Fendrich. But he’s wrong. The mine in our body is on the right, behind the ribs. It is a power station, waste collection point, garbage disposal, warehouse and chemical laboratory in one: the liver.
Dhe physician and book author Jürgen Brater wrote “Long live the liver!” written a book about the organ that is a real wallflower existence leadt and, according to popular belief, is only there to be harmed by wine or schnapps. Which by no means does the all-rounder justice.
Just the fact that die liver in the course of one day around Filtering and reprocessing 2000 liters of blood, consuming around a fifth of the inhaled oxygen, shows that the term “power plant” is not too far-fetched.
Control center of the body
And in this “operation” the whole protein, fat and sugar metabolism, the mineral, vitamin and hormone balance is regulated and therewatch outthat the body enough energy to Vis available. The liver keeps the immune system on its toes and ensures that, as Brater writes, “in the event of an injury, the blood does not leak like water, but coagulates.”
UAnd something else makes the liver unique in the body: it grows back. Wie the tail of a lizard. More precisely: if part of the liver’s tissue has to be removed, for example as a result of an accident or because it is affected by a tumor, it is able to regenerate, i.e. to grow back within weeks. A fascinating organ!
Spaghetti doesn’t go straight into the blood
Brater divides the functions of the liver into separate areas. There is the power plant. If we need energy for exercise, for strenuous mental work, but also when we sleep, we have to eat. But the plate of spaghetti, the energy bar or the nightcap wouldn’t get us through if it weren’t for the liver. Because only there the food is broken down in such a way that it is either used by the organism or can be stored as a supply for harder times. With the latter just over the holidays in our society usually is not much appreciated.
Wed eaten or drunk something that is beneficial to the body not doing well, the toxins in the liver are rendered harmless. This is where the body’s defenses are mobilized if foreign cells try to gain access. Conversely, this means that those who have a healthy, efficient liver are less likely to get sick.
The liver is, As already briefly mentioned, also warehouse and storage facility. Which makes perfect sense. We couldn’t constantly check whether there is enough blood circulating, whether there is a lack of fuel for the cells – glucose – or of certain vitamins and minerals. This complicated balancing is done for us by the organ that lies so inconspicuously behind the ribs – and doesn’t even hurt when it’s sick.
Aoil, sugar, mold and much more
What can harm the liver? There is the inflammation caused by viruses known as hepatitis. You can get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B; hepatitis C is the most dangerous form, often becomes chronic and has only recently become curable.
Another disease is fatty liver. Alcohol can be the culprit, but too many carbohydrates, sugar, can lead to a liver that is only partially functional due to excessive fat storage. Which, like chronic hepatitis, can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. The liver scars, hardens and only works to a very limited extent.
Sometimes the gallbladder also causes problems Small hollow organ that is attached to the liver and helps digest fat with its fluid, the bile. And the bile can hurt! If there are gallstones in it that are blocking the bile duct. If this happens frequently, the doctor will recommend removing the gallbladder.
It is, writes Brater, the most common operation of all, and it can now be carried out using a minimally invasive method through two small abdominal incisions. “It’s amazing how small the hole is that is enough for this procedure. On the other hand, the amount that the operations cost the health insurance funds every year is all the greater »- writes the author.
Dhe liver is not hardened, but hard
How can the liver be taken care of? First off you should get toxins like those in alcohol, nicotine, fast food, medicationn and mold – the ultimate villain for the liver! – are included. According to Brater, a real high under the Christmas tree is far less harmful than the regular consumption of one, two or even three glassesn Wine or beer in the evening. Because you should dhe liver sometimes rest indulge, for a week or a month abstain from alcohol. Dry January is a good keyword here.
Cooking with spices or herbs is good for the liver, also regular exercise that stimulates the blood flow to the liver. And then: drink coffee! The liver loves coffee, with or without caffeine. Fünf it should be up to six cups a day. If you can still sleep afterwards. Whether that is the small truck of this otherwise almost inconspicuous power plant in our body is?
Jürgen Brater: «Long live the liver! Everything about our versatile organ. ” Herbig Verlag, Stuttgart. ISBN 978-3-7766-2808-1
