Support your ageing liver with diet, fasting and key nutrients to prevent fatty liver, hormone issues and decline.
I ’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that a lot of us don’t take our livers very seriously. Aside from the national pastime of regular alcohol consumption glorified by a constant flow of advertising suggesting that it’s a social lubricant, rather than a malignant scourge, a visit to an X-ray clinic for a scan that reveals a fatty liver might be greeted with a shrug from our doctor and consequently indifference and inertia from us. This might be a lamentable gaffe as the liver is our largest organ with a significant influence on every metabolic and biochemical process, which can either engender our wellbeing or, if disregarded, spawn our downfall.
This megalopolis is a manufacturing and detoxification behemoth, its portfolio spanning fat digestion, protein and hormone production, immune system function, vitamin and mineral storage as well as detoxification and elimination of any drugs, chemicals, pollutants, invading pathogens and dysfunctional cellular proteins that prevent our cells from executing effectively. Once we accumulate fat around our liver cells, all these processes are significantly impaired, and our livers and the rest of us will age prematurely.
If we fail to eliminate all the metabolic and cellular detritus that the liver is primed to process, rather than being effectively jettisoned, these will accumulate like garbage strewn around our streets and sidewalks if the refuse collectors were to go on strike. When these metabolic waste products are left to circulate around our bodies, they unhinge the normal activity of our brain cells, leading to emotional dysfunction (anxiety and depression) and early cognitive decline with a blunted memory. Our hormones need to be appropriately metabolised then trafficked out of our bodies. Not done correctly, they can become hormonal poisons increasing our risk of developing breast and prostate cancer.
Liver dysfunction can compromise the digestive process making it more difficult to absorb and access the vital nutrients our bodies need. Insufficient absorption of vitamins A and D can diminish our immune capacity and damage our bones. Cholesterol can start to climb, which can block our arteries, leading to heart attacks and an increased likelihood of having a stroke.
These catastrophes can be averted if we pay attention to early warning signs, such as scans revealing fatty liver or elevated