Why we should be showing our Livers some Love

I’m shining a spotlight on our Livers this month as I gear up for a series of week-long guided liver cleanses. It is really crucial for our health that we understand the importance of a healthy liver. Without a doubt, the liver is one of our most vital organs—some may argue second only to the lungs and the heart. We can live with just one kidney or a single lung, and we can do without the spleen entirely. But we cannot survive without a functioning liver. I’m sharing much of this blog post from the wonderful Banyan Botanicals. Head here to read the full article.

The liver is endlessly filtering and detoxifying the blood and it plays a significant role in digestion and metabolism. But the liver also synthesizes protein, produces critically important enzymes and hormones, breaks down and recycles tired blood cells, and regulates glycogen storage. As our primary organ of detoxification, the liver has the important job of protecting the deeper tissues from impurities in the blood that might otherwise cause harm. However, over-exposure to toxins such as alcohol, prescription or recreational drugs, environmental pollutants, and the like, has the potential to adversely impact the liver itself.

Thankfully, the liver possesses a remarkable ability to heal and rejuvenate itself. This is something that sets the liver apart from other organs and tissues. But if we want the liver to repair itself efficiently, we must offer it periodic rest. Showing your liver some love today has the potential to deeply impact your overall health, well-being, and longevity for years to come.

Key Liver Functions

Detoxification

As we know, the liver filters the blood and eliminates toxins from the bloodstream. In essence, when we eat, the digestive tract breaks our food down into miniscule, absorbable bits of energy, which are then allowed to enter the bloodstream—rasa dhatu (the plasma) to be precise. This nourishing “food juice” then travels to the liver to be further refined and filtered. The liver actually removes and eliminates unwanted toxins so that they do not enter into broader circulation. The liver is also responsible for metabolising chemical toxins, prescription and recreational drugs, and alcohol.

Bile Formation and Secretion

The Sanskrit word pitta means “bile.” Bile is an alkaline fluid that helps to emulsify fats for proper digestion. It is produced by the liver and temporarily stored in the gallbladder, which hangs at the base of the liver. As food is digested, the gallbladder empties stored bile into the small intestine. As a result, the health of the liver and gallbladder are closely intertwined.

Digestion and Metabolism

The liver plays a critical role in the digestion and metabolism of ingested nutrients. It is able to break down complex substances like carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins into biologically useful molecules like glucose, cholesterol, phospholipids, and lipoproteins. The liver also regulates and stores glycogen—our primary source of available biological energy.

Protein Metabolism and Synthesis

The liver is one of the primary places in the body where proteins are metabolized, synthesized, and later degraded. Most of our bodily tissues are made up of proteins, but they are particularly essential for nourishing the muscle tissue. In fact, Ayurveda connects low or weak liver energy to physical weakness in the muscle tissues.

Other Important Liver Functions

The liver is also involved in hormone creation and metabolism, the metabolism and storage of fat, the regulation of bodily pH levels, the generation of red blood cells, and the regulation of blood volume and blood pressure.

Ayurveda and the Liver

As its functions would indicate, the liver is intimately connected to a number of other organs, tissues, and systems throughout the body. Ayurveda provides us with an ancient, yet incredibly relevant perspective on these relationships, which can help us to better understand how to offer meaningful support to the liver.

Ayurveda describes the liver as a fiery, hot organ. Qualitatively speaking, this fact alone signals a close relationship between the liver, agni (the fire principle), pitta dosha, and the energy of transformation. According to Ayurveda, the following substances, channels, and energies converge within, or are influenced by, the liver:

Agni

Agni is the sacred metabolic fire within. It has a diverse range of functions, but everywhere in the body, agni serves as a vehicle of transformation. Ayurveda describes at least forty specific physiological manifestations of agni, five of them—the bhuta agnis—housed exclusively in the liver. Functionally, the bhuta agnis are responsible for transforming our food into biologically useful substances. The digestive process breaks our food down into its most basic form—the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether), and the bhuta agnis (one for each element) convert these elements into a form that the body can use. Only this more refined substance is actually made available to the tissues through circulation.

Pitta Dosha and its Subtypes

Pitta is primarily composed of the fire and water elements. It is the source of all heat in the body. Not surprisingly, the liver and the gallbladder are both considered important sites of pitta. Furthermore, the bile ducts empty into the small intestine, which is the primary seat (home) of pitta. Functionally, this flow from the liver and gallbladder into the small intestine expresses an intricate relationship between several different pitta organs, and the flow of pitta itself. A brief exploration of pitta’s five subtypes sheds further light on the connection between pitta, the liver, and the gallbladder.

Pachaka Pitta

Pachaka pitta is located in the small intestine and the stomach. Its primary function is the digestion, absorption, and assimilation of foods. Pachaka pitta works in close coordination with—is even considered part of—jathara agni (the central digestive fire), which regulates agni throughout the body. Pachaka pitta embodies the energy of fire, heat, and transformation, and is intricately connected to the digestive function of the liver.

Ranjaka Pitta

Ranjaka pitta is located chiefly in the liver and the spleen, but to some degree in the stomach as well. Of all the subtypes of pitta, ranjaka pitta is most closely related to the liver. The Sanskrit word ranjaka means, “to give color.” Ranjaka pitta gives color to the blood and to all tissues throughout the body (it even influences skin, hair, and eye color). Ranjaka pitta also produces bile and liver enzymes and governs the transformation of rasa dhatu (plasma) into rakta dhatu (red blood cells).

Alochaka Pitta

Alochaka pitta is located in the eyes and is necessary for visual perception. It makes possible the perception of both light and color. Alochaka pitta also oversees the luster, color, and translucence of the eyes themselves. Interestingly, there is a very significant relationship between alochaka pitta in the eyes and ranjaka pitta in the liver, meaning that there is a direct connection between the eyes and the liver. Disorders in the liver may cause the sclera of the eye to turn yellow. Similarly, toxicity in the liver can cause visual disturbances or hyper-sensitivity to light.

Bhrajaka Pitta

Bhrajaka pitta is located in the skin. Its primary functions include the maintenance of skin color, texture, temperature, and moisture. This means that our complexion and the luster of our skin is primarily a function of bhrajaka pitta. This subtype also facilitates the digestion and processing of any substances that are applied to, or absorbed through, the skin. As with the eyes, there is a relationship between the skin and the liver, so any number of skin conditions can be traced back to disorders in the liver.

Sadhaka Pitta

Sadhaka pitta is located in the brain and in the heart. It is responsible for conscious thinking and emotions. Disturbances in ranjaka pitta (located in the liver) can very much affect our state of mind. There is also a powerful connection between certain emotions and the liver (which we will explore shortly), reflecting the link between the liver and sadhaka pitta.

Rakta Dhatu

Here in the West, we are accustomed to thinking about the blood as a single entity, but Ayurveda separates the blood into two distinct tissues. This is not because these two tissues are physically separate, but because they have very different functions in the body, and striking qualitative differences as well. Rasa dhatu (the plasma) is a cooling, nourishing substance associated with feminine and lunar energies. It delivers nutrition to cells throughout the body, and is considered cool, slow, and soothing—like kapha. Rakta dhatu (made up of red blood cells) is the oxygen-carrying portion of the blood, which is associated with masculine and solar energies, and with pitta dosha. It is considered hot, sharp, and penetrating.

Qualitatively, rakta dhatu, pitta dosha, and the liver are quite similar, and there is a strong functional relationship between all three. In fact, the liver is the mula (root) of rakta vaha srotas (the channel system associated with this oxygen-carrying portion of the blood) and, in the early stages of embryonic development, the liver is almost solely responsible for the creation of red blood cells—until that role gradually shifts to the bone marrow. It is also significant that one of the byproducts of rakta dhatu is bile (poshaka pitta), which is essential to the lipid metabolism carried out by the liver.

Emotions Seated in the Liver

Just as the liver is critical to the digestion of food and nutrition, it plays an important role in the digestion of emotions—particularly those that are closely aligned with the liver. The liver is considered the seat of anger, hate, and resentment. It is also tied to feelings of envy, irritability, frustration, impatience, and excessive ambition. Not surprisingly, all of these fiery emotions are imbalanced expressions of pitta dosha. But the liver is associated with the healthier expressions of pitta as well: will power, courage, confidence, contentment, satisfaction, enthusiasm, cooperation, acceptance, and surrender. You can learn a lot about the health of your liver by the flavor of emotions you encounter on a regular basis. It is also telling to notice how well you are able to respond to, and move through, the more challenging range of these emotions. Do they quickly and completely overpower you? Are you able to fully release them after some time? Or are you someone who can harbor anger and resentment for years on end? If the liver is impaired, it can be harder to process and release these emotions. Similarly, pent up anger and resentment can undoubtedly damage the liver.

Like Increases Like

As we have seen, the liver has close ties to agni and to almost every aspect of pitta dosha. As a result, the liver is very susceptible to excess heat, and aggravated pitta is quite frequently either the cause—or the result—of any given liver imbalance. This is not to say that vata and kapha are never involved in liver imbalances. They certainly can be. But because the liver is such a hot, fiery organ, even vata and kapha types of liver imbalances tend to aggravate pitta, causing it to stagnate and accumulate in the abdomen. Even pitta disorders elsewhere in the digestive tract (like peptic ulcers or hyperacidity) are typically rooted in impaired liver and gallbladder functioning. Pitta imbalances are classically hot and inflammatory in nature. So keeping an eye out for these types of imbalances, and addressing them early on, naturally helps to protect the health of the liver and gallbladder.

Optimal Timing

While there are several appropriate times of year to cleanse and detox the liver, spring is perhaps the most potent. This is because we often eat heavier, richer, more nourishing foods during the fall and winter months. These foods are more taxing for the liver, whereas the lighter fare we tend to crave come spring is naturally cooling and cleansing for the liver. Spring is also a perfect season to clear any accumulating heat prior to the onset of the summer season. Then, throughout the summer—because the summer heat can be particularly hard on the liver—it is important to watch for increased heat in the system, and to clear it whenever necessary.

General Support for the Liver

Even though the liver serves as our primary organ of detoxification, and would seem to be susceptible to accumulating toxicity over time, it has a remarkable built-in capacity for rejuvenation. In fact, the liver is the only human organ that can naturally regenerate lost tissue. As little as twenty-five percent of a liver (e.g., in a liver transplant) can regrow into a full-sized, healthy, functioning liver.  Promoting liver health is largely about giving the organ a periodic break—slowing the barrage of taxing inputs and allowing the liver to rest and reset. This approach is very similar to the philosophy behind a more general cleanse, which can be a terrific means of supporting liver health.

The good news is that the liver knows how to heal itself; we just have to offer it the proper support. So whether you are operating proactively, working to balance existing symptoms of liver imbalance, or wanting to rectify choices that may have over-taxed your liver in the past, a cleanse can be the perfect route.

Cleansing

Done correctly, a cleanse strengthens agni throughout the system and helps to eliminate the very toxicity that might otherwise inhibit our overall health. Cleansing initiates a powerful process of renewal and healing at many levels. It is an especially potent therapy for the liver because it affords the entire body a period of profound rest and detoxification. An Ayurvedic cleanse employs diet and lifestyle therapies to draw toxins (and excess vata, pitta, and kapha) out of the tissues and into the digestive tract so that they can be eliminated. While this is sometimes an uncomfortable process, the end result of a cleanse should be a renewed level of vitality and an improved sense of balance.

Keep an eye on my events page to book in for my guided Liver cleanse.