Your liver

[Guest guest]

1. Liver functions, liver disease, and liver cleanse

Constant fatigue, age-related vision and memory loss

Liver functions

The liver is the most important organ after the heart. It performs hundreds

of functions including:

1. Circulation: transfer of blood from portal to systemic circulation,

activity of the liver's reticulo-endothelial system (kupffer cells) in the

immune system. The liver stores and regulates the blood and is responsible for

nourishing every cell in our body. Every part of the body depends on blood

from the liver for nourishment and sustenance.

2. Excretion: formation and secretion of bile for digestion and

cleansing of blood; removal of ammonia from blood; excretion of substances

filtered

from the blood by the liver such as heavy metals or dyes.

3. Metabolism: carbohydrate, protein, lipid (fat), mineral and vitamin

metabolism; manufacturing and storage of many nutrients such as glucose and

vitamins; production of heat through metabolism.

4. Protection and detoxification: removal of foreign bodies from the

blood (phagocytosis); detoxification by conjugation, methylation, oxidation and

reduction.

5. Production; formation of urea, serum albumin, glycogen and blood

coagulating proteins such as prothrombin, fibrinogen and heparin; erythrocyte

(red blood cells) destruction.

6. Regulation of hormones: inactivation and elimination of hormones

through the bile or urine. Since estrogen and androgen are both growth hormones

which stimulate cell division, elevation of their levels in the blood due to

the liver's failure to remove them efficiently can cause their accumulation

in tissue. This in turn may lead to abnormal growths such as uterine fibroids,

ovarian cysts, endometriosis, breast cysts and breast cancer, prostate

enlargement or prostate cancer. Excessive estrogen is also the most common

cause

of painful menstruations.

The liver also regulates body functions which affect emotional and mental

activities. In a diseased condition, the liver's blood storage and regulatory

functions are affected, and bleeding or clots can result. When liver blood is

deficient, nourishment to tendons and blood vessels is curtailed, the joints

become stiff, and muscles become spasmodic and numb. Blood deficiency in the

liver may even lead to stroke, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, deafness,

fainting or convulsion. When the liver blood is so deficient that it cannot

nourish the eyes, night blindness or blurring may result. If the liver is

affected by stress or unhappy feelings, its vitality may be repressed and the

sides

hurt, and hiccups or hernia may develop. The bowels may become constipated and

sleep may be disturbed causing nightmare or insomnia [2].

The liver is the most emotion sensitive organ and its weakness is often

connected to emotional sensitivity. Individuals who are emotionally sensitive

are more prone to weak liver even if they do not have a poor diet or are not

taking medication regularly.

" Liver causes heart attacks " (Reference 3)

The structural position of the liver as a bridge between the returning blood

from the digestive system and the lower part of the body to the heart makes

the liver an important organ for the health of the heart. A weakened and

swollen or congested liver can obstruct the venous blood flow to the heart

causing heart palpitations or even heart attacks (see reference 3). In other

words

a healthy liver is essential for maintaining an adequate amount of blood flow

to the heart and the heart can only pump the blood it receives.

Age-related vision and memory loss: the importance of the liver

According to the Chinese, the liver and kidneys are the organs that " age "

us. That is why almost all longevity herbs used in Chinese medicine are liver

and kidney tonics. Without a clean, efficient liver and healthy kidneys, blood

is not filtered clean. " Dirty " blood, loaded with toxins or waste products,

is heavier and more sluggish. This causes poor circulation and reduced

capacity to carry oxygen and nutrients. As a result, tissue and organ cells are

undernourished. If this condition persists the cells will deteriorate and

inevitably age. The eye and brain cells are especially affected because the

blood

has to flow against gravity to reach them. In an article on Alzheimer disease

in the January 1988 issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter, malfunction of

the liver and kidneys was mentioned as one of the causes leading to Alzheimer

disease. Brain tumour, which physically blocks blood flow to the brain, was

also cited as one of the causes.

The brain is only 2% of our body weight, yet it needs 20% of our oxygen

supply. If the toxin-loaded blood from a weak liver has limited capacity to

carry

oxygen, the brain cells are affected most.

I was born with a photographic memory, but I lost it at the age of 17. Up to

the age of 16, I could remember every single word in textbooks that I

glanced through just once. I was surprised to learn that I could not do that

any

more before I finished my high school. Looking back, my very stressful

childhood must have congested my liver and my inadequately filtered blood had

difficulty flowing up to my brain to nourish my cells. The fact that I fainted

in

school at the age of 11 indicated that my blood flow to my brain was already

sluggish even at an early age. As the years went by with stressful life, my

memory kept going down hill and reached the bottom at age 47, the year that I

was diagnosed with badly congested liver. When I cleansed out my liver and

gallbladder, changed my diet and started doing daily morning exercise, my

memory

improved. I don't think I will get my photographic memory back, but I did

gain back some of my memory power and stopped its deterioration.

Constant Fatigue

When blood is loaded with toxins due to a weak and inefficient liver, there

is limited capacity for the blood to carry oxygen and nutrients which are

necessary for energy production. The result is constant fatigue. A clean and

efficient liver which produces cleaner blood would help energy production

because clean blood can carry more oxygen and nutrients.

Liver problems: liver congestion and stagnation

Liver congestion and stagnation are common liver problems. Yet conventional

medicine does not understand them and has no test to detect them. In

hepatitis or liver inflammation, liver enzyme levels in the blood are elevated

because of the ruptured liver cells which contain high contents of liver

enzymes.

However, in liver congestion or stagnation, liver cells are still intact and

liver enzyme levels in blood are normal. Therefore normal clinical tests

which rely on liver enzyme levels as a measure of liver condition cannot detect

liver congestion or stagnation.

I had blood tests performed a few months before I was diagnosed with badly

congested liver by a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. These tests

showed no abnormal liver condition because they simply could not detect liver

congestion. I never knew I had liver problems until the Chinese doctor

correctly diagnosed my congested liver condition. This was the turning point

for my

health problems. When my liver became healthy again through a lengthy jouney

of self-healing (see Liver cleansing section below), most of my chronic

health problems disappeared.

According to Chinese medicine, all internal organs work as a team in the

body; the liver is considered the " General " or " Chief of Staff: " .

Unfortunately,

many of our modern prescription drugs are damaging to the liver or kidneys.

Over the counter drugs such as painkillers can also cause liver toxicity.

Therefore it is not surprising that many people over the age of 50 develop

liver weakness or toxicity. Even among healthy people who are not dependent on

drugs, the liver has been filtering blood day and night throughout life without

being " cleansed " . Over the years, circulating blood has deteriorated in

quality which goes unnoticed. The end result is often a feeling of sluggishness

and heaviness due to poor circulation. Studies linking liver damage to

excessive or long-term use of painkillers have been reported.

I come from a family with weak livers. My father died of a stroke at the age

of 59. It was very likely related to liver problems as he had been diagnosed

as having a weak liver. My uncle became quite sick at the age of 67. His

extremities were dark in colour due to poor blood supply and he was very tired

and weak. He went to see a western medical doctor and was told that he was

beyond help and would not live much longer. He decided to seek a second opinion

from a traditional Chinese medical doctor who prescribed a liver cleansing

herb (Chinese Gentian) which purges the liver. He is now over 80 and is still

healthy.

Weakening of the liver and eventual toxicity are usually slow processes. In

many cases the only sign of liver weakness is poor digestion and low energy

level. Most people pass this off as something that happens with age. As a

result they do little or nothing about it until it is too late. Fortunately,

nature has endowed our liver with excellent regenerative powers. If we are able

to understand the early signs of degeneration, we have an excellent chance of

restoring it to optimal functioning with proper care.

Liver cleansing

The liver is the most important organ for hormone regulation. Because of my

weak liver, I had severe hormone imbalance resulting in many " women's

problems " . Although the Chinese medicine practitioner correctly diagnosed my

congested liver condition, his treatment actually made my problems worse! He

prescribed several herbs including Dong Quei, licorice and ginseng which

contain

plant estrogens. Although these had beneficial effects initially because they

improved my blood circulation, the plant estrogens eventually aggrevated my

hormone imbalance problems. I realized Chinese medicine does not understand

hormones and conventional medicine also offers no help for my chronic liver

congestion problems. I therefore decided to treat myself, using my combined

knowledge of clinical chemistry and Chinese herbs.

At first I tried several commonly used liver cleansing herbs such as

dandelion, chrysanthemum and Swedish Bitters. Dandelion and chrysanthemum were

too

weak. Swedish Bitters helped for about 3 weeks but my condition became

actually worse because there are 3 herbs in it which contain plant estrogens. I

searched Chinese herbal medicine literature (including some ancient Chinese

texts) on liver remedies. Several herbs are mentioned as beneficial to the

liver

including Coptis, Gentian, Self-Heal and Scutellaria. Chinese Gentian

(Lung-tan Tsao) has been known for thousands of years to be useful in the

treatment

of fever, rheumatism and general debility. It is also said to benefit the

liver, aid digestion, strengthen the memory and give lightness and elasticity

to

the body. It is primarily used in the treatment of acute hepatitis, acute

conjunctivitis, acute tonsillitis, jaundice and most liver disorders (Ref. 2, 5

). It is also helpful in alleviating " sluggish liver " which can be caused by

hormone therapy, medications or other problems such as stress or poor diets.

I recalled my uncle's very postitive experience with the herb Chinese

Gentian and decided to try it. From my research, I knew that the Chinese herb

Bupleurum increases " energy flow " in the liver. I decided to use a combination

of

Chinese Gentian and Bupleurum prepared in an alcoholic tincture. I reasoned

that alcohol is a better carrier than water for the herbs through the liver

because the liver detoxifies water-insoluble toxins for which alcohol is a

better solvent. Within a few months of using this mixture in conjunction with

daily morning exercise and diet control, I experienced significant improvement

as judged by reduction in menstrual pain from endometriosis, arthritic pain,

stiffness and improved quality of sleep. This improvement was gradual but

steady.

I then came across information on apple juice fasting and olive oil/lemon

juice liver and gallbladder cleansing. I decided to give it a try. The result

was dramatic. After just the first cleanse, my pains, alergies and arthritis

all disappeared. Apparently, malic acid in apple juice is excellent in

dissolving the stagnant bile accumulated in the liver. I was really amazed by

the

amount of stagnant bile driven out by the apple juice. Details of the apple

juice fasting and olive oil/lemon juice cleansing procedures are given in

gallbladder flushing.

After my experience, a friend of mine who had gallstones for years decided

to try this liver and gallbladder cleansing procedure. She did not get any

result the first time. There was one difference between her procedure and mine.

S

he did not use the Chinese Gentian and Bupleurum tincture before the

cleansing, like I did. I reasoned she probably had a congested liver (many

people

with gallstones are likely to have congested livers) which made it difficult

for the apple juice to penetrate. She took my advice and used the Chinese

Gentian and Bupleurum tincture for about one month before her second cleansing.

This time it was successful.

I have subsequently prepared the Chinese Gentian and Bupleurum tincture in

commercial form (called " Chinese Bitters " ). For certain conditions such as

gallstone problems or _absence of gallbladder_

(http://www.sensiblehealth.com/gallbladder.html#removed) (removal by surgery),

it is best used in conjunction

with another herbal tincture called Coptis which stimulates bile flow.

Restoring my liver health

Nutritional deficiency is a common problem for individuals with liver

disorders. Most nutrients pass through the body without being assimilated if

the

liver is weak. I was taking many vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements

for years without any effect. My improvement came only after my liver was

cleansed and strengthened. It was after my experience that I realized that

supplements taken by individuals with weak livers may end up as waste products

for

the body to dispose because the supplements cannot be digested or

assimilated.

As described above, I restored my liver to health in less than a year by

cleansing it with Chinese Bitters, by liver and gallbladder flush and by

eliminating all liver and kidney weakening foods such as white flour, white

sugar,

caffeine, chocolate, deep fried foods, all citrus fruits, tomato, banana, cold

drinks and foods which chill the liver and kidneys. I took supplements or

foods rich in Vitamin B's, C and minerals to nourish my organs and used the

various Chinese herbs to increase " Chi " (energy flow) in the liver. I also

perform daily morning exercises which involve stretching and deep breathing,

based

on an exercise regimen widely practiced in Taiwan called Y-Dan (a simple and

easy to learn alternative to Tai Chi with only 19 movements).

Exercise stimulates blood circulation. When blood circulates better, all

organs function better. Stretching and deep breathing kind of exercises early

in

the morning provide the most benefit for anyone with sluggish liver.

According to Chinese medicine, the liver works hard to filter our blood between

1 to

3 am during our sleep. A fair amount of blood may be still retained in the

liver when we wake up in the morning if the liver is congested. Early morning

exercises help to bring the blood out of the liver into the circulating

system. One of the symptoms for the excess blood retained in the liver is

waking

up in the morning with stiffness or numbness in the fingers or dizziness due

to lack of blood circulation.

Because of my high estrogen levels, I also had to avoid foods or herbs that

have estrogenic activities such as Don Quei, Licorice, Ginseng, Royal Jelly,

fennel, anise, flaxseed oil, clover, red clover, evening primrose oil, etc. I

avoided taking all pharmaceutical drugs because most of them are weakening

or damaging to the liver or kidneys.

Stress congests the liver and constricts the blood vessels. It causes poor

blood flow and the whole body becomes sluggish. Furthermore, it is believed in

Chinese medicine that anger (especially suppressed anger) injures the liver,

grief injures the lungs, fear or fright injures the kidneys and worry

injures the spleen. As mentioned earlier, all these organs support each other

and

work together. Disharmonies in one of these organs tend to produce an

imbalance in the corresponding emotions and vice versa.

According to Chinese medicine, cold and raw vegetables such as salads tend

to weaken the spleen unless the individuals who consume them are robust and

strong ( " Yang " type person). This could be the reason why many vegetarians look

pale because of their weak spleen although Vitamin B12 deficiency may also

be responsible. One of the common signs of weak spleen is dry lips or frequent

thirst. Chronic diarrhea or loose bowel may be another sign of weak spleen.

Since the spleen is an important organ for red cell production, weak spleen

is a common cause of anemia, especially in cases that do not respond to iron

supplements.

I suffered from heart palpitations since my early teenage years. I fainted

for the first time in my life in school at the age of eleven. It was due to a

hereditary weak heart according to the doctor who saw me. He warned me that I

might faint easily throughout my life. He was right in that prediction until

the health of my liver was restored in 1989. I never fainted again and my

heart palpitations disappeared.

When my liver became healthier my vision also improved and is actually

better than it was in 1989 when I was still suffering from liver congestion. I

had

never used eyeglasses at any time during my life and I still don't need

them. The Chinese have a saying: " The liver opens into the eyes. When the

liver

is harmonized, the eyes can distinguish the five colors " . Clean and

nutrient-rich blood from a healthy, efficient liver can flow easily and nourish

the

eye tissues better. Stimulation of blood flow to the eyes by massaging also

helps. I massage the pressure points for blood circulation to the eyes twice

daily, morning and night when I lie flat in bed. In this position blood does

not

have to flow against gravity.

References:

1. Harper, H.A., Review of Physiological Chemistry, 14th ed., Lange

Medical Publications (1973).

2. A Barefoot Doctor's Manual, the American translation of the official

Chinese Paramedical Manual, Running Press, Philadelphia (1990).

3. Neufeld, W.P., The Liver Causes Heart Attack, Morning Dawn

Publishing Company, Surrey, B.C., Canada (1987).

4. Selkurt, E.E. (editor), Physiology, 2nd edition, Little, Brown and

Company, Boston (1966).

5. Chinese Medicinal Herbs, compiled by Li Shih-Chen, translated by F.

Porter Smith, M.D., and G.A. Stuart, M.D., Georgetown Press, San Francisco

(1973).

 

 

 

No information in this letter should be construed as medical advice.

This information is for educational purposes only.

 

Jeff Frankel

10360 Pine Lakes Blvd

North Fort Myers, Fl 33903

239-731-2655

http://www.msprotocols.com/

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Jeff,

Its good to see you are researching the Liver system (Wood) and

trying to deal with the damage the Western pharmaceuticals you

took for MS might have done to yours.

 

While you're at it you might want to try researching the Asian

concepts of the Kidney system (Water) and its relationship is to what

Western medicine calls the Central Nervous System.

 

Address the branches but also treat the root.

 

Penel

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I am working on this, I use St. John's wort to work on the nerves. I am

also using chickweed it helps the urinary system. I started the liver cleanse

yesterday I took one capsule last night I noticed a difference two hours

later. Today so far I have taken two liver cleanse and two chickweed I feel

much

better. Just so you should know my friend is a master herbalist and

certified, I also have made good friends with some Naturopathic doctors who are

well-versed in Chinese herbs.

 

 

No information in this letter should be construed as medical advice.

This information is for educational purposes only.

 

Jeff Frankel

10360 Pine Lakes Blvd

North Fort Myers, Fl 33903

239-731-2655

http://www.msprotocols.com/

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Jeff,

Its good to see you are researching the Liver system (Wood) and

trying to deal with the damage the Western pharmaceuticals you

took for MS might have done to yours.

 

While you're at it you might want to try researching the Asian

concepts of the Kidney system (Water) and its relationship is to what

Western medicine calls the Central Nervous System.

 

Address the branches but also treat the root.

 

Penel

[Guest guest]

This is a good post to elaborate on for the beginning TCM students

and those new to TCM on the list. Also, some of the info is a bridge

between TCM and allopathic medicine for readers seeking more

allopathic information on why TCM works so well.

 

Chinese Traditional Medicine , jeffAfrankel@a... wrote:

> 6. Regulation of hormones: inactivation and elimination of

hormones

> through the bile or urine. Since estrogen and androgen are both

growth hormones

> which stimulate cell division, elevation of their levels in the

blood due to

> the liver's failure to remove them efficiently can cause their

accumulation

> in tissue. This in turn may lead to abnormal growths such as

uterine fibroids,

> ovarian cysts, endometriosis, breast cysts and breast cancer,

prostate

> enlargement or prostate cancer. Excessive estrogen is also the

most common cause

> of painful menstruations.

 

One of the first things that beginning TCM students learn is that Qi

Stagnation and Blood Stasis can result in pain and growths. The pain

of Qi Stagnation moves around - like gas pains. The swellings and

even growths appear and disappear - like the knots in a woman's

breats which appear prior to the start of her period and disappear

once the period begins.

 

The pain of Blood Stasis stays in one place. It's a much sharper

pain compared to that of Qi Stagnation which is diffuse. The

boundaries of the pain of Blood Stasis are well-defined. That of Qi

Stagnation is more diffuse. This is not only due to the fact that Qi

Stagnation pain moves around but also to the nature of Qi.

 

The tumors and growths of Blood Stasis don't disappear. Does this

mean that if someone has a growth that isn't shrinking, you load the

person up with herbs that move the Blood? No. You look at ALL the

symptoms together. You don't use any herb until you're sure it's

called for. Growths also can be due to Phlegm, and Phlegm can be

very hard to treat and take a long time to treat. There are

different types of Phlegm based on how the Phlegm formed, and

treatment will vary according to the etiology.

 

If left untreated, Qi Stagnation can lead to Blood Stasis and vice

versa. Cold can trigger both Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis. Trauma

can trigger Blood Stasis. One thing for the students to remember is

that Blood Deficiency can lead to Blood Stasis. Think of a full

stream and how it rushes and reaches the banks. Now think of a

shallow, nearly empty stream that barely flows and doesn't reach the

banks and doesn't fully moisten and nourish the vegetation on the

bank. But that's only part of the picture. In TCM physiology, the

Spleen plays the primary role in creating Blood. However, one of the

things which can go wrong with both Organs is something called Liver

Invading Spleen. The proper functioning of the Spleen becomes messed

up as a result. The Liver also can invade the Stomach and create

problems.

 

Anything that congests the Liver can trigger Qi Stagnation. The

Liver plays the primary role in keeping Qi flow smooth and even

through out the body.